• Story of the match

Coming into the fixture, Brentford were red hot favourites, but it was the home side who started the game brightly, with Jérémie Bela and Iván Sánchez looking promising from the wings, causing panic amongst the Brentford defence.

It was Bela who had the first opportunity in the game to score, cutting inside on his left foot, before releasing a shot that was palmed to safety by Brentford goalkeeper, Luke Daniels.

Birmingham were aggressive with their tackles from the off, with Mathias Jensen having to be replaced after just seven minutes after sustaining a foot injury caused by a hasty challenge from Ivan Sunjic.

Brentford grew into the first half as the Brentford attack became more promising, shifting the ball around at pace. Birmingham were caught on the counter attack and from the resulting attack, midfielder Josh Dasilva struck the post from just outside the box with a low driven effort.

Brentford continued to trouble the hosts, but it was Birmingham who took the lead through a corner routine. New signing Sánchez delivered an excellent cross that was met on the near post by an unmarked Bela, converting a header from close range.

The second half commenced and Brentford began to crank up the pressure, dominating possession and creating chances. There were penalty shouts in the second half, but Birmingham defended resolutely, protecting their goal with discipline.

The best chance of the second half fell to the visitors, with substitute Emiliano Marcondes hitting the bar with an ambitious overhead kick from inside the box, leaving 19 year old debutant Zach Jeacock stranded on his line in the Birmingham goal.

Birmingham continued to wind down the clock, much to the frustration of the Brentford players and head coach, Thomas Frank, but it was the hosts who came away with an unlikely win.

  • Takeaways from the match

Birmingham looked to be a tougher side to break down this season in comparison to the last, and the new additions to the squad look as if they've fitted in well, adding elements to the Birmingham side that were not visible previously. Adam Clayton and Jon Toral looked as if they’ve added a much needed balance to the midfield, dictating the tempo of the game around them. Iván Sánchez looked dangerous on the wing and George Friend looks a be a solid addition to the defence, a commanding voice to get the team through the 90 minutes.

Brentford looked dangerous, but lacked a killer touch in the final third. New signing Ivan Toney failed to create an impact for the Bees, whereas Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos looked threatening but missed a final finish. Brentford looked assured at the back, preventing Birmingham from having many clear-cut chances, but failed to assist the midfield when looking for a different route past the Birmingham back line.

  • Player of the match

George Friend- A fantastic addition to the Birmingham squad, adding much needed Championship experience and organisation to a back line that had only kept one clean sheet in their last 12 competitive games. Friend looked assured at the back, communicating with the rest of his line and good on the ball,  personifying Birmingham’s resolute defensive performance.