COV PREVIEW
After midweek success for a second string line up against Brentford in the Carabao Cup secured a last eight berth in said competition, we go back into Premier League action today. The Lads are on the road this matchday, and it’s a familiar place which brings back some memories that led to glory in the final analysis. We’re being sent to Coventry, and their Coventry Building Society Arena, to resume our rivalry with Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues.
It’s 19th hosting 20th, this is an ultimate proverbial six-pointer even at this early stage of the season.
LAST MEETING
Of course, the last meeting between the two teams was the Championship Play-Off semi final first leg in May 2025 which we took the match honours with a 2-1 away win. After a goalless first half, Sunderland took the lead with a curling effort from inside the box from Wilson Isidor, only for Jack Rudoni to haul the home team level within two minutes after that Isidor strike. We took the spoils when Milan van Ewijk’s back pass was woefully short and Eliezer Mayenda took full advantage to stride on and beat Lads supporter Ben Wilson in the Sky Blues for a crucial away triumph.
How we would settle for something similar, eh? That win came two months after the Sky Blues had defeated us 3-0 in the regular season. We wouldn’t want that to be repeated for sure.
OPPOSITION
The Sky Blues are enjoying being back at the top table, that is the Premier League, this season after an absence of 25 years. In that absence, the Sky Blues slipped down to the fourth tier after seasons of financial woes. Sky Blues fans certainly think that their club is now “back” where they belong now and hopefully they can remain there for a while. It’s heady days since they won the 1987 FA Cup Final against Tottenham; 3-2 at Wembley.
Returning to the Premier League hasn’t been an easy ride so far but they’re a point and a place ahead of us. Their two wins this season came either side of the lengthy international break, 1-0 at the City Ground in Nottingham then a sensational 4-1 humbling of our nearest and dearest at the CBS.
This season has naturally been a season of change in the player personnel list. Twice the Sky Blues have broken their transfer record, the current being £23.1 million with £2.9 million in add-ons for Ghanaian central midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi which came just 72 hours after they paid an initial £22 million to make goalkeeper Carl Rushworth’s move permanent. They brought 19 players in with a net spend of £138.6 million. Former Lads loanee Ellis Simms is probably itching to put one over on us.
THE LADS
After winning in midweek, it’s now a case of hoping that we can transmit that win and our Europa League form eventually into the Premier League. The thing is though; the squad is better than what the league position suggests. However, generally we are struggling to score goals in the league and making too many elementary mistakes in defence. If we could iron out these inconsistencies then we will be okay, but this needs sorting out without hesitation otherwise the vultures will be circling overhead.
We should have the big guns back for the trip to Warwickshire, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if RLB chooses this line up and maybe I’ll predict it 100% someday.
Roefs
Hume – Danso – O’Nien – Reinildo
Xhaka – Sadiki
Rigg – Le Fée – N.Angulo
Brobbey
REF WATCH
The man with the job of keeping it all under control is the easily recognisable Simon Hooper of Swindon. Hooper has been a Premier League referee since 2015 but occasionally referees fixtures in the Championship. In fact, his last Lads assignment was in the Championship when we defeated the Smoggies 1-0 thanks to that wonderfully executed backheel finish from Riggy.
