Blues 3 Man City 1
A Mauro Zarate brace and a Gary McSheffrey penalty give Blues the win.
16.53: Final whistle goes at St Andrew's crucial win with Bolton losing 3-2 against Arsenal.
16.47: Could be a crucial win for Blues with Bolton only drawing with Arsenal, a little gap could be opening up.
16.41: More comfortable now for Blues with their two goal advantage restored. Several question marks over Rob Styles' performance today.
16.35: Blues get a penalty, it looked dubious as Zhi brings down McSheffrey. The Blues forward dusts himself down and scores the spot kick.
16.33: Loud free kick appeals by Man City are waved away as Forssell is replaced for Blues.
16.28: Blues are hunting a third to kill off the game but the Man City midfielders are seeing a lot more of the ball.
16.21: The dismissal was Quedrue's seventh sending off of his career. Blues go up the other end but Larsson's free kick is straight down the throat of Hart.
16.18: Elano steps up and scores right footed. Man City had not really threatened up until that point.
16.16: Penalty to Man City. Quedrue is sent off for a shoulder barge on Benjani, who was clean through. Alex McLeish can't believe it as Rob Styles is a long way away from the action when he blows his whistle. The referee's assistant did not flag.
16.14: What was I saying? Zarate scores. His first touch is great and he gives Hart no chance by firing into the corner. This one is with his right. A header would complete the set.
16.13: There is none of the excitement of the closing minutes of the first half. Few moments of action so far.
16.05: Second half gets under way.
15.48: Half-time. The best late chance in the half is a shot from distance which pops up in front of Hart but the Man City keeper still saves.
15.45: Blues would stay in 17th place even if they win this one and the current scores remain at full-time. Bolton are 2-0 up at home to Arsenal so they would only be one point behind them if things stay the same as they are.
15.44: Forssell goes it alone when there's better options for him but he misses.
15.42: Zarate gets his second goal in two games, putting it past the advancing Hart after being played through.
15.39: Hart appears to handle outside his box but the referee is having none of it and play goes on.
15.34: Larsson's cross swirls in the air, Dunn gets a touch to it with his keeper stranded only for the ball to land on the roof of his net. An overhead kick by Quedrue following the resulting corner is tipped over by Hart. Jaidi is causing problems at set pieces. Wigan are 1-0 down to Portsmouth.
15.29: McSheffrey fails to capitalise on a Dunn mistake. On his better left foot he shoots over from eight yards when he should have scored. The crowd groan. Sunderland have equalised against West Ham.
15.23: Sun-ji Hai puts the ball over his own goal after Larsson fires it across the six yard box. That would have been some own goal, had it not gone over. Fulham have equalised at Derby.
15.21: A Larsson free kick from a dangerous position goes into the wall.
15.19: Blues fans will be pleased to know Sunderland are 1-0 down at home to West Ham.
15.17: Jaidi's header is cleared off the post by Elano following a corner. With Bolton 1-0 up against Arsenal and Derby leading Fulham, Blues need to make these chances count.
15.16: There's a scramble around the Man City box following a free kick but no Blues player can get the telling touch.
15.12: The clocks may go forward tonight but its a cold one for the players at St Andrews.
15.09: Elano finds Benjani in space, whose gentle shot hits the post. Blues clear it away for a corner. The Blues defence was lucky not to be punished for their lapse.
15.05: Man City fail to clear their lines from an early Blues free kick. McSheffrey's volley bobbles wide.
15.02: Rob Styles gets the action under way at St Andrews.
15.00: Man City, after appearing to be on course for a top six finish, are languishing in ninth prior to kick off, eight points off Europe. WIth nothing to play for, can Blues punish them and get all three points?
14.36: Taylor returns to the side for the first time since that tackle on Eduardo. Relive that dramatic day by clicking Eduardo injury shock
14.32: Two changes for Blues as Taylor and Queudrue return.
Blues: Taylor, Kelly, Taylor, Jaidi, Murphy, Larsson, Muamba, Queudrue McSheffrey, Forssell, Zarate.
Subs: Doyle, Parnaby, Nafti, O'Connor, Jerome.
14.07: Stories this week have suggested there may be a mass exodus of Blues players if they go down. What do you think? Will there be a fire-sale?
14.00: Home form is what is going to keep Blues up.
Man City have been poor away for most of the season, so it's one where three points is a must for the home side.
They could even do Villa a favour by beating Sven's men - but enough about that.
Team news when we get it.
