[12][1] Alex McLeish brought on new signing Nikola Žigić, who "injected a note of panic hitherto undetected" in the home team's defence as Sebastian Larsson's crosses produced goals from Scott Dann and a late equaliser from Liam Ridgewell after a goalmouth scramble.

[14] In an eventful visit to Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham took an early lead after a passing move involving McFadden, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome was finished by Roger Johnson with his first goal for the club.

[17] In the run-up to the visit to West Bromwich Albion, McFadden suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which was to keep him out for the season,[18] football consultant Sammy Yu left the club,[19] and McLeish signed a new three-year contract.

The home side appeared to have no answer to Jerome's early goal, but Roberto Di Matteo brought Graham Dorrans on at half time, moved Peter Odemwingie from the wing to play up front, and the game was transformed.

A dull game was enlivened by an altercation between Johnson and Hugo Rodallega for which both were booked, the skills of Charles N'Zogbia and the home supporters' adverse reactions thereto, Jerome missing chances, and Gardner's reckless tackle on Franco Di Santo for which he was sent off.

[23] At home to newly promoted Blackpool, whose attacking style had earned them the best away record in the Premier League, Birmingham played them at their own game, with Alexander Hleb given a free role behind O'Connor and Žigić, and outclassed them 2–0.

After Gardner and Beauseajour replaced Hleb and Keith Fahey, Birmingham came back to draw with a Jerome goal from a Žigić knockdown and a characteristic Ridgewell tap-in when Robert Green failed to gather a Larsson free kick.

The nearest the home side came to scoring was when Carlos Tevez handled the ball into the net and when Foster blocked a James Milner shot and man-of-the-match Stephen Carr cleared the rebound off the line.

Thereafter, Foster, criticised for his performance for England against France in midweek but now "defiance personified," made numerous saves including one where he "somehow clawed out a Didier Drogba header that was flying in the far corner," as Chelsea failed to score from 32 shots at goal.

After Clint Dempsey arguably climbed on Fahey's shoulders to head the equaliser, Birmingham came close to regaining the lead when Dann's header from a Larsson cross hit the bar, but lost Hleb to a hamstring injury.

"[35] The visit of Newcastle United on 18 December was a late postponement because of heavy snowfall, and the Boxing Day trip to Everton was called off on the morning of the match after frozen pipes within Goodison Park burst.

[36] In Birmingham's last match of 2010, Manchester United scored after an hour through Dimitar Berbatov, but in the 89th minute, Žigić appeared to foul Rio Ferdinand as he controlled Johnson's cross with his arm, touching it on to Bowyer who equalised from an arguably offside position.

Former Birmingham player DJ Campbell equalised, both sides hit the woodwork, the visitors were particularly profligate in front of goal, but Dann scored an 89th-minute winner with a poacher's finish from Johnson's knock-down.

City's Micah Richards was knocked unconscious in collision with teammate Nigel de Jong, and manager Roberto Mancini accused Kevin Phillips of diving to earn the penalty from which Gardner gave Birmingham what BBC Sport's reporter termed a "deserved equaliser.

"[43] Returning to West Ham United having beaten them to reach the League Cup final, Birmingham ensured that it would be they and not the hosts who escaped from the relegation places when Žigić scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half.

A dull match was goalless until stoppage time, when Begović fumbled Bentley's shot, Jerome robbed him of the ball, flicked it up from the byline and Žigić outjumped John Carew and headed the winner to give Birmingham their first consecutive Premier League wins in almost a year.

[53] Maxi Rodríguez, in the starting eleven only because Andy Carroll was injured, scored a hat-trick as Foster sustained an injury trying to prevent Liverpool's second goal and had to be replaced by Colin Doyle, making his first Premier League appearance since 2007.

In an aggressive game, Gardner was booked after an altercation with Jamie O'Hara, and after suffering a wild tackle by Richard Stearman, who went unpunished, he "went down under pressure" from Jody Craddock and received a second yellow card for simulation.

Birmingham finished the match with only ten men, after losing Hleb, Bowyer, Parnaby and Jiránek to injury, and in 17th place in the league, ahead of Blackpool and Wigan Athletic only on goal difference after they and Wolves all won.

The message appeared to take time getting through to the players, but they eventually threw everyone forward, leaving themselves open at the back, and Pavlyuchenko scored a spectacular winner to ensure fifth place and Europa League qualification.

With the League Cup semi-final scheduled for three days later, McLeish made seven changes from the side that had beaten Blackpool in midweek, including a first start for Jordon Mutch after his successful loan spell at Watford.

They might have expected more competition from a team just outside the play-off positions in the Championship, but two goals from Derbyshire, a precise free kick from Murphy, and a powerful header by Jerome shortly after coming on a late substitute gave them a 4–0 lead.

[65] Bolton Wanderers had to take the lead three times to eliminate a Birmingham side so short of fit players that they started the 19-year-old Mutch in central midfield, gave a squad number to 17-year-old defender Alpaslan Öztürk, and were still unable to name a full complement of seven substitutes.

West Midlands Police had been sufficiently concerned about the potential for trouble and possible adverse effects on England's World Cup bid that they made an unsuccessful request for a change of date and had four times the usual number of officers on duty.

Towards half time, Jack Wilshere hit the crossbar, and when Birmingham failed to clear, Andrey Arshavin crossed for Robin van Persie to direct an aerial volley past Foster.

Towards the end of normal time, Birmingham were tiring; Johnson remained on the field after receiving treatment for an injury that restricted his movement,[80] Jiránek was limping,[81] and the defence as a whole had hardly trained in the week leading up to the game.

[85] For the remaining few minutes, Birmingham defended stoutly, but Martins had a fine chance to increase the lead when he took the ball past Johan Djourou and the goalkeeper but found himself with too narrow a shooting angle.

[83] At the end of the 2009–10 season, Birmingham released first-team players Gary McSheffrey, Grégory Vignal, Franck Queudrue and Lee Carsley,[87] and chose not to sign loanee Christian Benítez on a permanent basis.

[97] Tottenham Hotspur winger David Bentley[98] and Nigerian international striker Obafemi Martins came in on loan,[99] and Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies signed a three-and-a-half-year deal for an estimated £3.5M fee.

[100] Sebastian Larsson, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, was given permission to speak to Newcastle United about a possible transfer, but personal terms were not agreed, and Kevin Phillips was told he could leave if "the right offer" were received.