Coventry City match analysis from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner discusses some of the big talking points from the 2-0 defeat to Ipswich
07:00, 30 Dec 2025Updated 09:31, 30 Dec 2025
Frank Lampard manager of Coventry City
The Sky Blues saw out 2025 with what was only their first home league defeat of the season and only their third regular Championship loss at the CBS Arena under Frank Lampard – the other two being against Leeds United and Burnley last season, both clubs boasting top end squads.
It was no coincidence, then, that City came up short against another parachute team packed full of quality and the squad depth to be able to name fresh and effective wingers in their starting line-up, including the impressive Jack Clarke, who scored Ipswich’s first and had a hand in the second, and the most expensive player in Championship history in Sindre Egeli, who cost an eye-watering £17.5m in August.
Town moved up to third place and cut the gap to the Sky Blues down to just ten points as the Tractor boys have clearly turned a corner in their own season. The Suffolk club are the best side City have faced so far this term and arguably pose the biggest threat to any title hopes Coventry fans may have entertained in recent weeks while sitting in top spot.
Automatic promotion is the priority, of course, but Ipswich look like the best-equipped side in the division and are hitting momentum just at the right time. Here are some of the other big talking points from the 2-0 festive home defeat.
Jack Clarke of Ipswich Town scores the opening goal against Coventry City(Image: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock)Squad depth exposed
Coventry, in stark contrast, have only got two wide men in Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto – the latter of whom has just got over a bout of flu, and yet both have been required to get through another 90 minutes. Elsewhere, Miguel Brau was thrown in at the deep end to make his first Championship start against quality opposition at a time when City are also feeling the effects of Jay Dasilva’s three-match ban for his red card at Southampton.
In short, this was a game too far for such a threadbare group that’s currently on its knees and January can’t come quickly enough for Doug King to provide some much-needed back-up with a few choice signings to help out.
Sindre Walle Egeli of Ipswich Town runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Miguel Brau and Matt Grimes of Coventry CityRoom for improvement
It was a big night for Brau who certainly caught the eye in the opening minutes when he went in strongly to win the ball. However, he then let himself down by giving possession away four times out of his next six touches due to poor passes, although he was far from the only guilty man on the night as City struggled to retain the ball in a really poor first half.
Asked how he felt the Spaniard did, the City boss said: “Yeah, I thought he did OK and yeah, it’s his first start so and I’m not going to go too individual on players. It’s a big ask to come into a high level game but I thought he did OK. With the amount of games we have had I have to look at giving people opportunities. He’s been very patient in terms of how he is around the place and I thought he did OK, and he’ll get better.”
Ipswich Town defender Darnell Furlong (19) tackles Coventry City midfielder Miguel Angel Brau (33) Penalty appeal
Even Lampard admitted his side didn’t deserve to win the game but he did feel that City should have been awarded a penalty when Darnell Furlong appeared to foul Haji Wright just inside the Ipswich box.
The decision by referee Anthony Backhouse not to point to the spot incurred the wrath of the Sky Blue faithful as well as the head coach and, coming in the 61st minute with the scoreline still goalless, may well have changed the course of the game.
“I thought it was a foul if it’s in the box,” said the City boss. “Someone said he might not be in the box but if it’s in the box then I think it’s a penalty. I thought that was quite clear. I haven’t had the chance to look at it again. That was my opinion at first.”
On second viewing, there’s certainly a case for it being in the box.
Coventry City forward Haji Wright (11) on the ball Frank’s half-time message
Half-time couldn’t come quickly enough for City’s players after a dreadful opening 45 minutes when they barely laid a glove on their opponents. Asked what he said to them at the break, Lampard said: “Well, they had a lot of rotations and we know how they wanted to play. They take their time on the ball and I think we were sometimes coerced into trying to press because the fans wanted us to press and open up spaces between us. I, and we, set how we press and the lads had to know that.
“And I thought we were better at that for the first 25 minutes of the second half. Sometimes when they stopped the ball, we didn’t move until they moved the ball and that’s it. And I think we got dragged into that a little bit.
“And I think a little bit of sort of bravery on the ball to play more ourselves like we normally do. We normally strike a good balance of playing and then going longer when we have to and playing behind a back line. And today we got dragged into just turning the ball over far too much. And that gave them (Ipswich) the sense of having a lot of possession and feeling in the game.
“So I wanted to shake the lads out of that to remind themselves at that point, we were 13 points ahead of Ipswich who are a really strong team. We’re top of this league, play like it. And I didn’t think the lads really had that sort of belief.”
Jacob Greaves of Ipswich Town collides with Carl Rushworth of Coventry CityExtraordinary save
One of the few players to come out with real credit in the game was goalkeeper Carl Rushworth who pulled off what Lampard described as an “extraordinary” save to deny Jack Taylor what looked to be an almost certain first-half goal.
“We’ve talked a lot about him this year and he’s made some very good saves but that one was an extraordinary save, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “He’s a top young goalkeeper and obviously been great for us.”
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