Blackburn 1 – 1 Coventry

Coventry drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers, returning to the Premier League after 25 years.

The promotion party looked set to be postponed when Ryoya Morishita put Blackburn ahead early in the second half at Ewood Park.

But Bobby Thomas arrived late and his free-kick header gave his side the point they needed to get over the line.

Now, after three relegations, 15 different permanent managers (including Mark Robins twice) and four different stadiums, Coventry are back on the rise.

How Coventry fights back against seal promotion

Coventry took the lead early on but Rangers should have taken the lead in the 13th minute when Ryan Alebiosu’s fine cross found the onrushing Yuki Ohashi from six yards out, but he headed straight at Carl Rushworth.

The Sky Blues were outplayed by the disciplined hosts but a clever pass from Efron Mason-Clarke freed Jack Rudoni in the 27th minute, who deftly evaded two tackles before firing into the side netting.

Wanderers opened the scoring in the 54th minute but Coventry’s game was chaotic as Alebisu was allowed to cut inside and Frank Onyeka could only divert his shot into the path of Morishita, who did well to steady himself before blasting home from eight yards through Thomas’ deflection.

But the Sky Blues got the goal they needed and Thomas will go down in Coventry’s history books with a powerful header from Victor Topp’s free-kick past Todt to send his side into the Premier League.

Lampard was emotional after promotion

Coventry coach Frank Lampard said in an interview with Sky Sports:

“I’m proud. Sometimes, all managers talk about players, but I’m proud, I’m proud of myself and my staff.

“Me, Chris and Joe, the boys, came here 15 months ago in a passenger van and we went into the unknown, like you always have to go to work.

“We’ve fallen in love with the players, their reaction, the fan base, their reaction. So this for me is part of what I could possibly achieve. I’m lucky enough to be joining a great Chelsea team.

“It’s great to win the Champions League and the league. Sometimes I can thank Didier Drogba or John Terry for that.

“Now, to do it at this club with what we’ve done, to me, is overachieving. I’m not dissing the players there. They’ve raised the level of their game through sheer work and I’m proud to be the head coach of this team.”

The decline and rise of the city of Coventry

Coventry is right there. Returning to the Premier League after an absence of 25 years, a lot has happened since then.

“Lampard has rebuilt his reputation and led the team to the Premier League on his terms”

sky sports’ Curtis DavisDerby County under Frank Lampard in the 2018/19 season:

“You have to give Coventry credit. After last year’s play-off defeat, with the club’s direction uncertain, you wonder if they can repeat what they did under Frank. They have taken bigger steps.

“Only Burnley and Leeds had a better record than Lampard’s Coventry last season. To continue to do so after a play-off setback shows the mentality he has instilled in the team.

“My relationship with Frank is slightly different because I was injured at Derby so I wasn’t really playing under him. I was watching training and watching him and Jody (Morris) and how they were doing.

“Even though we got to the play-off final and lost to a strong Aston Villa side, he learned about championships. He understood that although you have the way you want to play, sometimes you just have to go somewhere and win a game.

“He takes that experience with him. After going to Chelsea and working in the Premier League, then coming back to the Championship, he remembers those fundamentals.

“When he came into Coventry, a team that was struggling after a long period of success under Mark Robins, he hit the ground running because he knew what the title was about. He kept things simple and worked with the coach to implement his style step by step.

“He said he didn’t care too much about playing three-a-side or four-a-side. He would play as the game allowed. That’s refreshing for a modern coach, especially an elite player who will do whatever it takes to win the game.

“What drives Frank is his self-motivation. He doesn’t need money, he doesn’t need to be a manager. He wants to be successful.

“How he was described after his second spell at Chelsea and then at Everton, it’s great to see him rebuild his reputation and lead the team into the Premier League in his own way.”

“The trough of the Falls makes the ascent feel even sweeter, it’s finally our time”

Coventry City fan Matt Quigg:

“In 2001, Coventry City last played in the top flight and were relegated by arch-rivals Aston Villa. Now, for the first time in my life, I can finally watch my team play in the Premier League.

“Growing up, it wasn’t easy being a Coventry fan. I experienced relegation, points deductions, shared ground at Northampton and Birmingham and it made me and other fans think: why is it always us?

“But the lows of falling make the rising feel even sweeter. We’ve been through so much and we deserve it more than most. Even when we were top of the First Division, our last title was ruined by the coronavirus outbreak.”

“It makes me proud to support this team, nothing is easy and nothing is normal but that’s what makes us Coventry City.

“Granted, we probably get more than 30,000 regular spectators now, with a new generation of supporters emerging during the successful years, but no one can take away from me the performance I had during the League Two season and supporting my team no matter what.

“Over the next few weeks, there will be tears, there will be hugs, and every emotion you can imagine. It doesn’t happen very often, it’s time to enjoy it, it’s time to celebrate like there’s no tomorrow.”

“I’m almost in tears as my team Coventry City move into the Premier League next season after years of pain, drama and tears.

“Finally our time has come.”

‘Lampard proves doubters wrong again’

Sky Sports EFL Editor Simon Ghulam:

“Coventry City are Lampard’s fourth club and fifth in charge. There has been more success in the past than the naysayers would have you believe. Derby County reached the play-offs, guided Chelsea to Champions League qualification under a transfer embargo and kept Everton in the Premier League.”

“But the most recent success – the Sky Blues’ promotion – is undoubtedly the most important. He took over the club from Mark Robins – one of the most popular and successful managers in the club’s history – who was sacked in November 2024 amid a wave of anger from fans who regard him as a hero.

“Lampard, who had a poor second spell at Chelsea after things deteriorated at Everton – albeit as a caretaker – and has been out for over a year, is not a welcome appointment.

“It’s time to prove himself again. He has already done that. Last season, Lampard took the team from 17th in the table to the play-offs – where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Sunderland in the semi-finals. This year he has gone one better and automatically qualified.”

“The title awaits, too.”