Coventry vs Sunderland: confirmed lineups and stakes in relegation six-pointer
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Coventry host Sunderland today at 3 PM GMT at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
- The two bottom teams are split by one point: Coventry 19th, Sunderland 20th.
- Coventry start 18-year-old Stephen Mfuni in defence; Sunderland have Alderete fit to start.
Coventry City host Sunderland at the Coventry Building Society Arena today. Kick-off is at 3 PM GMT. The bottom two teams in the Premier League meet, and just one point separates them.
This is the game both sides need to win. Coventry are 19th with six points. Sunderland are 20th with five, according to the Football Faithful's preview.
A win for either side could lift them out of the drop zone today.
Why this game matters
Coventry come into this game in poor form. They have lost their last two league matches. The latest was a 1-0 home defeat to Fulham last weekend.
Their home record is a worry too: four defeats in five at the CBS Arena. They failed to score in three of those games.
But home is also where Coventry have produced their best results. They beat Newcastle 4-1 here earlier this season, in a famous night against the Magpies. That result shows what this team can do on its own pitch.
Sunderland's league form is even worse. They have taken one point from the last 15 available. That was a goalless draw with Leeds.
Their away record is winless in the league this season.
In cup games, though, the story is very different. Sunderland have been strong in Europe this season. They have two wins and a draw from three Europa League matches.
They also beat Brentford 3-2 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals. Their European campaign keeps giving them confidence even as the league form lags.
History is on Coventry's side. They have won two of the six previous Premier League meetings. The other games ended in two draws and two Sunderland wins.
Sunderland have never won away at Coventry in the Premier League. The referee today is Simon Hooper, with Constantine Hatzidakis on VAR.
Team news and confirmed lineups
Coventry are missing four players. Haji Wright, Luke Woolfenden, Josh Eccles and Aurele Amenda are all out with injuries. Centre-back Bobby Thomas is also missing with a calf problem after going off against Fulham.
Thomas had started every league game this season, so this is a big blow. Eighteen-year-old Stephen Mfuni starts in his place next to Ethan Pinnock.
Lampard said Mfuni has shown in training that he is a fantastic young player. He called this his opportunity.
In attack, Taiwo Awoniyi starts. He is still waiting for his first Premier League goal for the club.
Jack Rudoni also starts after scoring twice in his last three league games. Lampard is going with a young-looking side.
Coventry XI: Rushworth; van Ewijk, Mfuni, Pinnock, Dasilva; Yirenkyi, Torp; Rudoni, Sakamoto, Gboho; Awoniyi.
Coventry subs: Bentley, Grimes, Simms, Mason-Clark, Kesler-Hayden, Latibeaudiere, Thomas-Asante, Hamer, Cherif.
Sunderland are without Dan Ballard (hamstring) and Romaine Mundle (knee). Those two are long-term absentees.
But there is good news: Omar Alderete has passed a fitness test. He starts next to Luke O'Nien at the back. Wilson Isidor is back available and is on the bench.
Manager Régis Le Bris said the club accepts that Ballard and Mundle are not fit. Nearly everyone else is available, he added.
Nordi Mukiele misses out after a throat injury, so Trai Hume starts at right-back. Granit Xhaka starts in midfield, and Brian Brobbey leads the line.
Sunderland XI: Roefs; Hume, O'Nien, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Le Fee, Rigg, Angulo; Brobbey.
Sunderland subs: Ellborg, Methalie, Danso, Ahoka, Talbi, Fofana, Meunier, Ta Bi, Isidor.
What is at stake
A Coventry win could lift them out of the relegation zone. Results elsewhere could even take them as high as 15th, according to Sport Grill. A Sunderland win could also climb them out of the bottom three, with 16th possible.
For Coventry, this is about making home count. Home form will decide whether they stay up this season.
They beat Newcastle and Nottingham Forest here before the recent slump. So they know how to win at this ground.
For Sunderland, this is about turning cup form into league points. They look a different team in Europe and the Carabao Cup. If they play with the same belief today, they can leave Coventry with three points.
What happens next
The game is not on live TV in the UK. It falls in the 3 PM Saturday blackout window. Highlights will air on Match of the Day.
Today's other big Premier League game is also on, with Chelsea facing Manchester United.
The loser today will drop deeper into trouble. The winner gets breathing room before the next round of fixtures.
The clubs are separated by a single point. This is as close to a must-win as October gets.
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