Coventry City waited nearly a quarter of a century for a Premier League home win and, when it arrived, it came with a good deal more than nostalgia. Frank Lampard’s promoted side swept Newcastle United aside 4-1 at the CBS Arena, climbing clear of the relegation places and denying the visitors the chance to move into fourth.
A long wait ends at the CBS Arena
Coventry had returned to the top division by losing each of their opening four fixtures, but there had been signs of life before the international break. Their 1-0 success at Nottingham Forest was the first turn in the right direction; this was the emphatic confirmation.
It was Coventry’s first Premier League victory at home, and their first home goals in the competition, since the spring of 2001. Their previous such goal had come in a 1-0 win over Sunderland in April that year, shortly before their relegation from the division.
- Coventry won 4-1 to move out of the bottom three.
- Newcastle would have gone fourth with a victory.
- Jack Rudoni opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
- Sidiki Cherif scored Coventry’s second before late goals from Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni.
Rudoni settles early nerves
The home side were ahead quickly after Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek made a poor attempt to gather the ball. As he tried to recover, he brought down Cherif, who had reached it first. Rudoni converted the penalty, giving Coventry an early advantage and ending the long wait for a Premier League goal at this ground.
Newcastle had plenty of the ball thereafter and spent much of the afternoon probing around Coventry’s penalty area, but their superiority in possession carried too little menace.
Their clearest opening before half-time began with Nico González releasing Matías Fernández-Pardo. The Belgian forward, who has Spanish roots, rounded Carl Rushworth but saw Bobby Thomas clear his effort from the goal line.
Cherif strikes again as Newcastle miss their moment
Coventry found another timely goal four minutes after the restart. A long throw was only partly cleared and the loose ball dropped for Cherif. The 19-year-old Guinea forward controlled it before turning and sending a shot from outside the box through a crowd of players and inside the post.
Cherif might have made it three soon afterwards when Sven Botman’s clearance fell his way, but he miscued the opportunity. Botman then gave Newcastle a route back into the contest in the 70th minute, driving a left-footed effort into the top corner after Coventry failed to close him down.
For a spell, Lampard’s team struggled to retain possession and Newcastle pressed for an equaliser. The manager’s substitutions changed the shape of the closing stages, however, supplying the legs and composure Coventry needed.
Fresh legs finish a famous afternoon
Two substitutes completed the scoreline. Simms pounced after Joelinton lost the ball and struck from range; a slight deflection off Malick Thiaw took the effort beyond Hornicek in the 82nd minute.
Brandon Thomas-Asante then rattled the crossbar, but Coventry were not finished. Mfuni, the 18-year-old defender developed at Manchester City before joining Coventry on loan this season, applied the final flourish with a driven left-footed shot across goal.
It left Lampard receiving the acclaim of a delighted home crowd, while Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle faced the opposite end of an afternoon. His side had possession, territory and moments, but Coventry had the punishment in front of goal — and a result their supporters had waited 25 years to see.
