Coventry City are 10 points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough and look like a lock in next season’s Premier League.
The Sky Blues have been on a roll since the start of the current campaign. They have 13 wins, four draws and just one loss after 18 games and have already scored 50 goals – next up are Hull City with 30.
And though their average of exactly one goal conceded per game is usually nothing to write home about, only Stoke City have conceded fewer (14).
Frank Lampard has promoted a few changes to their play style while maintaining their overall philosophy. And it has worked wonders so far.
How do Coventry City play and why are they so far ahead?
Wide play, movement and crosses
One thing that has remained the same is Coventry City’s preference for the wings – especially the left. 42% of their attacking actions lie there, as opposed to 33% on the right and just 25% down the middle.
They also love to cross the ball, ranking second in total crosses (22.8), third in open-play crosses (15.9) and third in corners (5.7) per game.
Speaking of corners, set pieces are a huge part of their attack. They have scored 19 goals from set pieces, almost twice as many as any other team (four of them tied at second with 10).
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But Frank Lampard doesn’t want his team to cross the ball just for the sake of it. The Sky Blues perform a number of different moves and combinations that generate the ideal contexts for those crosses to happen.
Usually, they like to involve full-backs Milan van Ewijk and Jay Dasilva in running positions towards the box.
Defensive midfielder Matt Grimes basically operates in the left half-space, also looking to cross from deep. He also organizes the team, leading them in touches (1,554), passes (1,260) and chances created (37).
His partner, usually Victor Torp – who in theory would be the right-defensive-midfielder in their 4-2-3-1, also plays more in the left. Their system is fluid and asymmetrical, always favouring the left corridor.
The Swede’s rise probably justifies the sale of Ben Sheaf to Wrexham in the summer transfer window. Hats off to Lampard and the board for seeing it coming and allowing a big piece of their recent success leave but elevating a back-up to even surpass Sheaf’s performances last season.
Torp has been one of Coventry City’s best players this campaign, with seven goals and three assists in 16 games.
Differences from this season to the last
Lampard has implemented a more direct and vertical approach this year. The Sky Blues are a little less patient in build-up and go long more often from goal kicks than they did in the past.
In fact, Carl Rushworth ranks third among all Championship goalkeepers in long passes completed (139) and fourth in attempts (391).
They are averaging fewer long passing sequences (9.5 compared to 10.8) and longer passing distances (19.0 metres compared to 18.3).
Advanced Opta metrics show that Coventry City have upped their direct speed tally from 1.24 to 1.49 this season. All while maintaining similar numbers of possession (54% now, 55% last campaign) and passes per open play sequences (3.1 compared to 3.3).
Lampard has done a great job injecting pace without losing rhyhtm in the build-ups – and it definitely manifests when watching them play.
The main difference, however, lies in the shooting department. Coventry average 18.1 shots per game this season, which would be the highest on record (since 2003-04). The players have more freedom to fire from long distances, and they have the right personnel to do so.
They are fourth in the Championship in shots from outside the box (5.8) per game. Victor Torp is one of just five players with three or more goals scored from long range.
By doing all of this, they are giving themselves more chances to score. It also helps that they also lead the league in big chances (54) and expected goals (38.2).
Long-term sustainability
People could say that Coventry’s form is not sustainable. After all, they are overperforming their expected goals tally by 11.8.
However, even if the Sky Blues had scored the exact amount that their xG suggests, they would still have the best attack in the Championship by a wide margin.
That’s not to mention that they have done all of this with last season’s best player being on the pitch for just 40% of their minutes so far. Jack Rudoni has dealt with injuries and has been on and off the team so far.
Even if Coventry’s performances take a slight dip in the future, the damage could be cancelled out by Rudoni’s brilliance. Frank Lampard could benefit from his vision and movement in the wide plays whenever he is near the ball.
The No.5 also has quite a presence in the box – not just in terms of positioning, but also height. His 6 ft 1″ frame allows him to score a lot of headers. Last season, he scored five of his nine Championship goals with his head.
It’s also important to mention how tough and resilient this team is. After a heartbreak loss at extra time against Sunderland in the play-off semifinals in May, they have approached this season the right way.
Coventry are second in the league in points won from losing positions (13, two fewer than Watford), while no other side has more than eight.
There is still a long way to go, but it has been a nice turnaround story for both Frank Lampard, who had been written off by many following poor spells at Everton and Chelsea, and the club, who were in 17th place when he took over in November 2024.