Coventry City

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Frank Lampard has backed Coventry fans to help give them the edge in any survival battle.

The Sky Blues host Hull on Saturday to end a wait of a quarter of a century for Premier League football at home.

It is the first top flight game at the CBS Arena, with the Sky Blues relegated in 2001 while at Highfield Road.

Lampard took Coventry to the Championship title last season and expects another party atmosphere on Saturday.

"After 25 years and how our fans are, I expect them to be electric for every game," said Lampard. "Now, every game will test you and through 90 minutes it will be tough moments, we have to do our bit.

"But this is a particularly exciting game because it's the first one but I also have to focus on performance of the team and all those details.

"No doubt the fans will be very excited and we want to tap into that and we want to play with that energy.

"We have to be realistic about the level of opposition that will be coming here through the course of the season and the difficulties we may have in certain moments.

"It's a club where the fans have a deep affection for lots of individuals within the squad, they sing individual names, they sing collectively for the group and of course they'll be there for us in the good and the more difficult times because it's such a big deal for us."

Coventry City forward Taiwo Awoniyi hopes his goals can help the Sky Blues secure survival and remain in the Premier League as he puts the club's priorities ahead of any personal targets.

He told BBC Radio CWR about his ambitions after signing from Nottingham Forest: "I'm just a player that goes with the flow.

"Of course, I always have my own personal target but when I come to a new environment. The goal is what the environment needs and, for me now, the thing I believe we need most is just to stay in the league, which is my personal target."

The 29-year-old Nigerian striker joined Coventry in a deal worth £9m having scored 23 goals in 103 games for Forest.

"I know, as a striker, the goal is to score the goals, but before the goals you need to work for it.

"So, for me my target is just to work as hard as I can for the club, for the team and, at the end, the goals will come naturally - and hopefully they will keep us in the league."

Listen above or click here to hear more from Awoniyi on BBC Sounds

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Coventry boss Frank Lampard has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Hull City at CBS Arena (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no new injury concerns going into the weekend, with Jack Rudoni and Ephron Mason-Clarke returning to the matchday squad in Tuesday's Carabao Cup win at Plymouth.

• On the arrival of Ethan Pinnock from Brentford: "He's a player I've admired for a long time. Lots of Premier League experience at a very good club. He strengthens the squad."

• Lampard said lessons were learned in their opening defeat by Arsenal, but "to give some credit, it was - for a lot of them - their first Premier League game". He added: "We have to now move on from that. We competed to a level, but we can do better and we will do better going forward."

• He said he is "excited to see" what his side can do against Hull and wants them to "play with the energy and intensity" that they did last season at home.

• On Saturday's opponents: "You can't disrespect Hull because they've just beaten Manchester United in their first game and they will be feeling very good about themselves. It is a different challenge to what Arsenal was."

• He said "there's an expectation that we can compete" against the Tigers and "be favourites for this game", but given their threat he "will never talk Hull down".

• On needing the fans as the 12th man: "After 25 years, and knowing how our fans are, I expect them to be electric in every game."

• He said "it is possible" that goalkeeper Oliver Dovin could be sent out on loan to get regular playing time. Lampard added: "He's a very talented goalkeeper. He's fine, but he's not played many minutes. That's why we're analysing over the next couple of days to see if there's a good option for him to play regularly."

• On facing Aston Villa in the third round of the Carabao Cup: "An exciting draw and to be at home is great for us. It's the derby feel and factor. I know of it, but I've not lived it so I'm sure it will be an electric night. I'm excited for when it comes."

Hit play above to hear more from Lampard, speaking to BBC CWR's Rob Gurney, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Listen to full commentary of Saturday's match on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

All the key lines from Thursday's Premier League news conferences

Got a question about Coventry? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

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Newly promoted Coventry City are in talks to sign Manchester City defender Stephen Mfuni on a season-long loan deal.

The 18-year-old made his first-team debut as a substitute in the FA Cup third round last season, before going on to make eight appearances on loan at Watford in the Championship.

Several clubs from the second tier have reportedly been interested in signing Mfuni, but he now appears set to play under Frank Lampard at the CBS Arena.

Coventry have been busy in the transfer market on their return to the Premier League, signing 10 players so far for a total outlay of about £130m.

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth v Lincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Town v Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

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New Coventry City signing Ethan Pinnock says he understands the magnitude of the club's return to the Premier League after 25 years of waiting.

The 33-year-old centre-back has left Brentford and penned a permanent deal at the CBS Arena for an undisclosed fee.

Since leaving Barnsley in July 2019, Pinnock has featured 216 times in all competitions for the Bees, including 117 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals and registering seven assists.

"I'm really excited to join Coventry City and continue my footballing journey with this great club," Pinnock said. "After 25 years, this club is back in the Premier League.

"I know how much it must mean to everyone involved with the club and the supporters - and I can't wait to be a part of it.

"I'm really looking forward to getting to work. I can't wait to meet everyone and represent this football club, especially at the CBS Arena."

Alongside his extensive top-flight experience, Pinnock has also represented Jamaica 28 times, featuring in both the Copa America and Gold Cup for his country.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Coventry are in the hunt for Mykhailo Mudryk as the Chelsea winger looks to get his career back on track after testing positive for banned substance meldonium and serving a 20-month suspension.

Defensive cover is also likely to be needed by Frank Lampard while players like Luke Woolfenden could leave on loan.

Conna Chahal, Coventry fan

Honestly, I think we have done enough in the transfer window to build a team that can stay up in this league.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Coventry City's 4-2 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup second round.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve: A welcome win, but our defensive frailties were laid bare again, albeit with a changed back four against League One opponents. Liam Kitching seems an accident waiting to happen, but great to see Jack Rudoni back. Onwards and upwards to Saturday.

David: After being totally outplayed by Arsenal, perhaps not unsurprisingly, I was looking for a convincing win against Plymouth. This wasn't it. Once we were 2-0 up we looked very vulnerable.

Read below to see what Rudoni and Lampard have had to say.

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Rudoni speaking after Coventry's League Cup win at Plymouth: "It was good to be back out there. I obviously missed all the pre-season. Got my 30 minutes back into the game at the Emirates the other day and then nice to start and get 60 in my legs today.

"Top it off with a goal and a win. The boys have done well to not have a slip up. These games can be a bit awkward sometimes. Plymouth have done well to get back to 2-2, but we got the job done. You can never tale away a win, so we're happy to be in the next round.

"We should have put the game to bed. The goals were sloppy from us to concede. You have to just go with what happens and react. We reacted well. They finished off the goals nicely and we did well to keep focused and restore our lead and get into the next round.

"I would also like to dedicate that goal to my grandad. It was his funeral yesterday (Monday). That goal was for him.

"He is with me throughout every game I play now. He was the man that got me kicking a ball."

Get in touch with your views on Coventry's 4-2 victory

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Coventry City page to get all Sky Blues audio content.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.

Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.

It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.

Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.

However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.

In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.

When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.

Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard speaking to BBC Radio CWR: "Great start to the game, obviously great goal. Taiwo's [Awoniyi] goal was brilliant. Great play from us, playing through them, getting his goal. Same with [Jack] Rudoni, great goal. It affected us a little bit after that, you should really put the game to bed, and we didn't.

"Both goals were our big mistakes. We have to take it on the chin, you can't make those mistakes at any level, Premier League, cup, Plymouth, so those are things that we need to improve on. Some stuff was really good, we came strong, made subs, Ephron [Mason-Clark] comes on and does what he does. Some good, some bits to get better.

"It's great to see Ephron looking like that because he's had a small hamstring issue that we needed to get right and it's a shame to miss bits of pre-season, but he looks fit, he looked strong and we know what a big player he is for us. And [Victor] Torpe is calm and technically really, really good player as we all know already here. Very, very happy with that."

Listen to the full interview above or on BBC Sounds here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

There are six Premier League teams in action on Tuesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Ipswich v Leicester

• Plymouth v Coventry

• Stoke City v Hull City

• Birmingham v Brentford (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off 19:45 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham City v Brentford" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Nottingham Forest match", for example.

See the full Carabao Cup second-round fixture list

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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There's a valid argument to further that The Sky Blues don't need any sort of cup run to distract them from the primary business of staying in the Premier League, after enduring a 25-year wait to get there.

Equally, nearly 1,800 fans are making the eight-hour-plus round trip on a Tuesday night to Home Park to support them, and they're owed a "proper" performance, whatever personnel Frank Lampard chooses to field.

Lampard's standards are such that he won't allow a half-hearted, sub-standard display to suffice against their League One opponents, and to that end, the expected wholesale changes to his line-up will only benefit those players if they go at it full tilt; to either force their way into his thinking for a Premier League place, or to make themselves attractive to potential suitors elsewhere, in what remains of the summer transfer window.

After despatching Devon rivals Exeter City with two stoppage-time goals in the previous round, the Argyle faithful will be well up for this one, so an uncomfortable night could be in prospect, unless Coventry's attitude is spot on.

Plymouth should find it difficult to bridge the now two division gap, but avoiding that early season banana skin will be Lampard's top priority, so therefore an intriguing evening awaits in the south west.

Listen to Sky Blues Fancast Live every Monday and Friday at 18:00 and subscribe to the Coventry City page on BBC Sounds

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After losing at last season's champions Arsenal on Friday night, attention turns to more winnable fixtures, especially those in front of a home faithful who have waited 25 years to see their team play a top-flight fixture in Coventry.

BBC CWR's Will Oelrich spoke to some of the Sky Blue Army on the Fancast about their thoughts on the opening-day defeat and their perspective on how this season can be a success going forward.

"People are getting a bit ahead of themselves with the fact that Hull City won their first game against Manchester United, but they looked poor, and we witnessed that in the semi-final of the FA Cup a few years ago," said Coventry fan Ryan.

"We have to, as a club, realise that we're playing the two best teams in the league away from home in the first two away games of the season. The atmosphere will be electric in the CBS Arena [on Saturday]. We need to be realistic and make our home ground a fortress.

"Seven of them [the 10 opening-weekend Premier League games] have been won by the home team. It highlights the fact that Coventry need to win their home games, and I think that's what Coventry need to take into their home games.

"It's going to be buzzing at the CBS Arena. A win against Hull and we're going to be three points off the top of the table."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Coventry City page to get all Sky Blues audio content.

Katie Stafford & Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport

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BBC Sport understands Coventry City are closing in on a deal for Brentford centre-back Ethan Pinnock.

The 33-year-old Jamaica international, who joined from Barnsley in 2019, is in the final year of his contract with the Bees.

He has made a total of 216 appearances for the West London club, scoring 12 times.

Pinnock played a vital role in Brentford's promotion to the Premier League but has since lost his place in their starting XI, featuring just eight times last season.

He would be the Sky Blues' ninth signing of the summer and second defensive reinforcement following the arrival of Aurele Amenda from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are looking at alternative options to Leeds United for Mykhailo Mudryk, despite receiving a loan bid from the Elland Road club - and Coventry City are among those to have expressed an interest.

The Blues say they have ended talks with Leeds over the 25-year-old Ukraine international after negotiations continued throughout the weekend.

Other solutions include a move to sister club Strasbourg or to another Premier League side. The newly promoted Sky Blues, along with Italian sides Napoli, Atalanta and Roma have shown interest.

Chelsea are keen to guarantee playing time for the forward, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for an initial £61m in 2023, by including financial penalties if he is not involved.

However, a move to Leeds was believed to be Mudryk's favoured option, with Brentford also having had an approach turned down over attempts to include an option to buy.

Mudryk is keen to get his career back on track after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium and serving a 20-month ban.

He returned to action at the end of July and featured in Chelsea's pre-season tour of Asia.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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Coventry's previous outing in the Premier League was a goalless draw against Bradford City on 19 May 2001.

That result brought to an end not only a disappointing 2000-01 campaign, but also a 34-year top-flight stay.

Coventry spent the next 11 years in the Championship before dropping down to League One in 2011-12. They also spent a season in League Two before promotion back in 2016-17.

They returned to the Championship in 2020 as League One champions and six years later, they are back among English football's finest.

Their journey since relegation in 2001 has been rarely straightforward as Coventry were forced to leave their historic home at Highfield Road, endured ownership disputes and spent spells playing home games in Northampton and Birmingham.

Their return - the longest gap between games by a side in Premier League history - and first assignment was chastening and a reminder that survival will be no easy task.

But Lampard remained optimistic after the opening 3-0 defeat at champions Arsenal, saying: "It's hard. Leeds United came here early last season and lost 5-0 and stayed in the Premier League.

"I'm not making any early judgements. We will have to acclimatise."