Birmingham City's impressive home form continued with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Watford, a win built on the foundation of a dominant midfield partnership.
Davies Lauds New Midfield 'Power Couple'
Blues head coach Chris Davies singled out the central duo of Tommy Doyle and Paik Seung-ho for special praise, describing them as a new 'power couple' who decisively won the midfield battle. The pair were instrumental in securing a fourth consecutive home win for the seventh-placed Championship side on 1st December 2025.
"They had two good midfielders in there (Hector Kyprianou and Imran Louza) and I would say we got the better of them with Tommy and Paik," Davies stated post-match. He emphasised that their contribution went beyond simply winning possession, highlighting their ability to drive forward with purpose.
Paik's Prolific Form Continues
The match was further illuminated by another goal from Paik Seung-ho, his fourth of the campaign. This marks a significant upturn for the South Korean, who managed just a single goal in League One last season. Demarai Gray netted the other goal in the 2-1 triumph.
Davies revealed he has been working with Paik to unlock his scoring potential. "I've definitely spoken to Paik since I've been here about his ability to score more goals," Davies said. "All the coaches would always say to me... that he's such a good finisher, whether it's left foot or right foot."
Paik's resilience was also on display, as he shook off a heavy first-half challenge from Watford's Kyprianou that caught his knee. Davies felt the tackle, which only received a yellow card, would have been a red with VAR intervention.
Doyle's All-Round Excellence Completes the Picture
While Paik took the goalscoring plaudits, Tommy Doyle's composed performance did not go unnoticed. Davies praised the Manchester City loanee's intelligence and defensive diligence.
"I thought Tommy was good," Davies commented. "You see his moments of quality where he can switch the play, he can play forward but he does it quickly. He's got really good awareness... and he does his defensive work."
Davies pointed to Doyle's role in the build-up to the second goal, where he closed down space, won the ball, and initiated the attacking move. The coach's philosophy was clear: "I always say to the players it's defensive first, it's what you do for the team and you've got to be really consistent with that because we know you've got the skills going forward."
This flourishing partnership in the engine room is providing Birmingham City with a robust platform, fuelling their push up the Championship table as the season approaches its midway point.
