Lampard confident Coventry are in strong position after EFL Cup win Coventry City secured a 4-2 victory in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, marking a positive step for Frank Lampard’s side as they prepare for their Premier League clash against fellow promoted side Hull City. The win came after a challenging start to the season, during which Coventry suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in their first top-flight match in 25 years. Lampard emphasized the importance of the EFL Cup performance in assessing his squad’s readiness for the Premier League. The Sky Blues’ midweek victory over Plymouth Argyle was a crucial response to their heavy loss against Arsenal. Coventry took a two-goal lead but faced a scare in the second half before ultimately prevailing. Taiwo Awoniyi, who scored his first goal for the club, played a key role in the win. Lampard highlighted the value of the match in giving opportunities to players not used in the previous weekend’s game, stating, “It’s good to have a look at players that we didn’t start at the weekend and are pushing for places.” He acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture but praised the team’s resilience, noting, “A win is a big deal.” Hull City, meanwhile, began their season with a shock 2-0 victory over Manchester United, a result that marked their first win against the Red Devils in the top flight. The Tigers followed up with a 5-4 penalty shootout win against Stoke City in the EFL Cup, extending their strong start to the campaign. Head coach Sergej Jakirovic expressed satisfaction with the squad’s depth, stating, “I will use this competition to give other players a chance because you never know when we will need them.” Player performances were also a focus.#hull_city #coventry_city #frank_lampard #sergej_jakirovic #taiwow_awoniyi
Hull City 0-2 Millwall: Substitutes guide Tigers into Championship play-off final Hull City secured their place in the Championship play-off final after a dramatic second leg victory over Millwall at The Den, with late goals from Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt sealing a 2-0 win. The Tigers, who finished 10 points behind third-placed Millwall in the league table, will face either Southampton or Middlesbrough in the final on 23 May, marking their first return to the Premier League since 2017. The match, which followed a goalless first leg, saw Hull’s substitutes make the difference. Belloumi, who replaced the injured Kyle Joseph in the first half, opened the scoring in the 64th minute with a curling effort from the right wing, finding the far post after cutting inside. His goal broke the deadlock and set the stage for Hull’s eventual triumph. Just over a minute later, Gelhardt, introduced as a second-half substitute, added a second goal with a low strike that deflected past Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. Hull’s manager, Sergej Jakirovic, made two key substitutions in the second half, dropping his two eventual match-winners to bring in Joseph and Semi Ajayi. The tactical switch paid off, as the Tigers’ attacking threat grew, while Millwall’s home advantage waned. The visitors started brightly, with Charlie Hughes drawing a save from Patterson and then heading wide, but Millwall regained control in the second half. The pivotal moment came late in the first half when Joseph’s foot became entangled under a challenge from Thierno Ballo, forcing him off injured. To the surprise of his manager, Belloumi was not immediately brought on, leaving Hull to play with 10 men for a brief period. However, once the second half began, Belloumi’s impact was immediate.#hull_city #millwall #mo_belloumi #joe_gelhardt #sergej_jakirovic
