FT: Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
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Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Coventry City have secured a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers, adding three more points to their impressive season tally. Despite not being at their best, Coventry effectively managed the game's closing stages after going ahead, limiting Blackburn's opportunities. This victory strengthens Coventry's position in the Championship.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Since Coventry City took the lead, Blackburn Rovers have struggled to maintain defensive structure and have failed to counter to offer an attacking threat. Coventry's control has seen them ease off slightly, allowing Blackburn moments to regroup without causing more danger, as suggested by Frank Lampard's tactical adjustments after going two goals up.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Coventry City make a double substitution, bringing on Kaine Kesler-Hayden for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Kai Andrews for Victor Torp.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Kristi Montgomery replaces Lewis Miller for Blackburn Rovers as Miller is unable to continue. Coventry City are closing in on a return to the top of the Championship table.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
A Blackburn player is down needing treatment, marking one of the few times the physios have been needed today in a match with good flow and few interruptions.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Today’s match is being brought to you by Steve Marshall with the help of AI tools which deliver generative summaries based on BBC radio coverage.
Our ambition is to use these tools to allow us to produce live pages for games that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to cover, such as today’s match. This trial will help us develop that technology.
All posts are being checked before publishing.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Jamie Allen comes on for Ephron Mason-Clark for Coventry City, while Blackburn Rovers replace Axel Henriksson with Sidnei Tavares as they try to adjust their strategy.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Coventry City have set a new club record by scoring 29 goals in their first 10 games, surpassing a record that stood for 90 years since the 1935-36 season. Today’s attendance at CBS Arena is 29,606, with 1,240 Blackburn fans contributing to the figure.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Ellis Simms replaces Haji Wright for Coventry City. Blackburn Rovers make three substitutions: Dion De Neve replaces Ryan Hedges, Augustus Kargbo comes on for Andri Gudjohnsen, and Makhtar Gueye takes Yuki Ohashi's place.
Coventry 2-0 Blackburn
Brandon Thomas-Asante's strike was sublime, hitting the ball with the outside of his right foot and sending it into the same corner as Torp’s earlier goal. This shot left the goalkeeper with no chance, showing Coventry's confidence and determination as they gain clear daylight in the match.
Brandon Thomas-Asante
Brandon Thomas-Asante makes it two for Coventry City with a first-time right-footed shot from outside the box. The Sky Blues have scored twice within 90 seconds to take control of the match.
Coventry 1-0 Blackburn
Victor Torp's goal came from a volley at 20 yards out, finding its way into the corner. Despite the unexpectedness given Blackburn's play, Torp took advantage of Ephron Mason-Clark's cross and the ball falling to him, managing to strike it sweetly through a crowded defence. The keeper might have been partially unsighted.
Victor Torp
A spectacular strike from Victor Torp breaks the deadlock for Coventry City. Ephron Mason-Clark's setup led to Torp's powerful finish, putting Coventry ahead.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
Yuki Ohashi isn't offside as he cuts into the area on the left, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto tracking back and putting it behind for Blackburn's sixth corner, emphasising Coventry's defensive efforts as they still haven't had a corner so far.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
Yuki Ohashi forces Coventry's goalkeeper, Carl Rushworth, to make a save at the near post, resulting in Blackburn's fifth corner of the match. Blackburn are starting the second half with plenty of energy.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
It's been a lively start to the second half for Coventry City, with Brandon Thomas-Asante's early attempt showing their attacking intent. As the manager will urge, putting plenty of shots on goal and maintaining high pressure and intensity is key to improving on their first half performance. Coventry are looking to excite their fans with more chances.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
Brandon Thomas-Asante takes an early shot at the edge of the area but Blackburn's goalkeeper, Balázs Tóth, makes a comfortable save inside the six-yard box.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
The second half has kicked off at the CBS Arena, with Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City looking to break the deadlock after an evenly contested first half. No changes in personnel for either side yet.
Coventry 0-0 Blackburn
Today’s match is being brought to you by Steve Marshall with the help of AI tools which deliver generative summaries based on BBC radio coverage.
Our ambition is to use these tools to allow us to produce live pages for games that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to cover, such as today’s match. This trial will help us develop that technology.
All posts are being checked before publishing.
Brandon Thomas-Asante scored his sixth Championship goal of the season as Coventry returned to the top of the table
Two goals in the space of three second-half minutes helped Coventry see off Blackburn Rovers and move back to the top of the Championship table.
Victor Torp and Brandon Thomas-Asante scored as the Sky Blues picked up their fourth successive victory and kept their fifth consecutive clean sheet in the process.
Frank Lampard's side remain the only team in the second tier still unbeaten after 10 matches and now boast a goal difference of +22.
Rovers, meanwhile, drop in to the relegation zone following Oxford United's victory over Derby County at lunchtime.
The hosts started on the front foot and Ephron Mason-Clark's right-footed effort tested Rovers keeper Balazs Toth early on before Thomas-Asante planted a header just wide following a free-kick from Torp.
After a quarter of an hour, a mistake from Coventry full-back Jay Dasilva allowed Andri Gudjohnsen in, but he dragged his effort just wide of Carl Rushworth's post.
Midway through the first half, Rovers fired another warning shot when the ball was played back to defender Sean McLoughlin on the edge of the box but he blasted his shot over the bar.
The visitors went close again just before the break when Axel Henriksson's close-range effort was well kept out by Brighton loanee Rushworth as the two sides went into half-time all square.
Twelve minutes into the second half, the Sky Blues hit the front when Mason-Clark's cross from the left was not fully dealt with by the Blackburn defence and from just outside the area Danish midfielder Torp volleyed home expertly past Toth.
Three minutes later Coventry doubled their advantage when Thomas-Asante picked out the corner of the net with a stunning long-range finish with the outside of his foot, leaving Toth with no chance.
The visitors were dealt insult to injury when Australia international Lewis Miller limped off with 10 minutes to go as they went down to a third defeat in four matches since their game against Ipswich Town was abandoned and controversially ordered to be replayed in full.
Coventry have now notched up 29 goals in their opening 10 league games - 14 of which have come in their past four outings - setting a new club record which had previously stood for 90 years.
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard told BBC CWR:
"It's one of the games that makes me happiest. We've had it our own way a lot in different games with really good performances and control.
"But they (Blackburn) made it hard for us with their man-to-man pressing. There was not as much space and overloads we could create and we weren't as clean.
"But sometimes in games you rely on your players to do what they did. The two goals were fantastic and that's only through work and practice from the two boys (Torp and Thomas-Asante) and themselves for practising those different finishes on the training pitch and that hard work pays off.
"It's nice for the group to understand that if we're not at our best, we can keep a clean sheet and still win a game like that."
Lampard post Blackburn Rovers win
Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"We were exactly where we wanted - on the front foot, aggressive, high press. We did well, we created a lot of chances to score.
"Then we conceded the first goal. It was avoidable. It's a free-kick, they played quick and we were not aware to slow it down and we got punished.
"Then the second goal came too quick to try to come back into the game.
"It's frustrating because the performance was right, the players made a good effort, great mentality, adaptable, flexible.
"Actually it's the story of the season so far, that game. The performance is right, we should have more from the game and we end up losing, so it's frustrating."
'It's the story of our season so far' - Ismael
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 7 | 22 | 22 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 17 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| |
| 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 16 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 16 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 15 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 13 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 12 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 9 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 8 |
| |
| 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 8 |
| |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 7 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 16 | -12 | 6 |
| |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 22 | -13 | 6 |
|
Manager: Frank Lampard
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Valérien Ismaël
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Manager: Frank Lampard
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Valérien Ismaël
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Championship
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Coventry City haven’t lost any of their last nine league games against Blackburn Rovers (W4 D5), keeping a clean sheet in each of their last four matches against them.
Blackburn Rovers have lost each of their last three league trips to Coventry City, with their last away win in the league against the Sky Blues coming in October 2020 (4-0).
Coventry have won each of their last three league games by an average score of 12-0, while they’ve kept a clean sheet in their last four league games; they last did so in five successive games in October 2001 in the second tier under Ronald Nilsson.
Since Valérien Ismaël’s first Championship game in charge of Blackburn Rovers at the start of March, only two sides have lost more Championship league matches than Rovers (10).
Coventry have already scored 27 goals in their opening nine league games this season; the last second tier side to score as many as 30 in their first 10 league games of a season was Bolton Wanderers in 1964-65 (31). Indeed, the most the Sky Blues have scored in their first 10 Football League games of a season is 28 in the Division Three South in 1935-36.