Birmingham City have huge issue with contracted Southampton player - they could suffer more in 25/26 | OneFootball

Adam Armstrong has haunted Birmingham City and could come back to pounce again next season.

Some players simply have a knack for performing against certain teams, and for Adam Armstrong, that team is Birmingham City.

The 28-year-old has long been a prolific goalscorer in the EFL and his record in the Championship speaks for itself.

In the 2023-24 season, Adam Armstrong bagged 24 goals in Championship fixtures for Southampton, including the play-off final winner at Wembley against Leeds United. However, he has never quite managed to replicate his second-tier form in the Premier League, with most sides seemingly recognising that his ceiling lies just below the top flight.

That said, it shouldn’t detract from what a dynamic striker he is in the EFL. If both Saints and Birmingham end up in the same division next season, City certainly won’t be relishing the prospect of facing him again as he looks to add to his brilliant tally against the Blues.

Adam Armstrong's incredible record against Birmingham City

Armstrong began his career at Newcastle United, though much of his early development took place away from St James' Park as he embarked on a series of loan spells across the Football League.

His first temporary move saw him thrive at Coventry City, where he netted an impressive 20 goals in 40 appearances. However, it was during his subsequent loans that he first encountered Birmingham City.

His early outings against the Blues were relatively underwhelming, as he managed just one goal in four meetings, a strike in a 2-2 draw while on loan at Blackburn Rovers.

After that brief six-month spell, Armstrong impressed the Rovers hierarchy enough for them to part with £1.75 million to secure his permanent signature - and it was there that his torment of the Blues truly began.

In the 2019-20 season, Armstrong found the net against Birmingham in a 1-1 draw, but it was during the COVID-hit 2020-21 campaign that he truly made his mark. That season, in which he bagged 28 goals for Rovers, saw him score four times against City. The first came in a 2-0 victory at St Andrew's, but it was the return fixture at Ewood Park that saw him put on a devastating display, netting a hat-trick as Birmingham were hammered 5-2.

That summer, Armstrong swapped Lancashire for Hampshire as he joined Southampton and Birmingham would have likely hoped that would be the end of him. But, in 2023-24, following the Saints' relegation, he would return to the Championship.

At home to the Blues, Southampton emerged 3-1 winners, with the striker contributing a goal and an assist. The return fixture proved to be a thrilling encounter, as Joe Aribo's last-minute goal secured Russell Martin's side a 4-3 victory, with Armstrong having opened the scoring earlier in the match.

This leaves the attacker with a ridiculous record of nine goals and one assist in 10 games against the Blues.

Chris Davies will be worried about an Armstrong repeat in 2025-26

With Birmingham almost certain of promotion from League One and Southampton destined for relegation from the Premier League, it seems feasible that Armstrong and the Blues will meet once again in the second tier.

His current contract at St Mary's runs until 2027, and the Saints' hierarchy will surely have no intention of selling such a prolific Championship striker.

If they do meet, Chris Davies will need to find a way to stop him. Given Armstrong's previous exploits, it's likely he’ll have his sights firmly set on this fixture, and if Birmingham aren’t at their best, he’ll be more than capable of taking full advantage.

This will certainly be one to watch, and it will be fascinating to see how the 28-year-old fares against his favoured opponents once again.