Derby County are set to face Birmingham City in the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon at Pride Park Stadium, with the Sky Bet Championship meeting arriving after Birmingham’s unbeaten league start to the 2026/27 season ended in midweek.
Chris Davies’ side were beaten 2-1 by Norwich City at Carrow Road on Wednesday night, a result that brought their opening run to a halt. Birmingham had gone into that match unbeaten, so the defeat changes the tone slightly before they head to Derby for what is now a quick chance to respond.
For Derby County, this is the second of back-to-back home Championship matches. They beat Portsmouth 2-0 on Tuesday 1st September, but followed that with a 1-0 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night. That means The Ram return to Pride Park looking to settle back into form after a mixed few days.
What the fixture says about both teams
There is already a clear early-season contrast here. Birmingham finished 2025/26 in 10th place after Chris Davies guided them to the League One title and then a solid first year back in the Championship. Derby, meanwhile, are still trying to build momentum in front of their own supporters after a stop-start opening stretch.
Davies, who became Birmingham City manager in June 2024, has already shown he can steady a team across different levels. Jay Stansfield, who joined Birmingham permanently from Fulham in August 2024, has been part of that wider picture. The club’s challenge now is to show that Wednesday’s setback at Norwich City was just a brief pause rather than the start of a more difficult spell.
For Derby, the priority is simpler: make Pride Park count. They have the platform of a home fixture, but after a win over Portsmouth and defeats to West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion in their recent run, consistency is the main thing they are still looking for.
Saturday’s early kick-off should offer a useful first read on where both clubs stand. Birmingham arrive trying to recover from their first league defeat of the season, while Derby will be aiming to use home advantage to sharpen up their own campaign.
