Just when it was looking nervy against Millwall, Haji Wright scored his second winner in three days, and his 10th goal of the season. Coventry reasserted themselves as favourites for promotion. With only four league defeats to their name this season, the Sky Blues may be returning to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
Favourites for the Championship title
Coventry are widely considered favourites for the Championship title and automatic promotion. They didn’t have the best December or start to the new year, but are still in pole position, thanks in large part to six- and five-game winning streaks in the autumn. Having been knocked out of the League Cup back in August and then narrowly defeated by Stoke in the FA Cup, Frank Lampard’s players are solely focused on the Championship.
Ellis Simms has called his coach “a legend of the game”. Simms worked with Lampard briefly at Everton and says he tries to learn as much as possible from the three-time Premier League winner. Simms is another with 10 goals in the Championship, despite often missing out on a starting place. His two goals against title rivals Middlesbrough may prove particularly important.
Bet365 have Coventry at odds-on for the Championship title at 4/6 (1.67). Ipswich are considered second favourites at 15/8, followed by Middlesbrough at 13/2. Though they’re having a strong season, Hull are seen as extremely unlikely to win the title at 80/1. Fans considering betting can read Bet365 promo code information on Oddspedia – their guide covers the process to claim credits, and the pros and cons of the bonus code.
Attack
There are teams who have had better defences this season (Ipswich, Stoke, Preston), but nobody can match Coventry’s attack. Lampard’s side are comfortably top of the scoring charts, taking the most shots per game (over 17) and averaging the 5th-highest possession.
Coventry’s attacking midfielders and forwards (usually in a 4-2-3-1) avoid overplaying after the defence’s initial, patient build up. The three players behind the striker look for through balls and rank highly in key passes. Coventry are among the teams to have played the most passes within 20 metres of the opponent’s goal, and when they lose the ball, often try to win it back with a high press.
Brandon Thomas-Asante is Cov’s other player to have hit the 10-goal mark, a major improvement on his first season after joining from West Brom.
Defence
Like many other teams in a 4-2-3-1, Coventry often form a 4-4-2 in defence. Their number 10 joins the striker and tries to limit passes to the opposition’s deeper midfielders.
Lampard’s side generally try to show the ball wide, with the two banks of four quite tight. The two central midfielders are important in covering the wingers when they press.
Championship and Coventry’s blip
Despite the struggles of some Championship sides (notably Sheffield Wednesday, culminating in Barry Bannan set to leave the club), a win in the Championship is rarely straightforward. Ahead of the away game at Norwich on January 26, Coventry were only slight favourites. Norwich had gone unbeaten for three games in all competitions, including a 5-0 thumping of West Brom away from home.
Coventry’s rivals have suffered surprises in recent weeks. On New Year’s Day, both Middlesbrough and Hull lost to teams lower in the table. And five days before Christmas, none of Preston, Millwall, or Middlesbrough managed a win. Middlesbrough have been particularly affected by injuries and may pay the price for a slightly smaller squad than rivals like Ipswich, fresh from a season in the top flight. Coventry have Middlesbrough at home on 16 February.
Jobi McAnuff recently said on Sky Sports Essential EFL that anyone who has been involved in promotion campaigns knows that there’s usually a “blip” at some point in the season. Lampard will hope it’s relatively plain sailing after Coventry’s blip around the turn of the year, losing two and drawing one in the league before that FA Cup defeat. McAnuff said it would be important for Coventry to regain their positivity quickly, which they did against Leicester.
Coventry’s last season in the Premier League
Back in the 2000-01 season, Gordon Strachan was manager. Although they had some major names in the squad – Craig Bellamy, John Hartson, and Moustapha Hadji finished the season as Cov’s joint top scorers – Strachan’s side finished 19th. Coventry were relegated along with Manchester City and Bradford. Gary Breen was voted the club’s player of the season, despite the defence shipping 63 goals.
That followed near misses as Coventry had finished 17th and 16th in the late 1990s. In the 25 years since their last Premier League game, a long list of players and managers have come and gone. Top scorers have included John Eustace, Michael Doyle, Sam Ricketts, and Liam Kelly (three times).
Coventry have rarely been this close to joining the elite since falling down the divisions. They did finish 5th in 2022-23 and again last year under Lampard. The former Chelsea and Man City midfielder’s Championship playoff defeat was his second, after losing in the final as Derby boss. Lampard might not have to deal with the playoffs ever again: he’s odds-on to guide Coventry to top spot.
Article by Lucy Roberts.
