Coventry’s efficiency final weekend in opposition to Manchester Metropolis gave the impression to be a step in the appropriate course.
The Sky Blues had been unfortunate to not come away with a minimum of some extent as they put goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma below actual stress with 12 photographs and recorded an xG of 1.37.
These indicators of enchancment continued within the first half in opposition to Brighton as they fired off 10 photographs and created a handful of possibilities by way of Frank Onyeka and Jack Rudoni, whereas trailing by only one aim on the break.
However issues started to unravel shortly after the break when some poor defending handed Brighton the chance to double their lead, earlier than Taiwo Awoniyi was despatched off for a flailing elbow two minutes later.
Coventry have now misplaced their final 46 Premier League matches when conceding first, a run that stretches again to March 1999.
Former Man Utd and England striker Wayne Rooney advised BBC Sport: “The massive downside for Coventry is that shedding by a margin of 5-0 simply takes all the boldness away from the gamers.
“They are going to be different groups above them and they’ll really feel 1,000,000 miles off proper now. Frank [Lampard] and the gamers simply must discover a option to get by way of this. There is no doubt they’re going to be down and hurting proper now.
They’ve being doing a little good things and have created possibilities within the final two video games, however they simply have not taken them. Then the sending off right this moment killed them. What’s essential is that the squad stays collectively and on the identical web page. They have to dig in.”
“There’s been some actually poor defending from Coventry right this moment,” added former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on Sky Sports activities.
“You’ll suppose at 3-0 they’d take the defeat and transfer on, however with a number of the resolution making right this moment…they begin wanting like a Championship crew.
“Frank has obtained to be actually cautious now that this crew don’t lose their perception.”
For the reason that Premier League started in 1992, just one crew (Southampton – 2012-13) has survived relegation after shedding their opening 4 video games of the marketing campaign.
Within the wider historical past of the English high flight, 10 of the 18 groups who’ve misplaced their first 4 matches of a season have been relegated (56%).