Aston Villa’s hopes of Champions League football next season hung by a thread at half-time today thanks to a speedy turnaround in fortunes at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will decide on the future of on-loan striker Christian Benitez in the next fortnight after he finally scored his first home goal in the 2-1 success over Burnley.

FT: Birmingham 2 Burnley 1

Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor will make only his second Premier League appearance of the season against Manchester City on Sunday.

Blackburn 2 Birmingham 1

Sunderland 3 Birmingham 1

Birmingham 2 Everton 2

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish paid tribute to Christian Benitez after he inspired his side to a 2-1 triumph at Portsmouth last night.

BIRMINGHAM gained revenge for their weekend FA Cup exit against Portsmouth after sending the Premier League’s bottom club closer to relegation with a 2-1 triumph at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth 1 Birmingham 2

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will check on the fitness of striker James McFadden before finalising his line-up for the FA Cup quarter-final with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Birmingham striker James McFadden is battling to be fit for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has named an unchanged side for today's home Premier League clash with Wigan.

Birmingham midfielder Barry Ferguson is on course to be fit for tomorrow’s home Barclays Premier League clash with Wigan.

Derby 1 Birmingham 2

Birmingham striker Christian Benitez is available for the FA Cup fifth round clash with Derby at Pride Park tomorrow.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will be forced to change his starting line-up for the first time in 13 Premier League games for the away clash with West Ham tomorrow.

Birmingham 2 Wolves 1

FT: Birmingham 2 Wolves 1

Alex McLeish welcomes Kevin Phillips back into the fold for Birmingham’s Barclays Premier League clash against Wolves on Sunday.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has admitted defeat in his attempts to sign Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Birmingham 1 Tottenham 1

Dirk Kuyt eased the tension at Anfield by sweeping Liverpool into a half-time lead over Owen Coyle’s battling Bolton at Anfield.

SCOTT DANN returned to his home city to remind both Everton and Liverpool just what they missed out on.

Everton 1 Birmingham 2

Birmingham are close to completing a deal for Aston Villa midfielder Craig Gardner, according to Blues vice-chairman Peter Pannu.

MIDFIELDER Barry Ferguson’s first goal for Birmingham was sufficient to seal victory over Nottingham Forest last night in an FA Cup third-round replay at St Andrews and clinch a visit to Everton.

Birmingham 1 Nottingham Forest 0

ALEX McLEISH wants latest Birmingham capture Michel to be given time to adapt to the Barclays Premier League.

Birmingham 1 Manchester United 1

Carlo Ancelotti was determined to find the positives from Chelsea’s goalless draw at Birmingham despite his side continuing their recent indifferent form.

Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0

IF ever a game could sum up a season, this might just have been it for Everton.

Everton 1 Birmingham 1

Birmingham 2 Blackburn 1

Kevin Phillips will return to the Birmingham squad for tomorrow’s home Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham.

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is to run the rule over Slovakia international Jan Novak.

THE feel-good factor has returned to Birmingham City.

Wigan 2 Birmingham 3

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has no fresh injury problems ahead of Saturday’s Barclays Premier League game at Wigan.

Wolves 0 Birmingham 1

Birmingham 1 Fulham 0

Maybe Rafael Benitez will look back on Liverpool’s fortunate 2-2 draw with Birmingham last night at Anfield as the moment his luck changed.

BIRMINGHAM captain Lee Carsley last night slammed Liverpool’s David Ngog for what he described as “an embarrassing case of cheating” after the young striker helped Liverpool earn a point with a controversial penalty.