The Blues boss says the only reason his side lost 1-0 in an EFL Cup tie this time last year was the mentality of Villa being a Premier League side.
Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett has stoked the fire ahead of the second city derby on Sunday by insisting that Aston Villa are not superior in any way to his side, as quoted by the Mirror.
Blues host their arch-rivals Villa at St. Andrew’s on Sunday in the first league meeting between the sides for nearly six years in what is the most eagerly-anticipated fixture in either team’s calendar.
However, the rivals did meet at a similar stage of the season last term when drawn together in the EFL Cup at Villa Park, with Villa emerging victorious thanks to Rudy Gestede’s bullet header.
That kept the bragging rights with the claret-and-blue side of Birmingham, although since then Villa have crashed and burned, being relegated to the Championship in misery.
After a torrid start to life in the second tier, former Blues manager Steve Bruce appears to have revitalised the Villans, but Rowett has insisted that their historically more illustrious neighbours have no superiority ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
Rowett told the Mirror: “That night we were playing a Premier League side who produced a moment of quality and the only difference was in mentality.
“But whatever measurement you apply this time, we will not have any inferiority complex. On Sunday, it won’t matter which club has won a major trophy more recently.
“It doesn’t matter which club has won the European Cup. Ultimately, it will be about which team manages the big moments in the game better, and who can handle the heat of a derby atmosphere.”
Both sides will be confident of victory going into the clash, with Villa unbeaten in three since Bruce’s appointment, and Blues sitting just outside the play-off places with just three defeats from 14 league games.
Sunday’s clash kicks off at 1pm at St. Andrew’s.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
