Contest Decided by Late Stansfield Goal: Birmingham City Beats Sheffield United in EFL Cup
In a thrilling encounter, Birmingham City emerged victorious against Sheffield United in the EFL Cup, maintaining their perfect record against the Yorkshire club in cup competitions.
The match, played on August 13, 2025, saw Birmingham City secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory. The victory follows their earlier success in the competition, notably in the quarter-final of the 1996-97 season, and their success in 2006-07. There has been no mention of any previous draws or losses to Sheffield United specifically in the EFL Cup.
The opening exchanges of the match saw Birmingham City dominating the play, with Demari Gray setting up Kyogo Furuhashi for the first goal in the 5th minute. However, Sheffield United responded in the 72nd minute when Gustavo Hamer levelled the score at 1-1.
The roles were reversed in the final stages of the game, with Jay Stansfield scoring a late goal to secure a 2-1 win for Birmingham City. The win saw them advance to the next round, where they will face League One side Port Vale.
In terms of statistics, Birmingham City dominated the match with 20 attempts compared to Sheffield United's 5 attempts. Their xG total was 3.13, while Sheffield United's was 0.46. Thomas Cannon's effort from distance almost gave Sheffield United a lead before half-time, hitting the crossbar, while Kyogo Furuhashi had a chance to score a second goal for Birmingham City but was unable to find the target.
Meanwhile, in the EFL Championship, Leicester City won their match against Sheffield Wednesday by a score of 2-1. Sheffield Wednesday's reward for their efforts in the Championship was a tie against Premier League opposition, with Leeds United visiting Hillsborough during the week beginning August 25.
In a separate encounter, Sheffield Wednesday played out a six-goal thriller with League One side Bolton Wanderers, eventually winning a penalty shootout 4-2. Liam Palmer netted the winning effort from a penalty shootout for Sheffield Wednesday.
With Birmingham City's EFL Cup win, they have extended their impressive record against Sheffield United in the competition. The next round promises to be an exciting one, as Birmingham City face League One Port Vale.
The thrilling EFL Cup victory by Birmingham City against Sheffield United was their third success in the competition, following their wins in the 1996-97 quarter-final and the 2006-07 season. Despite the defeat, Sheffield United will face Premier League opposition in the Championship, as Leeds United visit Hillsborough. In the next round of the EFL Cup, Birmingham City will analyze their opponents, League One side Port Vale, with hopes to continue their dominance in European leagues, including the Premier League.
