Frank Lampard has to end 24 years of Coventry City pain, their last Premier League visit is a distant memory
This season is a very important one to many at the CBS Arena, most notably Frank Lampard as he prepares for his first full campaign with Coventry City.
The Sky Blues were beaten dramatically in the play-off semi-finals in 2024/25, with Dan Ballard’s sensational last-minute header sending Sunderland through to Wembley in their place.
Nevertheless, the turnaround after Lampard’s arrival in the West Midlands was clear to see and the new campaign should be an exciting one for those in CV6.
It’s been 24 years since Coventry last played in the top flight and EFL Analysis has taken a look back at that season as they aim for a Premier League return next May.
Coventry City have had just one spell in the Premier League, it ended in 2001
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Throughout the 1990s, the Sky Blues were a regular in the Premier League and they featured in every single season after the old Division One was rebranded. However, this came to an end in 2000/01 after years of teetering on the edge of relegation.
Gordon Strachan led the team into the campaign, and after a good start that saw them win two of their opening three games, things started to unravel. A run of just one victory in the next 13 matches showed their weaknesses and they quickly fell into the relegation zone as those around them started to find some form.
Bradford City occupied 20th throughout the season, but Coventry themselves found it tough to move away from the clutches of the bottom three and they ended the year with just eight wins in the Premier League.
Extended patches of poor form saw Strachan’s issues continue and defeats to relegation candidates such as Derby County in December 2000 only amplified their issues. The Sky Blues were relegated after a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa – ending their 34-year stay in the top flight.
Frank Lampard can bring the glory days back to the Sky Blues
It’s been a dramatic quarter of a century since that relegation, with Coventry falling all the way down to League Two due to financial issues during that time.
However, the last few years have been extremely positive for the club and slowly but surely they are building back towards the Premier League.
Defeat to Luton Town in the play-off final in 2022/23 was tough to take, but they are in a new era under Lampard. The former Chelsea boss is creating an excellent environment at the CBS Arena and they will surely be a favourite for promotion.
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