Birmingham City maintained their unbeaten start to the League One campaign with a comeback victory against Peterborough United and summer signing Willum Thor Willumsson continued his excellent form since joining from Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles by scoring the first goal and cementing his place as a key component of this all-star side.
The Blues went on a historic spending spree in the post-season transfer window and the 25-year-old, rumoured to have moved for an initial fee of over £3 million, has been a standout among a host of stars at Birmingham City in the opening seven games of the League One campaign.
Willumsson Hits The Ground Running At Birmingham City
There was a risk that all of the stars brought in this summer would take time to gel at St. Andrews but Chris Davies has found the right formula to see his side top the table. Jay Stansfield and Alfie May are exciting signings and have made a big impact with seven goals between them, however, it has been Willumsson who has stood out with some excellent displays.
He has contributed two goals and the same number of assists, all of which have been pivotal in the Blues continuing their unbeaten start. He scored in the 3-2 win over Wycombe Wanderers, provided an assist in the victory over Wigan Athletic and has now starred in a right-wing role for the wins over Rotherham United and Peterborough.
The versatile star averages 1.6 shots per game and 0.7 key passes to highlight his threat in attacking areas. He has missed a couple of big chances but has scored his goals from an expected goals total of 1.9, the second-highest total in the squad. His versatility in playing a central role will see him continue to be important for a side expected to gain promotion this season.
Willumsson played the majority of his career switching between the eight and ten roles and has been a goal threat and creative outlet regardless of where he is deployed. He has a record of a goal contribution in just under every three games since joining Go Ahead Eagles in July 2022 and is proving to be a major success story early in his Birmingham City career.
The option to deploy him in a deeper midfield role may appeal to the manager as the form of Marc Leonard since his move from Brighton has been disappointing. Tomoki Iwota and Paik Seung-Ho have been starring in central midfield but Willumsson provides a more attack-minded option when the Blues inevitably come unstuck against a side with a low block.
Star-Studded Forward Line Helping Birmingham City Live Up to Expectations
In addition to Willumsson, Emil Hansson has been a regular in the opening period of the season. The 26-year-old has yet to get off the mark in his six starts but his performances have been improving and he provided an assist in the win over Peterborough. Birmingham City had been tipped by The Deck to win the title and are currently living up to expectations with their unbeaten start.
Jay Stansfield broke the League One transfer record when joining on deadline day and has repaid that faith by becoming the leading man in attack, scoring three goals in three appearances, including a brace in the 3-1 win over Wrexham. He has been preferred over Alfie May as the main striker but the former Charlton Athletic star scored four times in the opening four games and the duo make up possibly the greatest main striker options ever seen at this level.
Fulham loanee Luke Harris scored against Wycombe and provides another option while Lyndon Dykes is an experienced forward who will be pivotal throughout the campaign. Ayumu Yokoyama is an exciting prospect and former Rangers winger Scott Wright would make most League One sides and is already off the mark after scoring a late winner against Wigan.
There is work to do to enable this forward line to fulfil its full potential but the early signs are promising and there is enough individual ability to grind out results until they begin to click as a unit. There have been many instances in football where spending big does not result in success but it appears Birmingham City are on the right track.
The Blues have stumbled over the line at times in maintaining their unbeaten record but have the type of players in attack that most teams at this level could only dream of. Huddersfield Town are the next team to travel to St. Andrews to try and take their unbeaten record before a trip to Alfie May’s former side Charlton at the weekend but if Birmingham City play anywhere near their full potential, there does not appear to be any side that can match them this season.