Birmingham City: Don't make us favourites - Sebastian Larsson
SEBASTIAN Larsson refuses to buy into the theory that Blues could be favourites to win in tomorrow’s Carling Cup quarter-final against arch-rivals Villa.
With home advantage and Villa’s crippling injury list, hopes are high that Blues can end a seven-game streak without success against them.
They did at least draw the last encounter, at Villa Park in October, halting a humbling run of six successive defeats.
And Blues go into a derby above Villa in the league, even though only goal difference separates them.
“Favourites? We will let people on the outside think whatever they want,” Larsson told the Birmingham Mail. “We know it’s going to be hard. But we also know we have the capabilities to win the game – and that’s what we are going to try and do.”
“I think we will be very confident going into it,” he added. “It will be extremely tough, it’s a derby and for a semi-final spot.
“The last couple of games against them we have, I think, been the better team. We haven’t won, we have lost and then drew the last one. But that’s a step in the right direction, so let’s push on and get a win now.”
Larsson said that Blues had been getting back to their base strengths of old. They have lost once in the last eight league and cup matches, although they are still trying to climb out of the bottom rungs of the division.
“The league is extremely tight and has been since the start, even when we fell into the drop zone it was four points up to seventh place, or something like that.
“We need to keep picking up points away from home and hopefully win our home games.
