Adomah might get Villa off to a flyer

Sky Bet Championship
Sky Sports Football, midday Sunday

Aston Villa's Sky Bet Championship campaign began in stuttering fashion but they kick off the derby at Birmingham bidding for a sixth win in seven league games.

Steve Bruce was under pressure after a busy summer in the transfer market was followed by just one victory in Villa's first seven matches.

However, Bruce's men look more like promotion contenders now with John Terry and James Chester forming a solid centre-back partnership and Glenn Whelan and Conor Hourihane anchoring midfield.

Birmingham form

Aston Villa form

Championship standings

Further forward, the goals are starting to flow and only in-form Wolves have blotted Villa's recent record with a 2-0 win at Molineux.

The visitors are 6-4 favourites to add another three points to their tally at St Andrew's but lowly Birmingham shouldn't be overawed by the derby fixture.

Woeful on the road, Blues boast a home record of P6 W3 D1 L2 this term and new manager Steve Cotterill may be able to include talented forward Jota to the starting 11.

With Che Adams and Isaac Vassell also fit again, Birmingham should start to improve on a miserable record of eight league goals in 13 games.

Villa's upturn in fortunes has coincided with a rich run of goalscoring form for winger Albert Adomah, who is a cracking each-way bet at 10-1 to score first.

Adomah has struck six times in his last eight games in all competitions and shares penalty-taking duties with Jonathan Kodjia.

Recommendation
A Adomah first goalscorer
1pt each-way 10-1 Sky Bet

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Birmingham
Forward Jota could start after coming off the bench at Millwall last weekend and Craig Gardner is pushing for a recall against his boyhood club.

Aston Villa
Gabby Agbonlahor (calf) is a major doubt and Neil Taylor serves the final game of a three-match ban.

Key stat
Birmingham have picked up ten of their 11 points at home this season.

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