PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V BIRMINGHAM CITY

The job of beginning FA Cup fifth round weekend falls to the Blues of the capital and the Blues of the second city. Club historian Rick Glanvill, club statistician Paul Dutton and former player Clive Walker look at our last 16 match in detail…

TALKING POINTS
The FA Cup trophy stopped by the UK's second city a few days ago. The closest Birmingham City fans had previously come to football's oldest silverware were the Wembley final defeats of 1931 and 1957.

Three thousand of those supporters travel on Saturday to Stamford Bridge, home to the trophy following three of the previous six FA Cup campaigns.

The two sides meet in very different states of morale, though, and both may have other matters to dwell on either side of the televised 90 minutes this Saturday lunchtime.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has promised complete focus 'unlike last week at Everton', while agreeing the impending match at Napoli will have an impact on his team selection.

The Londoners will be looking for a confidence boost after that performance at Everton, described by Villas-Boas as the worst of the season in every meaning of the word.

Previous managers of the Blues have found this competition can act as the springboard to revived fortunes. José Mourinho saw four draws over Christmas 2006/07 damage his title aspirations, only for the team to power to the final and triumph over rivals Man United. Only one further league match was lost over that period.

The first match after Guus Hiddink's arrival in 2009 was a tie away at Watford which Chelsea won 3-1 (although Ray Wilkins took charge of the team for that game). Again there was just one domestic defeat for the remainder of the season, and John Terry lifted the Cup after beating Everton in May.

Birmingham arrive not having won at the Bridge since 1979. They bowed out of their defence of the League Cup to Man City at Eastlands, but the Midlands side are hoping to reach the sixth round of this competition for the third time in succession. Last season they succumbed 2-3 at this stage to Bolton.

We underestimate Chris Hughton's side at our peril. Admittedly, without the injured striker Nicola Zigic Brum have managed one goal and one win in three games - all at home - and dropped one place from fourth to fifth in the Championship. Yet they remain unbeaten in 13 games since December in all competitions.

Until recently the Midlanders were a far stronger side at St Andrew's than on their travels. They have the third best win rate in their division at home but would be mid-table on their away form alone.

The problem lays in their defending. They have scored 23 league goals home and away, but whereas just six have been conceded on home territory - the meanest in the Championship - as visitors their defence has been breached 21 times.

However, they are currently on an incredible run of scoring 15 goals in their last four away successes in all tournaments, conceding only one. On their last trip to the capital, at Millwall, they won 6-0.

They also saw off Leeds United 4-1 at Elland Road at the end of January, Zigic scoring all four as City registered their sixth straight win and maintained their challenge for promotion.

This is not a callow lower league team. Many squad members have survived from their recent Premier League spell, during which they also beat Arsenal to lift the League Cup. That title brought continental football to St Andrew's for the first time in half a century.

They bowed out of the Europa League in December despite gathering 10 points - the same tally as current third-placed Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, where Hughton was formerly a coach.

Chelsea will have to be wary of the stamina of his current charges: more than a third of their goals have come in the last 15 minutes of matches.

They face a Chelsea side that has conceded 35% of league goals in the final 15 minutes of matches. At Stamford Bridge that rockets up to eight of 14, or 57%; 53% of home goals have been scored during the same period. On average just 22% of Premier League strikes come after the 75th minute.

Both managers have decisions over priorities to make. Villas-Boas has to factor into his plans Tuesday's crucial game away to Napoli in the Champions League Round of 16.

The Neapolitans, incidentally, ended a four-match winless run by beating strugglers Chievo 2-0 on Monday and are seventh in Serie A. They play today (Friday) so enjoy an extra day to prepare for the tie at Stadio San Paolo.

Similarly, with ownership and financial viability major issues for the club, Birmingham's priority must be to regain lucrative top-flight status.

Hughton seems likely to rest some players ahead of the postponed Championship visit to Barnsley, also on Tuesday. He made five changes for the match at Sheffield United in the previous round of the FA Cup and prevailed 4-0.

Only one Barclays Premier League side is guaranteed progress to the sixth round: the winner of Sunderland versus Arsenal.

FA Cup fifth round fixtures
Saturday
Chelsea v Birmingham 12.30pm ESPN
Everton v Blackpool 3pm
Millwall v Bolton 3pm
Norwich v Leicester 3pm
Sunderland v Arsenal 5.15pm ITV1
Sunday
Crawley v Stoke 12pm ESPN
Stevenage v Tottenham 2pm ITV1
Liverpool v Brighton 4.30pm ESPN

If the scores are level after 90 minutes there will be a replay at St Andrew's on Tuesday 6 March, kick off 7.45pm subject to any TV selection.

The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals is on Sunday at approx 3.50pm and will be broadcast on ITV1.

Click on tabs above for more briefing.

MATCH REPORT: CHELSEA 1 BIRMINGHAM CITY 1

Summary
It needed a second-half Daniel Sturridge goal to keep Chelsea in the FA Cup after a set-piece put Birmingham in the lead.

The Championship side went ahead midway through a first-half in which the home team did not impress although Juan Mata had a penalty saved. Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou returned to club action during the match but it was Sturridge's 11^th goal of the season that squared the score, a header after a well-worked move.

Chelsea were dominant by then and continued to be for the rest of the game although chances to win the match were limited and there was a late scare as the visitors wasted a chance to inflict a giantkilling.

Team news
Ramires returned from the injury sustained in the previous round at QPR and with John Mikel Obi also back in the starting line-up, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were dropped to the bench.

Gary Cahill made his second start with Branislav Ivanovic returning to right-back in place of Jose Bosingwa who was also dropped. Ryan Bertand replaced injured Ashley Cole at left-back.

The front three were unchanged for the sixth game running but Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba were back among the subs having returned from the Africa Cup of Nations.

First half
in what was to prove to be an opening 45 minutes to forget for Chelsea, very little happened in the opening 10 minutes apart from a determined run into the Birmingham area by Daniel Sturridge, but forced wide he eventually knocked the ball out for a goal-kick.

On 12 minutes Birmingham were forced into a change, losing their veteran captain Stephen Carr to injury.

Three minutes later, Mata, in the part of the pitch partly policed by Carr's replacement Jonathan Spector, almost plucked a Sturridge cross out of the air with his back to goal but as he turned, it ran out of play.

Then, on 19 minutes, a previously drab encounter exploded into life but not in a manner Chelsea fans were wishing.

First the visitors took the lead. Having won a corner, it was played into the near-post area where David Luiz couldn't clear it. Ivanovic also missed the chance to make contact which left David Murphy in space to drill the ball home from close range. That was the first shot of the game from either side and it had inflicted a blow to Chelsea confidence.

The chance to slap the Championship side back down came just two minutes later when an unnecessary and clumsy challenge by Wade Elliott tripped Ramires in a crowded penalty area.

Mata, who scored with his previous Chelsea penalty, was the obvious choice to take it with Lampard and Drogba on the bench but his low shot was tipped onto the post and was then cleared. It was a good save by Colin Doyle and did nothing for Chelsea belief.

On 25 minutes Sturridge was not far away from finding Torres with a centre but Curtis Davies made it his. Chelsea remained on top for the rest of half but without creating enough chances.

David Luiz showed much needed enterprise in carrying the ball from halfway towards the Birmingham goal until David Mutch brought him down at the expense of a yellow card. The Brazilian took the free-kick himself and bent the ball up and down sharply over the wall but Doyle was able to push it over the bar.

Sturridge, from the left this time, put a little too much pace on a curling cross for Ivanovic, who had evaded the offside flag. Chelsea by now had switched to 4-2-3-1 with Mata now central and Ramires on the right. Sturridge for a short spell decided to shoot at every opportunity and his best effort was a dipping one that didn't clear the bar by much.

Birmingham's only effort of the half since their goal saw Cech save comfortably from Redmond.

Second half
Drogba replaced Torres for the restart. The shape remained 4-2-3-1 but now with Sturridge the more central player behind Drogba and Mata back out on the left. We continued to dominate possession but a good link between our midfield and attacking play was not there, although one Mikel long pass almost picked out a well-placed Drogba.

On 54 minutes, Cahill was wrongly booked for what was nothing more than good strong defending on Birmingham's lone striker Adam Rooney and two minutes later, Andre Villas-Boas made a second change, bringing on Kalou for Mikel. Kalou now played on the left, Mata back in the middle with Sturridge on the right of the three behind Drogba.

The previously subdued Mata did well to get a shot away when closely marked but was a yard or two off target before he did make a telling contribution.

There were 61 minutes played when the Spaniard spotted Ivanovic in space down the right and found him with the necessary pass. The cross from the Serbian was delivered with pace and accuracy and it was given the finishing touch it deserved, Sturridge guiding a header inside the far post to put his side back level.

The quest was on for a winner. Kalou headed over from a Drogba cross and Ivanovic got the ball tangled among his feet after Mata had volleyed a cross with the power of a shot. Meireles then had a shot from the edge of the area deflected up and just over the bar.

There was a rare shot from Birmingham on 76 minutes after Ramires had conceded a free-kick, but Cech gathered it low down. The Chelsea defence, and Cahill in particular, were proving solid.

With 12 minutes left on the clock, Lampard replaced Mata. Drogba hadn't been involved much but he won a corner soon after that latest switch. Meireles's delivery though cleared the jumping blue shirts.

Drogba then back-heeled into the path of Ivanovic who tumbled after a defender fell on his legs. Our right-back wanted a penalty but it was an optimistic appeal.

With 86 minutes Birmingham did have their chance to win it after the Chelsea defence was caught square as Jervis knocked the ball forward but Redmond fluffed his big moment and the save was easy for Cech.

Wth 89 minutes gone and the rain now falling, Chelsea's chance came when Ivanovic was fouled 20 yards out and in a central position. Lampard however hit the free-kick into the wall.

It had been an improved second-half display but despite substitutions, the cutting edge was not sharp enough.

The replay will be Tuesday 6 March. kick-off 7.45pm.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech (c); Ivanovic, Cahill, D Luiz, Bertrand; Ramires, Mikel (Kalou 57), Meireles; Sturridge, Torres (Drogba h-t), Mata (Lampard 82).
Unused subs Hilario, Bosingwa, Essien, Malouda.
Scorer Sturridge 61.
Booked Cahill 54, David Luiz 90+1.

Birmingham (4-5-1): Doyle; Carr (c) (Spector 12), Davies, Ibanez, Murphy; Elliott (Burke 82), Mutch, Fahey, Gomis, Redmond; Rooney (Jervis 70).
Unused subs Butland, Caldwell, Asante, Reilly.
Scorer Murphy 20.
Booked Mutch 33.

Referee Martin Atkinson.
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