games, against Crystal Palace and Shrewsbury Town. He also scored two goals against Newcastle United in the FA Cup. Birmingham City At the end of January 2007, Larsson signed permanently for Birmingham City on a four-year deal for a £1 million fee. He scored Birmingham's goal of the season, against Sheffield Wednesday in April 2007, running half the length of the field with the ball and finishing from inside the goal area. In the 2006–07 season, Larsson was used mainly on the right wing, occasionally filling in at right-back or left-back when players were injured. His performances on the wide right of midfield in the 2007–08 season, in particular a man-of-the-match showing against Bolton Wanderers, indicated this to be his best position. Recalled to the starting eleven by new manager Alex McLeish for the game at Tottenham Hotspur in December 2007, Larsson scored a spectacular stoppage-time goal to give Birmingham their first away win in the Premier League for over three months. He scored half of his six goals that season with direct free kicks, two in consecutive games, against Tottenham and Portsmouth, and one from against Liverpool. With four weeks of the season remaining, Opta statistics rated Larsson as the most accurate taker of a direct free kick in the Premier League, though this ability failed to save Birmingham from relegation. On the opening day of the 2010–11 season, Larsson recovered from what the Observers reporter described as an "anonymous" start to provide assists for both Birmingham's goals as they drew 2–2 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. He again provided an assist, this time for Craig Gardner, in his side's first home game, a 2–1 win against Blackburn Rovers. Away to Fulham on 27 November, Alexander Hleb made "a terrific run" and a "slide-rule" pass to Larsson, who opened the scoring with his first goal of the season, a low shot across the goalkeeper. The game finished 1–1. Larsson played his part in Birmingham's run to the 2011 League Cup Final. He scored from the penalty spot before Nikola Žigić headed an 84th-minute winner in the quarter-final against local rivals Aston Villa. In the first leg of the semi-final against West Ham United, Liam Ridgewell scored from Larsson's corner before Victor Obinna was sent off for kicking Larsson in the groin in an off-the-ball incident. Despite speculation over his future at Birmingham – with his contract due