How This Sleeping Giant Could Finally Return To The Premier League

How This Sleeping Giant Could Finally Return To The Premier League

Coventry City have been plotting their return to the Premier League since their heart-breaking relegation in 2001, but have encountered more than a few blips along the way.

Their iconic FA Cup run in 2024 that culminated in a narrow loss on penalties to Manchester United in the semi-finals finally sparked a real belief among The Sky Blues that their time at the top could only be around the corner.

Coventry backed this up with an impressive campaign last time out, finishing in 5th position after Frank Lampard took over from Mark Robins early in the season. They did lose in the playoff semi-final to Sunderland however, to a last gasp goal in the 123rd minute of the second leg which would end the tie at 3-2 on aggregate to The Black Cats.

🤯⏰ This is the moment Daniel Ballard (25) scored a header in 120+2' to send Sunderland to the play-off final at Wembley. 💥

The Premier League dream is alive. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8ttxTlBVVC

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) May 14, 2025

Despite that crushing moment at the end of last season, Lampard's Coventry have started this season with a bang. They're currently 2nd in the Championship table with four wins, four draws and zero losses. The Sky Blues are also the top-scoring side in the league by some margin with 22 goals – a figure which also makes them the highest scoring team in the EFL.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard's style have been often been criticised by fans of his old clubs, being too attacking focused whilst sacrificing defensive stability. This was definitely the case whilst at Everton, where he did not have the attacking quality from his forward players that would have supported his playing style. It caused a leakiness at the back that ultimately cost him his job.

His attacking playstyle has been nothing short of a revelation since he became Coventry manager, especially at the start of this season. He is averaging 1.64 points per game whilst the team is scoring 1.39 goals on average per game. It is obviously paying dividends. His style is resonating with the Coventry squad, completely opposite to how it was during his Everton stint.

Wright and Van Ewijk

Not all praise can be put on Lampard, though; Coventry have had some standout performers so far this campaign, with American forward Haji Wright chief amongst them.

Wright is currently top scorer in the Championship with seven goals in eight appearances, and he's been a constant thorn in opponents' sides, quickly becoming one of the key factors in Coventry's success this season. He is one of the most versatile strikers in the league due to his physicality and pace, being able to float across the front line freely, making his movement unpredictable and hard to track for defenders.

7 goals in 8…
Haji Wright is on fire at the start of the season https://t.co/GKbrLhbwoY

— WHUFC_⚒️_Sloth (@WhufcSloth) October 1, 2025

Wright is not the sole reason for Coventry's attacking potency, with Dutch full-back Milan Van Ewijk receiving a lot of plaudits also.

Van Ewijk was on the radar of many Premier League and European clubs in the summer, and it's no surprise why. He's registered 5 assists in the Championship, currently joint most. The Dutchman is a proper modern full-back - he has the ability to get up and down the flank with ease, whilst not limiting the effectiveness of the defence. He has a progressive nature, being able to retrieve the ball from the opposition and start an attack (average of 1.25 interceptions per game in the league this season).

🌟 | Milan van Ewijk - MOTM | Millwall 0 Sky Blues 4:

🏹 Shots - 0
⚽️ Goals - 0
🅰️ Assists - 2
🦅 Aerials Won - 0
🔑 Key Passes - 2
👟 Passing Accuracy - 70%

📈 Who Scored Rating - 8.72#PUSB pic.twitter.com/oF2KZgFTTc

— Sky Blues Extra (@SkyBluesExtra) October 1, 2025

Conclusion

Coventry have certainly started off this campaign with a bang, and if they continue this form, there is no doubt that they can achieve promotion to the Premier League next year. One of the biggest priorities for them is to keep their best players fit. If Wright or Van Ewijk get injured then their attacking potency is immediately limited.

It'll be interesting to see where the Sky Blues are in a few months, Lampard's previous managerial jobs have not been the most consistent, but his work at Coventry so far does suggest success.