Old foe Cole quickly wins new admirers
Andy Cole's arrival at Manchester City this summer was hardly warmly received, but the sound of the former Manchester United striker's name reverberating around St Andrews suggested a most unlikely relationship could yet burgeon.
The Observer
Cole classic brings City relief to calamitous James
Joey Barton made the headlines for the right reasons as Stuart Pearce's side extended their unbeaten Premiership run to 10 matches at St Andrews.
The Independent
Cole back to his potent best as City bite back
There is little to lighten the load of a tarnished reputation in football. David James, a nation's scapegoat for England's midweek fiasco against Denmark, managed to keep his goal intact for all of seven minutes here yesterday, much to the delight of Birmingham's taunting supporters. The Telegraph
Birmingham get the blues from hot shot Cole
The abuse was to be expected, and no doubt David James was thoroughly prepared for it. The Manchester City and, er, England goalkeeper looked more than happy to be back in the familiar hurly-burly of the Premiership, in which you barely have time to think, let alone drift off into a self-regarding reverie.
The Times