Coventry City 4 Newcastle United 1
Newcastle United suffered a painful, chastening defeat, comprehensively beaten by Coventry City in a performance that should send a shudder of fear through Tyneside.
It was a dreadful night for the visitors, who conceded four goals for the second successive away game. The manner in which they fell apart was damning. Whatever the supposed style of play, it is not good to watch: long balls are pumped forward for short strikers to chase or compete for in the air against far taller centre-backs. Away from home, it is becoming ineffective.
Newcastle are too easy to create chances against and there is not much that gets you excited when they attack.
Matthias Jaissle’s side did create chances against Coventry, but are not clinical and do not inspire confidence they can be with the players they have. Defensively, they escaped earlier in the season, but are now being exposed and punished. “Not good enough in both boxes,” was Jaissle’s blunt verdict. “To concede eight goals in two away games is not good enough.”
Matthias Jaissle on this evening's defeat at the Coventry Building Society Arena. https://t.co/216NW6Laz8
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) October 12, 2026
Newcastle’s misery was in stark contrast to the joyous celebrations from Coventry. This was a thoroughly deserved first home win of the season for Frank Lampard’s side.
“It was an outstanding performance,” the manager said. “We knew we would have to suffer at times against a team like Newcastle. But we were really good at the basics, winning the second balls, winning the duels, those moments are critical. It’s not always about pretty patterns, it’s about work ethic.”
The win lifts Coventry level on points with Manchester United and will give them fresh confidence at this level. This could be the start of something special for them.
As for Newcastle, this raises uncomfortable questions about their summer recruitment, with so many expensive players on the bench or playing badly. It also means people will query whether Jaissle’s implementation of “vertical football” is working. The fact Lampard talked so openly about winning the duels to set up the win will anger the German.
Jaissle can point to two bad misses from one of the new arrivals, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, a £51m buy from Lille, in the first half. But his team are too easy to play through and the defence is an accident waiting to happen.
Even after Sven Botman’s stunning strike offered them a way back into the game, they capitulated at the back as Lewis Hall – who was off colour all evening – and Joelinton’s mistakes gift-wrapped a third for Ellis Simms. A fourth followed for Stephen Mfuni.
Ellis Simms off the bench with a big impact! 💥 https://t.co/XynFVxwERV
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
You can get a sense of what sort of mode a team are in within the first few passages of play and Newcastle were not sharp or precise. It was sloppy.
That was certainly true of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, who was off his line in no-man’s land trying to snuff out a through ball that he was not going to get. He stood up to deflect it away, but then rashly chased after it, diving at full stretch at the feet of Coventry’s Sidiki Cherif and failing to get the ball. Jack Rudoni coolly sent the Czech goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.
Newcastle had been awful in their last away game at Leeds, another 4-1 thrashing, and there were many of the same faults on display.
It was not a good first half for Fernandez-Pardo up top. They are mystified in Belgium why he believes he is a centre-forward rather than a winger and he did not do himself any favours here. Newcastle’s best move of the game resulted in Lewis Miley playing in Jacob Murphy down the left. His cutback was perfect for Fernandez-Pardo to sweep home at the near post but instead of trying to make contact, he dummied it, thinking Harvey Barnes was better placed. He was not. It was a baffling piece of centre-forward play.
It had been the easiest 40 minutes Lampard’s side have had since they were promoted, but Newcastle still should have scored before the break.
Nico González spotted the run of Fernandez-Pardo through the middle. He wriggled clear of Bobby Thomas and sat down goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, but the Coventry centre-back got back to block his shot.
Newcastle pressed the self-destruct button early in the second half. A long throw into the box was half cleared. There was a half-hearted attempt to close Cherif down from Yoane Wissa and then a shot that somehow went through a crowd of three Newcastle defenders, including the legs of Botman, and nestled in the bottom corner.
Sidiki Cherif with a STUNNING finish on his first Premier League start! 🤩 https://t.co/EoTB8VCHuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
It should have been three. Again Wissa was partly to blame, losing the ball in midfield to set Coventry on the counter-attack. When Botman made a mess of a clearance it spun perfectly into the path of Cherif. The net should have bulged but the £20m summer signing from Fenerbahce scuffed wide.
The visitors needed something special to get back into it and it came from the most unlikely of sources as Botman unleashed a rocket from 25 yards.
Sven Botman, that is SENSATIONAL! 🤯 https://t.co/GalkqMs5ZE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
In a flash the balance of play shifted in Newcastle’s favour. They poured forward in search of the equaliser. Jaissle switched to a 4-4-2 with Will Osula joining Fernandez-Pardo up front, but instead of pulling level, Coventry pulled further ahead.
And finally here’s Matthias Jaissle
"We need to improve the things we can control, and right now that's a lot" 🗣️Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle expresses his disappointment after his side's loss to Coventry 👇 https://t.co/fatJkZYyRM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
Frank Lampard speaks to Sky Sports
Very, very satisfying. It’s so hard to win. We played like the team we want to be here. A team you look at and go there’s so much energy and spirit in the group. We know we are going to have to suffer this season, when we don’t have a lot of the ball. We have to understand it. The level is what it is.
The work ethic, the belief. You get what you deserve. Great finishes. We haven’t quite had the rub of the green this season and that might have helped us nick a couple of more points. I’m a firm believer that you keep going. It was a complete performance. We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground because we’re going to have to do 30+ of those but it’s a great feeling for the players.
[Cherif] is very, very exciting because he is so young. He has got a really good manner. He wants to train, he wants to learn. He’s quite quiet but on the pitch he shows a lot of personality. When you see the quality of the strike and the hold-up play, there’s a lot to come from him.
Jack Rudoni on his message
"That one was for you, nan"Jack Rudoni explains his goal celebration ❤️ https://t.co/79OvHMlu6J
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
None of the promoted teams are in the bottom six
Full time: Coventry 4 Newcastle 1
A victory to savour for Coventry whose teenagers Cherif and Mfuni scored fine goals. No doubt they wobbled when Botman equalised and for the next 10 minutes but Newcastle blew too many chances and resumed making errors at the back. Newcastle’s squad is a mess.
90+3 min: Coventry 4 Newcastle 1
Newcastle might maintain that Thomas-Asante was offside and blocking the keeper’s view when Mfuni pulled the trigger but I think Hornicke had a clear view and hence it wasn’t an offence.
90+2 min: Coventry 4 Newcastle 1
The first two minutes of stoppage time, of which there are four, pass without incident.
90 min: Coventry 4 Newcastle 1
Osula lifts a volley over the bar with a wild attempt. Toure was injured in the build-up and will be replaced by Dan Burn.
88 min: Coventry 4 Newcastle 1
Never mind Bob Gelodof and Brenda Ann Spencer, Matthias Jaissle doesn’t like Mondays. They are 8-2 down on Monday Night Football so far this season.
GOAL!
Coventry 4 Newcastle 1 (Mfuni) The substitute had only just replaced Rudoni and took the ball on the inside-left 25 yards out, advanced then wrapped his instep around a left-foot shot, arrowing it across Hornicek into the bottom right.
Stephen Mfuni makes his mark for Coventry! 👊 https://t.co/KI2kgpfUJP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
84 min: Coventry 3 Newcastle 1
Thomas-Asante crashes a right-foot shot into the heart of the left post. A thumping strike that leaves the metalwork ringing.
GOAL!
Coventry 3 Newcastle 1 (Simms) Right foot shot from 18 yards through Thiaw’s legs, clipping the inside of his right knee to deflect it into the bottom left. Joelinton had been trying to dribble it out of the box, overhit it and fouled Thomas-Asante as he tried to recover. The whistle was betweeen the ref’s lips but he did not exhale as Simms steered his shot through Thiaw’s legs.
Ellis Simms off the bench with a big impact! 💥 https://t.co/XynFVxwERV
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
79 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 1
Touré beats Dasilva for pace down the right then blazes over from a tight angle then moments later is given an opportunity to shoot and sticks it in the stands again. Both times the cross was on.
77 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 1
Toure has caused untold problems for Dasilva. Newcastle corner on the left is bent far too deep and goes out for a goal-kick.
Onyeka → Yirenkyi
Simms → Cherif
Osula → Wissa.
75 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 1
Wissa dithers over a shot when found by Toure to the right of the penalty spot and finally clips it into Thomas. Coventry are clinging on but flapping. As is the crowd.
73 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 1
Hall, following Botman’s lead, lets fly from distance, straight at Rushworth.
Coventry fluff a couple of chances to break with hasty, panicked passes.
71 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 1
It was as if Coventry were defying him to have a shot. And in doing so, the nerves are back with a bang in the crowd.
GOAL!
Coventry 2 Newcastle 1 (Botman) Coventry invite him to shoot by backing off and backing off and he RSVPs with a left-foot torpedo from 20 yards into the roof of the net. What a strike!
Sven Botman, that is SENSATIONAL! 🤯 https://t.co/GalkqMs5ZE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
66 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Barnes appears to have been brought down by Sakamoto in the Coventry penalty area but he was offside. One of Jaissle’s staff is booked for some verbal transgression.
64 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Sakamoto → Mason-Clark.
Joelinto rattles bones in a tackle that was not shown as they focus on Barnes’ spurious penalty appeal when he slipped behind Pinnock.
63 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Rudoni dips his shoulder and skins Botman in the Newcastle box but tries and fails to square it to Cherif instead of shooting.
61 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Touré makes ground down the right and slips Joelinton down the inside. The substitute, who took the captain’s armband off Thiaw, tries to find Pardo with a cross that Thomas blocks.
59 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Now Willock blazes over from eight yards on the right after a slick one-two with Murphy.
Dedic → Miley
Touré → Murphy
Joelinton → Willock
57 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Rushworth drops Hall’s cross but recovers to grab it on the bounce. Jaissle has three subs stripped. Murphy tries to bend a cross from the right to Barnes at the back post but Van Ewijk and Thomas combine to scramble it out for a throw-in.
55 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Now Cherif misses a gilded opportunity after a hacked clearance from Botman lands at his feet to the left of the spot. He kicks it into his other leg and the ball dribbles wide. The way Botman dealt with Thomas-Asante’s cross was really shoddy.
52 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Barnes disguises his inside run and evades Van Ewijk to collect Thiaw’s pass up the inside-right channel. He spins and feeds it infield to Wissa who telegraphs his shot with a laboured touch before swiinging a right-footer from 25 yards straight down Rushworth’s throat.
50 min: Coventry 2 Newcastle 0
Newcastle have been awful. Seem to lack leadership and heft on the field. The return of Joelinton can’t come quick enough.
GOAL!
Coventry 2 Newcastle 0 (Cherif) Talented lad. Absolutely larrups a right-foot shot through a thicket of Newcastle legs from 18 yards when a long throw was headed out to the edge of the box.
Sidiki Cherif with a STUNNING finish on his first Premier League start! 🤩 https://t.co/EoTB8VCHuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
48 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Collison between Van Ewijk and Willock leaves them both winded and needing treatment. The Newcastle midfielder had been trying to bullock down the middle in purusit of a pass.
46 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Coventry overload with seven men on the right before rolling the kick-off to the left-footed Rushworth who launches it too far up that wing and Hornicek gathers.
Pardo’s profligacy
Interesting half for Matias Fernandez-Pardo who has been in the middle of most of Newcastle’s best moments but has failed to take two excellent chances.
The first was baffling as the Belgium international made no attempt to sweep in Jacob Murphy’s cutback at the near post, letting it run through his legs thinking Harvey Barnes was in a better position. He wasn’t.
The second was a little unfortunate as he did well to time his run and wriggle free of centre back Bobby Thomas. That put him in on goal with just the goalkeeper to beat, but having sat Chris Rushworth down he pushed the ball a fraction too wide and by the time he was in a position to shoot, Thomas had done brilliantly to cut off the angle and block it.
Coventry have been good but Newcastle have been really poor again away from home. They are yet to put a 90-minute performance together since the opening weekend against Liverpool. Matthias Jaissle will want a lot more from his team in the second half.
Half-time: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Newcastle should at least be level given their chances but you have to admire Coventry’s spirit and work rate. Cherif seems to me to have a high ceiling and at 19 is already a real handful.
Newcastle need to stop fannying around and buy a proper centre-forward. Wissa is better wide or in a more fluid system, as I suspect Fernandez-Pardo is, too. Stick Osula on and get the chequebook out in January. Offer Boro £50m for Lankshear.
45+2 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Cheeif, working his socks off, chases a lost cause and retrieves a long pass forward in the whitewash but when he turns to try to play it to Thomas-Asante, Thiaw makes a good tackle.
45 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Hall turns away Mason-Clark’s effort from the left and the game turns into a basketball match… without the scoring as both sides fly from end to end. Two minutes of stoppage time to come.
43 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Thomas to the rescue again, He was outpaced by Fernandez-Pardo running on to straight ball down the middle but kept on going when the Belgium forward rounded the keeper to block the shot. Fernandez-Pardo may have been better off taking on the shot earlier, surprising the advancing Rushworth, rather than trying to take him out of the equation. Or dinked it before he got too close.
Bobby Thomas does brilliantly to deny Fernandez-Pardo 👏 https://t.co/dB4Qk0uoCu
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
40 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Willock is penalised for grabbing Yirenkyi to concede a free-kick hjust inside the Newcastle half. Rudoni tries to float it into the box but overclubs it and it sails behind for a goal-kick.
38 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Willock tries to replicate Doku’s goal from yesterday, swinging a right-foot shot from the left into the top right but Yirenkyi stood firm and deflected it wide. Coventry defend the corner solidly and tear off upfield but the diligent Barnes races back 70 yards to mop up.
36 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Newcastle force Coventry all the way back to Rushworth who knocks it long to Dasilva who holds it up well and passes to Mason-Clark. The left-winger runs and then tries to force the ball through Thiaw instead of laying it back to the left-back who was free. Thiaw makes the block.
34 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Hornicek, rushed into a clearance, makes haste to belt it away from danger.
32 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Thomas, who made a goal-line clearance at Forest, heads the ball away from an open goal a couple of yards out after Murphy’s effort bobbled up off Rushworth. Excellent cross from Barnes to the back post.
30 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
End to end after Fernandez-Pardo at the near post is in the right position to hook in a shot from Murphy’s cross but he dummies instead and there was no one behind him. Was he put off by a defender’s shout? Coventry break and storm down the inside-right, Cherif closing in on goal and refusing the entreaties of Mason-Clark and Rudoni to pass inside. he shoots straight at Hornicek.
28 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Newcastle think they should have a corner and they are right after Van Ewijk’s block of Fernandez-Pardo’s cross took a double deflection back off the Coventry right-back. To set up that raid down the wing, Willock bullied Yirenkyi off the ball on halfway.
26 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Coventry break the siege with a clearance that allows Mason-Clark to shield the ball and buy a throw-in on the left. The ref warns Van Ewijk not to take too long over it after taking his time to jog over from the other wing.
Nothing comes of it.
24 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Coventry are playing a dangerous game now and Newcastle have all the momentum, stringing passes together and using their wide players well.
22 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Barnes sticks out his right foot in the Coventry box and steers a shot wide from Willock’s cross/shot. Thomas had earlier intercepted Murphy’s dipping cross to nod it away from Fernandez-Pardo as Coventry retreat.
20 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Barnes passes blind back to Hornicek unaware that Cherif was lurking. But the Czech goalkeeper is more alert and darts out to clear.
17 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Botman, who has never looked the same since his injury, heads the ball out for a throw-in. Van Ewijk hurls it into the box but Newcastle deal with it well and break in numbers with Fernandez-Pardo carrying the ball the last 30 yards. But he submits to summit fever when he approaches the box. Barnes is in space to his left but he chops to his right, looking for an opportunity to shoot but can’t find one then forces a pass beyond Murphy who had left his wing. Coventry pick it off but butcher the counter-attack with a rubbish pass to Cherif that was off target.
15 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Thomas, the right-sided centre-back, strides out of defence and sees Cherif loitering on Botman’s shoulder but overhits his pass down the inside-right channel.
13 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Hall sends Fernandez-Pardo down the left and the forward retrieves it just by the byline. He cuts it back to Willock who spins to tee up Barnes to fire a left-foot daisy-cutter from 18 yards straight at Rushworth.
11 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Terrible goalkeeping from Lukasz Hornicek who made one mistake and followed it up with another diving at full stretch at the feet of a Coventry player in the box. He did not need to go after the ball as there was no imminent danger.
Sidiki Cherif knew he only needed to get a touch on it before the Newcastle goalkeeper. Such a soft penalty to give away early on away from home.
Newcastle have not started the game well but the goalkeeper will have a lot of explaining to do after that one
9 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
“First home Premier League goal for 25 years” – yes but it’s only their third Premier League game for 25 years.
A flag catches Barnes offside. Slow start from the visitors.
7 min: Coventry 1 Newcastle 0
Hornicke made a dog’s dinner of that. A headlong dive to try to recover his clumsy handling and Cherif beat him to it. Hotnicek swiped across his ankles and it was a stuck on penalty.
GOAL!
Coventry 1 Newcastle 0 (Rudoni, pen) Takes it with his left foot. Hornicek thinks he’s going into the bottom right but he cocks his ankle to sweep it into the bottom left.
Jack Rudoni converts to give to Coventry their first goal at home since returning to the Premier League! 🙌 https://t.co/Q7la7nYwoq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
Coventry penalty!?
Mistake by Hornicek and then he appears to bring down Cherif diving to retrieve it.
Yes, definitely a pen even though VAR took its time.
4 min: Coventry 0 Newcastle 0
Good atmosphere. The home fans are making a racket.
3 min: Coventry 0 Newcastle 0
Noticeable that Yirenkyi slots in being Van Ewijk when the full-back goes forward. Miley, who is playing at right-back, intercepts a chip up to Mason-Clark and works the ball back to Hornicek.
1 min: Coventry 0 Newcastle 0
As the strains of We’ll Live and Die in These Towns dies down to segue into the Eton Boating Song, Newcastle kick off, attacking from right to left. When they lose the ball Wissa is penalised for tripping Rudoni 45 yards out.
The teams are in the tunnel
Coventry are in blue and white stripes, harking back to the 1987 Cup final rather than the Mick Coop years. Newcastle are in vibrant lilac.
Frank Lampard speaks to Sky Sports
It was good to get a win. We worked very hard for it. It’s so hard to get wins, especially on the road. And now we’re back at home and we have to work on those attributes [that earned us the win] at Forest. We rotated pretty well, there are different aspects of the game we want to improve on regardless of shape.
Why this match will tell us a lot about where Newcastle are
A win for Newcastle United this evening will take Matthias Jaissle’s side up to fourth in the Premier League and vindicate the members of the club’s hierarchy who insisted they had appointed an elite manager to replace Eddie Howe.
It will also suggest they got their summer rebuild right and everything will point to an exciting future for a new look team.
Yet, should Newcastle lose against a Coventry City side – newly promoted to the top flight and yet to win at home this season – ripples of discontent will spread through the fanbase and everything about the summer, from managerial appointment to player recruitment will be called into question.
That may seem like an odd thing to write given how wildly different those reactions are but that is where Newcastle find themselves at the moment. We do not actually know if they are any good or what the expectations should be for a young team with a rookie Premier League head coach.
There remains an undercurrent of anxiety among supporters who have seen so many of their best players leave over the last 12 months and be replaced by young, emerging talent from across Europe.
The 4-1 thrashing at Leeds in their last away game was a painful reminder of the team’s vulnerability. They were bullied and outclassed.
Newcastle have not put together an impressive 90-minute performance since the opening day draw with Liverpool, yet that defeat to Leeds was also the only game they have lost. in all competitions. We will know a lot more about them after this. This is a game they are expected to win, so the ramifications of a defeat will be more severe.
Brian ‘Killer’ Kilcline interview: I used to get my therapy from barmaids
When Brian Kilcline was at Notts County, the manager Jimmy Sirrel became a little perturbed by the nickname his young centre-back had carried since his school days. It might have been nice alliteration, but “Killer Kilcline” was not exactly the image he wanted his team to portray.
“Also the lads shouting, ‘get him Killer’ tended to alert referees,” Kilcline recalls.
So Sirrel decided he would put it to the County fans. He organised a competition to establish a better moniker for his foursquare defender.
“You know what they came up with?” Kilcline says. “Curly Wurly. Like the chocolate bar. It was to do with my hair, which was naturally curled. By the way, it was never a perm. But I mean, come on. I can’t imagine Curly Wurly would have intimidated anyone.”
Your teams in the trad style
Coventry City Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Pinnock, Thomas, Dasilva; Yirenkyi, Grimes; Thomas-Asante, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Cherif.
Substitutes Bentley, Sakamoto, Simms, Mfuni, Onyeka, Latibeaudiere, Torp, Gboho, Hamer.
Newcastle United Hornicek; Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Gonzalez, Willock; Murphy, Wissa, Barnes; Fernandez-Pardo.
SubstitutesPope, Schar, Joelinton, Bamba, Osula, Steur, Toure, Burn, Dedic.
Referee John Brooks (Melton Mowbray)
Newcastle United team news
Only the one change for the Toon, Nico González in for Steur. But just look at that bench where Burn, Dedic, Osula and Joelinton are all welcomed back.
UNITED 👊 https://t.co/3TuUWUpCOS
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) October 12, 2026
Coventry team news
Frank Lampard AKA Frankie Lampart Junior (admittedly 29 years ago) has made two changes, Cherif replacing Onyeka and Van Ewijk, back from injury, for Mfuni. Seems to be reverting to a back four too:
City for Newcastle tonight. 📋 https://t.co/GDk4xXhqST
— Coventry City (@CoventryCityFC) October 12, 2026
Betting on the match?
Advertisement | GambleAware | 18+ Betting on the football tonight? Take a look at these tips and offers chosen by Telegraph Media Group
Preview: Sky blue heaven?
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League match between Coventry City and Newcastle United from the Ricoh Arena. Newcastle have played only once there in the league – a 4-1 victory in the Championship back in 2010 when Chris Hughton’s side stormed the league. Their last top-flight visit to the city was way back in 2000, the year Cov’s 34-season spell in the top division ended. Alan Shearer Kevin Gallacher scored at Highfield Road on that occasion, a year after they were sent packing 4-1 by Gordon Strachan’s side by virtue of goals from Carlton Palmer, Paul Williams, Robbie Keane and Mustapha Hadji.
Today’s visit begins with Newcastle in 11th, having bounced back from their Monday night mauling at Elland Road to beat Hull 23 days ago. So bunched is the table, though, that victory tonight would propel them up to fourth. Coventry, by contrast, are 19th after one win and four defeats from their opening five games. If they win they would join Manchester United on six points and leap to 14th, one place ahead of Nottingham Forest, the team they beat last time out before the international break.
Frank Lampard’s side responded superbly after being hammered 5-0 by Brighton in their last home game, tightening up in midfield and defence and finding precisely Forest’s weak spots that Oliver Glasner has been unable so far to armour-plate. Taiwo Awoniyi, who was sent off during that defeat by Brighton, is absent serving the second leg of his three-match suspension and Hajii Wright and Aurele Amenda are still some way off returning. Tino Livramento pulled out of the England camp with injury and is likely to be sidelined for a while longer but Matthias Jaissle was more optimistic about his raft of other doubts: William Osula, Lewis Miley, Amar Dedic, club captain Dan Burn, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey.