Southampton 3-1 Birmingham City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Southampton 3-1 Birmingham City in the Championship on Saturday, 06 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Southampton beat Birmingham City 3-1 in an entertaining clash at St Mary’s. The hosts got off to a flying start when Finn Azaz scored in the 6th minute, assisted by Leo Scienza, and they doubled their lead through Adam Armstrong in the 24th, with Azaz turning provider this time. Birmingham, coming off a mixed run with a win and a draw in their last few games, struggled to respond before the break, while Southampton looked sharp after recent victories like their 3-0 thumping of Leicester.

After the interval, Birmingham pulled one back through Demarai Gray in the 54th minute, assisted by Alex Cochrane, giving them hope of a comeback. But Southampton quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Adam Armstrong netted his second in the 58th. The Saints, who had bounced back from a loss to Millwall with this win, held firm despite late pressure, while Birmingham’s defeat followed a decent spell including a 4-1 win over Norwich.

Birmingham dominated possession with 60% of the ball compared to Southampton’s 40%, suggesting they controlled much of the play, but the hosts made the most of their chances on the counter. The visitors racked up far more successful dribbles at 80 to Southampton’s 30, showing their attacking threat through the lines, while corners were close at 8-7 in Birmingham’s favour, hinting at set-piece opportunities that didn’t quite pay off. Both sides picked up one yellow card each, with no reds, and each used all five substitutions, like Southampton bringing on Cameron Archer for Adam Armstrong at 63 minutes to freshen things up, alongside two assists for the winners against one for Birmingham.

This points to a game where Birmingham had the edge in build-up play but Southampton were more clinical, especially with no penalties or injury-time goals swinging it late on.

The game burst into life early with Finn Azaz firing Southampton ahead in the 6th minute after a neat assist from Leo Scienza, setting a positive tone for the hosts. Adam Armstrong then made it 2-0 in the 24th, thanks to Azaz’s pass, before Birmingham fought back post-half-time with Demarai Gray’s goal in the 54th, assisted by Alex Cochrane. Southampton weren’t done though, as Armstrong grabbed his brace in the 58th to seal the points.

Substitutions played a role too, with Birmingham making changes like Kyogo Furuhashi replacing Marvin Ducksch at 59 minutes, and Southampton introducing Joe Aribo for Finn Azaz at 80 minutes amid a couple of late yellow cards, including one for Tomoki Iwata early in the second half.

Southampton lined up in a 3-4-2-1 shape that allowed them to soak up pressure and hit on the break, with Finn Azaz and Adam Armstrong forming a dangerous partnership up top, combining well for goals and assists. Leo Scienza supported creatively early on before Jay Robinson replaced him at 64 minutes, while the backline held steady even as Ronnie Edwards came on for Tom Fellows late at 87 minutes. Midfield saw shifts too, like Oriol Romeu taking over from Caspar Jander at 80 minutes to add experience.

Birmingham City set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that gave them width and possession, with Demarai Gray shining in attack by scoring their only goal before Lewis Koumas replaced him at 86 minutes. Alex Cochrane provided the assist for that strike but made way for Jack Robinson at 59 minutes, while the midfield battled hard, picking up a yellow for Tomoki Iwata at 49 minutes. Up front, Jay Stansfield led the line until Lyndon Dykes came on for him at 86 minutes to try and chase the game.

Finn Azaz was Coral’s Man of the Match after a standout performance for Southampton, bagging one goal and one assist to help drive their victory. He also created one big chance and delivered a key pass, showing his influence in the attacking third without overcomplicating things. Starting the game, he was involved in the key early moments before Joe Aribo replaced him at 80 minutes.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 3-1 vs Birmingham City (H)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Millwall (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Leicester City (H)
• Win: 5-1 vs Charlton Athletic (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Sheffield Wednesday (H)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-3 vs Southampton (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Watford (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs West Bromwich Albion (A)
• Win: 4-1 vs Norwich City (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Middlesbrough (A)

Southampton have just beaten Birmingham City 3-1, which boosts them to 11th on 27 points after a strong run including wins over Leicester and Charlton, though that recent loss to Millwall showed they can be vulnerable away. Their next match is against ....

Birmingham City have just lost 1-3 to Southampton, leaving them 8th on 28 points despite a decent recent form with wins over Watford and Norwich, plus a draw at West Brom. Their next fixture is against ....

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