Chris Davies believes Birmingham City have found another level after a run of three consecutive Championship wins, three clean sheets and eight goals lifted Blues to fourth in the table and within three points of leaders Swansea City.

"We spent our time well in the break," Davies told BBC Radio WM. "We've looked good to get the nine points. I do think we've improved our game. We've gone up a gear and hopefully we can keep that going."

The results since the international break represent the first time Blues have won three straight Championship games since their promotion back to the second tier in 2025, a landmark that underlines just how quickly this squad is finding its feet.

Goals shared around

The nine goals across the three fixtures have been spread across the attack. Strikers August Priske and Liam Millar have contributed three each, while Demarai Gray has weighed in with two. That breadth of threat is encouraging for a manager still shaping his side's identity at this level.

Davies was particularly pleased with last Saturday's 3-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers, a performance he described as "one of our most decisive." Blues have now gone five games unbeaten, accumulating 13 points from a possible 15 during that stretch.

"QPR are a good team, but we took our chances," he said. "When you win it's not all good and, when you lose, it's not all bad. It's up to me to decide what we take from every performance. That's part of my job."

A route to the summit

The table offers a tempting scenario ahead of Saturday's trip to Cardiff City. Should third-placed Middlesbrough fail to win at Bolton on Friday, and Swansea lose at QPR, Birmingham could climb as high as first if they win in the Welsh capital. Davies, characteristically, is keeping expectations measured.

"Cardiff will test us," he said. "I've seen the video of their 5-1 win over Watford and then they get a result at Middlesbrough." Cardiff have collected seven points from their last four matches, so this is no routine away day.

It is worth noting that Davies had flagged early in the campaign that a demanding opening run of fixtures might slow his side's progress. That caution proved justified. But the fixtures now offer something closer to an opportunity: Cardiff away is followed by a visit to promoted Lincoln City, a home game with Millwall, and then the significant prospect of hosting current leaders Swansea. How Birmingham manage that sequence could define where they sit when the division takes shape in the winter months.

Momentum built on a solid base

Three clean sheets in a row is perhaps the most telling statistic of the run. A defence that holds firm gives the attacking talent at the top of the pitch a platform, and right now Priske, Millar and Gray are making the most of it. Whether Blues can maintain that defensive discipline away from home, in a noisy stadium in the Welsh capital, is the immediate test of how real this improvement is.

Davies has spoken before about wanting Blues to earn results rather than simply expect them. Nine points from nine suggests the work is beginning to take hold. The Championship, though, rarely allows a side to cruise, and Cardiff, Millwall and Swansea over the coming weeks will quickly reveal whether Birmingham have genuinely shifted up a gear or simply caught a favourable run at the right moment.

Frequently asked

Where are Birmingham City in the Championship table?
Birmingham City are currently fourth in the Championship, three points behind leaders Swansea City after winning three consecutive games since the international break.
Who has been scoring for Birmingham City recently?
Strikers August Priske and Liam Millar have both scored three goals each in Birmingham's last three matches, with Demarai Gray adding two more.
When is Birmingham City's next Championship match?
Birmingham travel to Cardiff City on Saturday, with the possibility of going top of the Championship if results elsewhere go in their favour.