+1.41 points a game is the venue form gap, in Birmingham City's favour: Birmingham City takes 1.84 a game at home over the last two seasons, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0.43 away.
Birmingham City: 50 league matches in the bank, 4 from this season and the rest from last season. Wolverhampton Wanderers: 42 league matches in the bank, 4 from this season and the rest from last season in the Premier League.
The question this step asks
Step two is HOME AND AWAY FORM -- the home side judged on its home record, the away side on its away record, because those are the records that will be on the pitch. The last five reach back into last season where this season is too young to answer, and say so.
The two sides
Birmingham City -- at home
Its record at the relevant venue
This season at home: won 0, drew 2, lost 0 of 2, scoring 3 and conceding 3. Last season at home: won 12, drew 8, lost 3 of 23, scoring 39 and conceding 22 -- 1.91 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: drew with Southampton 1-1 at home; beat Wrexham 2-1 away; drew with Bristol City 2-2 at home; drew with Sheffield United 0-0 away; drew with Portsmouth 1-1 away. The last of these is from last season.
The dugout
Every one of the 35 banked matches with a manager recorded was taken by Chris Davies. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Wolverhampton Wanderers -- away
Its record at the relevant venue
This season away: won 1, drew 0, lost 1 of 2, scoring 5 and conceding 5. Last season away in the Premier League: won 0, drew 6, lost 13 of 19, scoring 8 and conceding 34 -- 0.32 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: lost to West Ham United 2-4 away; beat Stoke City 4-1 at home; beat Preston North End 3-1 away; drew with Blackburn Rovers 2-2 at home; drew with Burnley 1-1 away in the Premier League. The last of these is from last season.
The dugout
The banked record belongs to the club, not one man: 4 different managers took its 42 matches with one recorded (27, 10, 4, 1 apiece), most recently Paulo César da Silva Peixoto with 4. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Built 06:40 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.