MATCH PREVIEW: Birmingham City vs Charlton Athletic - Saturday 13th December 2025 - 3pm KO
Birmingham City vs Charlton Athletic
Saturday 13th December 2025 - 3pm Kick-Off
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Introduction
Five defeats on the trot isn't great, regardless of how you paint the picture, but that's exactly the case for Nathan Jones and Charlton Athletic at the moment. Defeat against Middlesbrough, defeat against another side gunning for promotion of late, ends a run of tough fixtures where any kind of result would have been seen as a positive. Our remaining fixtures in 2025 are a little more important, yet wont define our season though... Not yet!!
The Opposition
Name: Birmingham City (11th) - Manager: Chris Davies
Ground: St. Andrews
Previous League Result: QPR 2-1 Birmingham
Next up for the Addicks is a trip to the League One Champions: Birmingham City
If there is an example needed of just how much tougher the Championship is, then Birmingham are the perfect example. 2024/25 was a season that will be unforgettable for Birmingham fans, one season down in League One, no bother, they would go on to win the Division at a canter, and with a record of 111-pts... With their spending power last campaign, you'd have to wonder if they'd join the likes of Norwich, Southampton and Ipswich in winning back to back promotion straight to the Premier League... But so far that hasn't quite been the case.
In short their away form has let them down... Just two wins on the road, and two draws... Meaning that they come into this game off the back of two matches on the road, where they recorded zero points. That still leaves them in 11th on 28-pts and just three points from the Play-Offs, and just five above the Addicks, confirming just how tight this level of Football is... Unfortunately its their home form which keeping them competitive, just the single defeat and two draws at St. Andrews confirms that this Saturday, will be no easier than previous weeks for the Addicks.
Jay Stansfield remains their key man, with eight League goals this campaign, whilst the returning Demarai Gray, who re-joined his boyhood club over the summer will be one to keep an eye on, he has three goals since the start of November.
Charlton Team News
Once again we're seeing shades of last season, with various formations, and experimental line-ups being thrown around by both Manager and fans alike - We're seeing a mixture of four in Defence, or we'll switch to a back five, with Onel Hernandez or Tyreece Campbell filling in. As a result who knows how we'll line up this coming Saturday, with Hernandez now injured, we may see us start with a back four again... My personal preference would be a return to a back five, even if it means playing Campbell out of position, get the players back into something they're familiar with, and go from there.
Elsewhere and the likes of Karoy Anderson and Ibby Fullah impressed with second half performances against Middlesbrough, and may get an opportunity from the start - Rob Apter is another who people have called for as late, yet he's in the unfortunate place of having to sit on the bench because we've no natural Left Wing-Back, and so leaving us vulnerable on both flanks.
January cannot come soon enough...
Kaminski
Ramsay - Jones - Gillesphey
Bree - Coventry - Docherty - Campbell
Carey
Olaofe - Fullah
Substitutes Bench: Mannion - Roussillon - Gough - Apter - Costello - Anderson - Knibbs - Berry - Leaburn
Comments
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Andrew Kitchen takes charge of this third Charlton game this season.
All matches away from the Valley, with us losing at QPR, drawing at Hull... Meaning we now need to beat Birmingham!!3 -
- Birmingham are looking to register consecutive league wins over Charlton for the first time since February 1980.
- The home team won both league meetings between Birmingham and Charlton last season, as many as there’d been in the previous 11 games in this fixture (W2 D5 L4).
- Birmingham City have lost just one of their last 34 home league games (W27 D6) and have won their last four in a row since the 3-2 defeat to Hull in October.
- Charlton have lost their last three away league games, last having a longer away losing streak in February/March 2022 in League One (four).
- Birmingham have won 17 home league games in 2025 so far – a win in this game would equal their most wins at home in a calendar year, winning 18 games in the year 2000.
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Great preview as always. Another very difficult afternoon for us. Would love to get a point but fear another defeat. Already looking ahead to the Oxford game to hopefully get something and stop the rot.4
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3-1 to Bham. Can't see our defensive issues being sorted.1
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Jones comes out and clatters rat Boy in the 2nd minute, setting the tone.6
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This team has forgotten how to pick up points and losing has become a habit!A point would be a miracle but expecting Birmingham to win without getting out of second gear.1
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We are on a bad run, still waiting on key players to return. Birmingham are good at home = 2-0 loss i am afraid, fingers crossed we can get a few players returning ASAP
Would like to see Fullah start and maybe Anderson, based on Tuesday they would give us more legs1 -
There seems no end to these tough games!
Birmingham have won their last 4 at home - 4-0, 4-0, 4-1, 2-1.
We're out of form, confidence & key players. None of our opponents are having an off-day.
That said, we've got to catch a break at some point, something has to turn. I'll predict a shock draw.
Any slightly doubtful key players - I hope we keep them rested for Oxford / Norwich / Portsmouth.6 -
Great preview as always FA.
This run of tough games has unfortunately coincided with our injury crisis.
No guarantee we would have done much better regardless.
Our 1st half display on Tuesday was absolutely rubbish, but the changes for the 2nd half improved us.
I'm hoping that some of those players who came on for the 2nd half will start at Birmingham, also hoping we might start getting a player or two back from injury.
Can't really see beyond a defeat on Saturday but if we could get a point or better it would stop the rot and set us up for some on paper at least easier games coming up.
Head says 2.1 Brum
Heart says 1.1
As always keep the faith.3 -
Meant to be at this one but looking like life is getting in the way so the stream for me and my company on the match thread for you lot, hope you feel privileged!
As for the game, can’t see it ending well for us. I think we’ll keep it relatively tight but if we concede one in the first half it could end up being three. Struggle to see where we score other than maybe from a set piece2 -
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Hope that everything is going okay for you at the moment Fen!!fenaddick said:Meant to be at this one but looking like life is getting in the way so the stream for me and my company on the match thread for you lot, hope you feel privileged!
As for the game, can’t see it ending well for us. I think we’ll keep it relatively tight but if we concede one in the first half it could end up being three. Struggle to see where we score other than maybe from a set piece
Always a pleasure to have the company on the Match Threads2 -
Think our best hope is to just try and stay in the game and take it late, then try and nick something with impact subs coming on, or a set piece goal
I’m still hoping we switch to a back 4 system. Make the midfield as solid as possible to try and stay in the game, pace out wide and up top for the counter attack. I’d go with
Kaminski
Bree Jones Gillesphey Ramsay
Coventry
Apter Docherty Anderson. TC
Olaofe
Carey, Fullah and Leaburn to impact from the bench3 -
Cannot see anything other than a defeat!
MEH...HAIRY CHRISTMAS!!!0 -
Game 20 last season was when we’d just gone through our rough patch and started our march to Wembley…#justsaying
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Whatever formation I try to come up with, I can't propose any kind of solution to the problems down our left side.
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Jones needs to show a few players they are droppable.
Kaminski
Ramsay Jones Gillesphey Bree
Docherty Anderson
Apter Fullah Campbell
Olaofe
Mannion Roussillon Gough Rankin-Costello Coventry Carey Knibbs Berry Leaburn5 -
Thought i'd buck the depressive trend...😉
Can't see anything other than an away win, maybe 1-3...🙌
...Gotta happen someday.2 -
Last Charlton manager to win at Birmingham City?0
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Think it was Curbs who said,, when you're on a bad run just stop the rot,, so here's hoping, 0-0.7
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Karel Fraeye, with Lookman on the scoresheet?Simonsen said:Last Charlton manager to win at Birmingham City?1 -
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I think this is pretty much the XI I'd go for, but would swap out Fullah for Carey to give him a chance playing in the more advanced role where he hasn't had a chance recently. Ibby can come off the bench to cause problems later on.sam3110 said:Jones needs to show a few players they are droppable.
Kaminski
Ramsay Jones Gillesphey Bree
Docherty Anderson
Apter Fullah Campbell
Olaofe
Mannion Roussillon Gough Rankin-Costello Coventry Carey Knibbs Berry Leaburn
I'd also swap the full backs around, with Ramsay on the left (even though I don't love him there) and Bree on the right where we can hopefully make use of his delivery into the box occasionally1 -
No nonsense managerForeverAddickted said:
Karel Fraeye, with Lookman on the scoresheet?Simonsen said:Last Charlton manager to win at Birmingham City?
Just spread out6 -
Mannion
Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Bree
Carey, Coventry, Anderson
Apter, Tanto, Fullah.1 -
Not sure if my brain is being slow, but if they won both matches last season surely they have already beaten us in consecutive league matches?clive said:- Birmingham are looking to register consecutive league wins over Charlton for the first time since February 1980.
- The home team won both league meetings between Birmingham and Charlton last season, as many as there’d been in the previous 11 games in this fixture (W2 D5 L4).
- Birmingham City have lost just one of their last 34 home league games (W27 D6) and have won their last four in a row since the 3-2 defeat to Hull in October.
- Charlton have lost their last three away league games, last having a longer away losing streak in February/March 2022 in League One (four).
- Birmingham have won 17 home league games in 2025 so far – a win in this game would equal their most wins at home in a calendar year, winning 18 games in the year 2000.
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Would love to think we can keep it tight and knock them out with a late goal with our impact subs impacting, but we should have been trying to do something like that in previous games. Instead we see 3 attacking midfielders v Boro, and too many players either confused or ill-disciplined, chasing the ball out of position so getting sucked away from where they should be (as Mark Newbury said on Charlton Live and i agree).
So, i don't know what 'back to basics' means for Nathan. He said after Boro that we had to not give the ball away so cheaply and that would be a good start if we/he could possibly manage that.
0-3 at worst, 1-0 at best, and i'd say 92% chance the former v the latter.0 -
It doesn't say that. It says the home team won both games last season.se9addick said:
Not sure if my brain is being slow, but if they won both matches last season surely they have already beaten us in consecutive league matches?clive said:- Birmingham are looking to register consecutive league wins over Charlton for the first time since February 1980.
- The home team won both league meetings between Birmingham and Charlton last season, as many as there’d been in the previous 11 games in this fixture (W2 D5 L4).
- Birmingham City have lost just one of their last 34 home league games (W27 D6) and have won their last four in a row since the 3-2 defeat to Hull in October.
- Charlton have lost their last three away league games, last having a longer away losing streak in February/March 2022 in League One (four).
- Birmingham have won 17 home league games in 2025 so far – a win in this game would equal their most wins at home in a calendar year, winning 18 games in the year 2000.
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For me:
Kaminski
Bree Jones Gillesphey Ramsay
Docherty Coventry
Apter Carey TC
Tanto
3 -1 home win, Brum are a different beast at home compared to away scoring 14 goals in their last 4 there, but, a markedly better performance and not without our chances to draw/win.
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Yes, correct...but Johnnie Jackson with a header from a Tariq Holmes-Dennis cross. Scored at our end.ForeverAddickted said:
Karel Fraeye, with Lookman on the scoresheet?Simonsen said:Last Charlton manager to win at Birmingham City?
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Simonsen said:
Yes, correct...but Johnnie Jackson with a header from a Tariq Holmes-Dennis cross. Scored at our end.ForeverAddickted said:
Karel Fraeye, with Lookman on the scoresheet?Simonsen said:Last Charlton manager to win at Birmingham City?
I believe it was Lookman's first start for us though, and that he was fantastic. A great away end that day -seem to remember it was our first away win in months!1
