Coventry City return to Premier League don turn to real fight for survival, as dem get just three points and one goal after five Gameweeks before Monday visit from Newcastle United.
Matthias Jaissle Newcastle sit 11th with eight points from five games. Dem dey travel go sold-out-capacity 32,609 Coventry Building Society Arena, looking to continue better of two very different starts to season.
Frank Lampard side don lose four of dia five league matches this season. One of those na 5-0 collapse at home to Brighton, which mark dia fourth straight shutout defeat of league campaign.
Jay Dasilva strike settle surprise 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Na the only match all season wey Coventry avoid conceding, and e remain dia sole source of both goals and clean sheets in division.
Those numbers worse still on home soil. Coventry don lose both Premier League fixtures at this stadium without scoring, shipping six goals in process.
That thin attacking record now compounded by defence wey miss Aurèle Amenda for long term. Centre-back ruled out by severe calf, shin and heel injury wey no get official return date and fit keep am out for several months.
Luke Woolfenden and Josh Eccles also unavailable. Na small list of defensive options Lampard get to choose from, while attack also weakened as Taiwo Awoniyi continue to serve suspension after red card against Brighton.
Coventry sit bottom of table after five games, five points off Newcastle and with goal difference of minus nine. Those numbers tell dia own story of team still searching for foothold back in top flight.
Newcastle don take eight points from five league games. That run built on draws with Liverpool and Bournemouth either side of comfortable 2-0 win at Tottenham. A 1-4 defeat at Leeds remain obvious blot on record, but Jaissle side respond with 2-1 win over Hull City wey show dem still fit grind out results when attacking players no dey fire.
Anthony Elanga two goals make am Newcastle top scorer this season, but winger no dey expected to feature at Coventry because of hamstring problem. That one shift more attacking weight onto Matias Fernandez-Pardo. Newcastle don win one and lose one of dia two Premier League away games this season, scoring at rate of 1.50 goals per match and keeping clean sheet in one of those two fixtures, reasonable platform against Coventry side wey score once all season.
Newcastle sit 11th with goal difference of zero, position wey undersells squad wey don cope with fitness issues for Elanga, Ewen Jaouen and, until recently, Joelinton and Nico González as well.
Amenda injury na single biggest blow of Lampard week, with Switzerland international now expected to miss for months rather than weeks after earlier, more optimistic club estimate. Woolfenden and Eccles add further long-term absences in defence and midfield, leaving Coventry short of options even before accounting for doubts over Kesler-Hayden and Latibeaudiere.
Outcome wey matter most for Coventry shape na whether Milan van Ewijk pass late fitness test on hamstring, since inclusion at right wing-back go let Caleb Yirenkyi stay among substitutes rather than being needed from start.
Taiwo Awoniyi go serve final match of suspension without being able to play, which at least mean Coventry senior striking option available again for dia next fixture. With Brandon Thomas-Asante likely focal point in attack, Coventry goal threat beyond Dasilva single strike remain extremely thin, and Lampard go dey hope say Jack Rudoni and Loum Tchaouna fit supply enough service in final third to change am.
Coventry probable XI (3-4-2-1): Rushworth; Mfuni, Pinnock, Thomas; van Ewijk, Grimes, Onyeka, Dasilva; Rudoni, Tchaouna; Thomas-Asante.
Jaouen roughly two-month hamstring absence push Lukás Horníček into goal, with Nick Pope the back-up option on bench. Elanga continued absence na bigger concern given he be Newcastle top scorer, and Jaissle go instead lean on Matias Fernandez-Pardo to lead line at Coventry. Amar Dedić only return to training on Thursday after re-aggravating hamstring at Leeds, so Lewis Miley na leading alternative at right-back if he no risk from start, though Miley himself dey carry knock and go get late fitness test of im own.
There be better news further back and through middle of pitch, with Nico González cleared of concussion protocols and Joelinton back in full training after missing entire season to date, even if Jaissle dey manage Brazilian minutes carefully. Jacob Ramsey and Tino Livramento remain doubts of dia own, but neither look central to selection with Joseph Willock and Lewis Hall both available across midfield and left-back.
Newcastle probable XI (4-2-3-1): Horníček; Dedić, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; González, Willock; Murphy, Barnes, Wissa; Fernandez-Pardo.
Newcastle don win last seven meetings between these two clubs in all competitions, run wey stretch back to Coventry 4-1 win at Highfield Road in October 1999, last time Sky Blues beat dem. Sides no meet at all since that 4-1 Newcastle win in Championship in February 2010, so Monday match na dia first encounter in more than 16 years and first ever Premier League meeting between dem at Coventry Building Society Arena. Newcastle all-time advantage still considerable, with 35 wins to Coventry 18 and 17 draws across 70 competitive meetings, though gap of this length mean almost none of that history get any real bearing on two squads wey don change completely since dem last play each other.
For set-pieces, one area Frank Lampard team go look to exploit na from set-pieces, where Bobby Thomas bring massive threat to table. Centre-back don get 10 shots in five games while Newcastle don ship 31 shots conceded from set-pieces already this season, most of any team. Thomas pop up with three goals for Coventry in dia promotion season and go land for anytime goalscorer backers at some point soon. This might be time to catch am at 8/1 with Sky Bet.
