Birmingham City v Charlton Athletic could put Nathan Jones' argument to bed | OneFootball

Birmingham City host Charlton Athletic in League One on Saturday.

Birmingham City face Charlton Athletic at St. Andrew's this weekend in a vital clash at the top end of League One.

Blues will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table in the third tier with victory against Charlton, while the Addicks could drop out of the top-six if they are unable to come away with anything from their trip to the Midlands.

The game is important for both sides in their pursuit of promotion to the Championship this season, but Birmingham may have even more motivation to take all three points after they were beaten at The Valley earlier this season.

Chris Davies' men have only lost twice in the league all season, and this will be their first opportunity to take revenge on a team that they have previously fallen short against, so the visitors will have their work cut out if they are going to become the first side to win at St Andrew's in the league this term.

The performances of Birmingham striker Alfie May and Charlton forward Matty Godden will also be interesting on the day, especially after Nathan Jones discussed the two players in an interview recently.

Nathan Jones issues Alfie May v Matty Godden comparison claim

Birmingham signed May from Charlton for a reported fee of £775,000 as they prepared for life in League One during the summer, after the 31-year-old had scored 23 league goals for the Addicks during the 2023/24 campaign.

The Addicks then brought in Matty Godden from Championship side Coventry City for an undisclosed fee, and he has proven to be a more than adequate replacement for last season's Golden Boot winner.

May and Godden have both scored 10 goals in League One going into the game on Saturday, although the Charlton man is in better form with four goals in his last four games, while May is without a goal in his last seven games in all competitions.

May did not feature at all during Birmingham's win against Cambridge United in midweek, so he will no doubt be desperate to get on the pitch and end his goal drought against his former club on Saturday.

Charlton boss Jones discussed the two players following his side's win against Stevenage at The Valley last weekend, as per London News Online.

"Matty Godden is a top, top frontman," the Welshman said.

"We talk about Alfie May and Alfie was brilliant for us - but Matty Godden has got some pedigree and I felt, at times, that it was a bit disrespectful to him.

"Matty Godden has scored everywhere he has been, he's got promoted and played in the Championship constantly.

"The guy is a class act and today it is as good a centre-forward link man and performance as you've seen here for a while."

May will no doubt want to remind his old manager what he is missing when the two sides meet this weekend, but Godden could finally put the debate to bed in SE7 if he can find the net at St. Andrew's.

Matty Godden would welcome a repeat of the reverse fixture at The Valley v Birmingham City

Godden was the match-winner when the Blues visited The Valley in October, with his first-time finish earning the hosts a 1-0 victory.

May was substituted at half-time that day, so there is no doubt that Godden is the one who would prefer a repeat of that game on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how many minutes Davies gives May against his former club, as it could motivate him to deliver a strong performance, and he will certainly not want to be left on the bench for the second time in five days.

Godden, on the other hand, is bound to start, and will be looking to make it five goals from five games in League One to further cement his place as the first-choice marksman at The Valley.