Birmingham City will look to build on their momentum when they host a struggling Preston North End at St Andrew's on Tuesday evening, in what will be the 101st league meeting between the two Championship clubs. The numbers ahead of the fixture make for interesting reading for supporters on both sides.

Blues climbing, but still searching for a home win

Birmingham arrive into the match having won two of their past three league games, including a hard-fought 1-0 victory at West Brom in the West Midlands derby at the weekend. That run has lifted them to seventh in the table, firmly in contention for the play-off places.

However, one peculiarity continues to define their home campaign: Birmingham have drawn all four of their Championship fixtures at St Andrew's this season. According to Opta, the only sides to have drawn each of their first five home games in a Championship season since the competition began in 2004 are Birmingham themselves, in 2018-19, and Ipswich, also in 2018-19. Whether the Blues can finally convert a home draw into a home win on Tuesday is one of the key storylines.

Preston rooted to the bottom

Preston sit bottom of the second tier, having won just once all season. Their record of one win, one draw and seven defeats makes them the division's most vulnerable side heading into this fixture. New manager Graham Alexander, who took charge after the recent international break, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Millwall in his opening game, and he will be desperate to register his first points in charge.

The Lilywhites' defensive record away from home is equally troubling. Preston have gone 14 consecutive away league games without keeping a clean sheet, a run that, according to the statistics, they have not matched since November 2012. Should they fail to keep one on Tuesday, it would be their worst such run on the road since a sequence of 26 games that ended in March 2011.

Head-to-head history favours the hosts

The historical record offers further encouragement for Birmingham. The Blues have won each of their previous three league meetings with Preston and, should they make it four in a row on Tuesday, it would be the first time they have achieved that feat against the Lilywhites. Preston have lost both of their past two league visits to St Andrew's; their last run of more successive defeats in Birmingham was back in March 1970, when they lost four on the spin at the ground.

Stansfield the man to watch

One player who will be central to Birmingham's attacking hopes is Jay Stansfield. The forward has scored in three of his four league appearances against Preston, including both of his home outings against them. With Preston's defensive vulnerability away from home laid bare by the statistics, Stansfield will fancy his chances of adding to that tally.

What is at stake

For Birmingham, a first home win of the season would cement their position in the top half and keep pace with the sides above them in the promotion picture. For Alexander and Preston, the priority is far more immediate: any points from this trip would represent a significant step in the new manager's effort to drag the club off the foot of the table before the gap to safety becomes unmanageable. With seven defeats already banked, Tuesday represents one of the more urgent fixtures of their season so far.

Frequently asked

When do Birmingham City play Preston North End?
Birmingham City host Preston North End at St Andrew's on Tuesday evening in a Championship fixture.
Have Birmingham City ever won four Championship games in a row against Preston?
No. Birmingham have won each of the previous three league meetings, but winning a fourth consecutive match against Preston would be a first in their head-to-head history.
How has Graham Alexander started as Preston manager?
Alexander lost 1-0 to Millwall in his first game in charge and is yet to take a point since being appointed. Preston remain bottom of the Championship.