This time last year Leicester arrived at St Andrews having entered the international break with an excellent 4-0 win over Derby. The Foxes were unbeaten in four and just a win outside the playoffs.
Birmingham meanwhile sat in the lower reaches of the table thanks to a Europa League schedule which saw them two games behind everyone else.
Leicester were favourites but it all went horribly wrong. First Andy King conceded a debateable penalty, but there could be no argument about the red card for Matt Mills – Leicester’s third of the season.
A week later, Sven was gone.
There’s no suggestion Nigel Pearson is under the same sort of pressure at the moment. That’s partly because Leicester in neither receiving a red card this season or conceding a penalty in the Championship haven’t put unecessary pressure on themselves in matches.
Instead, the Foxes are looking to make it six league wins in a row for the first time since 1993. A win here would also be the first time Leicester have won three successive away matches at this level since 2002.
The Blues have lost their last two at home, including a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Barnsley. That result has given Birmingham a rather depressing goal difference at home of -4. Lee Clark is on borrowed time.
Birmingham have averaged a point a game in their four matches against sides in the top half. Another point here would be a good result for Leicester. City’s last win at St Andrews came in the wake of the La Manga incident.
Those records would be nice though…
