Twenty-five years in the waiting – Coventry’s nightmare top-flight return

Coventry’s performance last weekend against Manchester City appeared to be a step in the right direction.

The Sky Blues were unlucky not to come away with at least a point as they put goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma under real pressure with 12 shots and recorded an xG of 1.37.

Those signs of improvement continued in the first half against Brighton as they fired off 10 shots and created a handful of chances through Frank Onyeka and Jack Rudoni, while trailing by just one goal at the break.

But things began to unravel shortly after the break when some poor defending handed Brighton the opportunity to double their lead, before Taiwo Awoniyi was sent off for a flailing elbow two minutes later.

Coventry have now lost their last 46 Premier League matches when conceding first, a run that stretches back to March 1999.

“There’s been some really poor defending from Coventry today,” said former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on Sky Sports.

“You would think at 3-0 they would take the defeat and move on, but with some of the decision making today…they start looking like a Championship team.

“Frank has got to be really careful now that this team do not lose their belief.”

Since the Premier League began in 1992, only one team (Southampton – 2012/13) has survived relegation after losing their opening four games of the campaign.

In the wider history of the English top flight, 10 of the 18 teams who have lost their first four matches of a season have been relegated (56%).