--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-09-08T22:36:24.702Z last_updated: 2026-09-08T09:20:11+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/coventry-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY292ZW50cnl0ZWxlZ3JhcGgubmV0L3Nwb3J0L2Zvb3RiYWxsL2Zvb3RiYWxsLW5ld3MvZnJhbmstbGFtcGFyZC1qdXN0LWZvdW5kLWNvdmVudHJ5LTM0NTgzMTkx --- # Frank Lampard may have just found Coventry City’s path to Premier League safety - **Source:** - **Published:** 8 Sept - **Club:** Coventry City - **Original URL:** https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/frank-lampard-just-found-coventry-34583191 The stats say it’s three games, three defeats and no goals scored for Coventry, but losing just 1-0 at Manchester City and the performance felt like a huge step in the right direction. Frank Lampard dropped in an extra centre-back and went 3-4-3 / 5-4-1 to try to stiffen things up while keeping a counter-attacking threat and it certainly worked; they were far more competitive than at Arsenal and stayed in the game right until the end, despite only having 22.4% possession. And according to Opta’s ‘Opta Points’, Bobby Thomas at the heart of the back three was the Sky Blues’ best player, scoring 7.82 while next highest was midfield skipper Matt Grimes, 7.12. Erling Haaland was frustrated post-game that he hadn’t wrapped up the win long before the final whistle. But Coventry had good early chances - their best opportunity came in the 7th minute through Taiwo Awoniyi who had an overall xG of 1.37. The visitors managed eight shots inside the box and created three ‘big chances’ - the same number of ‘big chances’ as Man City. However, five of those shots came from defender Thomas - not necessarily the player you want chances falling to unless he’s using his head in the opposition box. It was also interesting how Matt Grimes and Frank Onyeka dovetailed. When playing 4-3-3, Grimes has been the one who had been sitting deeper, often dropping into a back three while trying to play and get the team moving. He still tried to do that at the Etihad - having 41 touches while only Milan Van Ewijk and Thomas of Lampard’s outfield players had more - while Onyeka only had 19 before being subbed in the 63rd minute, but he also tried to get forward in support far more than his midfield partner. Every day, the CoventryLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Coventry City content. Social media: Our dedicated reporter Andy Turner - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows the Sky Blues home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between. We also have a Facebook page updated throughout the day, every day, and is a place where you can share your views and reactions with other fans - click here There's a our Coventry City account on X, too - click here WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from CoventryLive's Sky Blues team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.App: If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the CoventryLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Coventry City as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.