Paik Seung-ho's first assist not enough as Birmingham City thrashed by Brentford in League Cup

Birmingham City suffered a heavy 1-6 defeat against Premier League side Brentford in the second round of the English League Cup. Despite the lopsided scoreline, there were moments of promise for Birmingham, including a notable assist from South Korean midfielder Paik Seung-ho.

Paik Seung-ho, starting as a central midfielder, played a key role in Birmingham's equalizer in the 28th minute. He delivered a precise free-kick from the left side of the penalty box to Demarai Gray, who unleashed a powerful shot into the net. This goal temporarily leveled the score after Brentford had taken an early lead in the sixth minute through Callum Wilson.

However, Birmingham's resistance was short-lived. Brentford quickly regained the lead in the 35th minute with a volley from Aaron Hickey. Further goals from Nathan Collins before halftime, and then from Mikkel Damsgaard, Igor Thiago, and another from Collins in the second half, sealed Birmingham's fate and secured a dominant victory for Brentford.

Paik Seung-ho was substituted in the 83rd minute for Tomoki Iwata. Meanwhile, Kim Ji-soo, who had been named in Brentford's first-team squad ahead of the season, did not feature in the match. Kim had played a full match in the Premier League 2 (U21 league) just days prior against Stoke City U-21.