Does Coventry lose for the first time at their own stadium?

The second international break of the 2021/22 season is upon us and in the toughest second division in the world, the English Championship, matchday eleven is already underway. The absolute top match is the duel between Coventry and Fulham

The home side from Coventry are in fourth place with 19 points, the visitors from London have one point more on their side and are therefore in third position. While Fulham were expected to be in these spheres, Coventry’s run of success so far has been absolutely sensational. As one of the big underdogs, the Robins eleven is shaking up the league.

However, they suffered a major setback during the week as Coventry slipped to a heavy 5-0 debacle. Fulham, on the other hand, managed a 3-1 win thanks to a Mitrovic hat-trick. Another win on Saturday is quite likely, with Coventry and Fulham offering betting odds of around 2.00 for the capital side.

Coventry – Statistics & current form

The Skyblues from Coventry were still in the Premier League at the beginning of the 21st century before the slow relegation. In 2017/18, the club even had to take the step into the fourth division. Despite this, the club remained loyal to head coach Mark Robins (arrived in March) and was rewarded for this continuity. In addition to direct promotion, the club returned to the Championship in 2019/20. As promoted sides, the team finished 16th in the previous year.

Bearish home record

In the final reckoning, the Robins eleven ultimately had a comfortable twelve-point lead over the first relegation place and accordingly never felt any great need for relegation. Already in the previous year, the good performances in the home games were the decisive point, because ten of the 14 victories of the season were at home.

Since this season, Coventry have been allowed to play in front of their fans again and are thrilling the supporters with fantastic performances. Robins’ side have won all five of their home games so far Goalkeeper Simon Moore has also kept his box clean in the last three home games.

Despite this very strong record, odds of around 3.70 are offered on the home side in the top match between Coventry and Fulham. Soberly, the difference in quality is enormous.

Debacle at Luton

This was made clear during the week when Coventry were brought back down to earth. In the away game at Luton Coventry City delivered an inferior first half and were already 4-0 down. The final scoreboard showed a 5-0 defeat, the third time this season that the club had failed to score.

In general, Robins’ side are extremely dependent on Hungarian Viktor Gyökeres going forward. The 23-year-old has scored seven of the 12 goals this season and also provided two assists. That means he was directly involved in a whopping 75 per cent of all goals.

Predicted Coventry line-up:
Moore – Hyam, McFadzean, Clarke-Salter – Maatsen, Allen, Hamer, Kane – O’Hare – Gyökeres, Waghorn

Last games of Coventry:

Fulham – Statistics & current form

The objective at the Cottagers is clear – a return to the English Premier League represents an absolute must. Fulham have been able to retain many expensive star players despite relegation and have not had to cope with a major bloodletting.

Best offence in the league

The English Championship is by no means comparable to the Premier League in terms of characteristics. Basically, the second division is dominated by commitment, fight and passion. Playful ease is rarely to be seen due to the rough style of play.

In this respect, the team of new coach Marco Silva is an exception. The capital team is currently only third in the table, but can certainly live up to expectations. With 22 goals in ten league games, Fulham have the best attack in the league The Serbian team player Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has already scored ten times (and also recorded three assists), has been absolutely outstanding.

Great injury worries

After a very good start to the season (13 points from five games), a little bit of sand came into the gear and the Cottagers could only win one of four league games. During the week, a 3:1 home win against Welsh rivals Swansea was a liberating blow.

Marco Silva has to improvise a lot these days and will be longing for the international break. Fulham are currently missing no less than eight players due to various injuries. Despite all these absences, the Cottagers have far more quality to offer than the home-strong underdog. The favourite role is justified and between Coventry and Fulham, a tip on the visitors seems a good option.

Predicted line-up of Fulham:
Gazzaniga – Bryan, Ream, Adarabioyo, Odoi – Seri, Reed – Kebano, Reid, Wilson – Mitrovic

Last matches played by Fulham:

Coventry – Fulham Direct Comparison / H2H Record

I don’t think anyone will remember the last time these two teams met. Coventry City and Fulham have faced each other 29 times before, but for the most recent encounter you have to look back to the 1967/68 season. Accordingly, the head-to-head comparison does not count as a yardstick for Saturday afternoon’s encounter at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Coventry – Fulham Tip

I doubt anyone would have believed that this duel would be the absolute top game in the English lower tier at the beginning of October. The home side have been the big surprise so far and can rely on their home strength in particular. Fulham, arguably the strongest Championship side, will now be visiting the Society Arena, but Coventry’s unblemished home record means they fancy their chances.

Nevertheless, the prediction between Coventry and Fulham is in favour of the capital team. The strong home record in honour, but the heavy defeat at Luton has shown that Coventry is by no means one of the absolute top teams. Moreover, the difference in quality is enormous and this should also be noticeable on the green pitch as the game progresses. Six units are recommended for the bet on the favourite to win

Other lucrative betting options between Coventry and Fulham are a bet on the over 2.5 and also the bet that both teams will score. The Fulham attack is always good for a goal and Coventry also have a striker with a built-in goal guarantee in the Swede Gyökeres