Coventry seal Championship title in style after thrashing Portsmouth

Coventry City vs Portsmouth. Sky Bet Championship.

The Coventry Building Society ArenaAttendance: Attendance31,182.

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Portsmouth at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday night; Sky Blues beat Pompey to seal the title

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Coventry have been crowned Sky Bet Championship champions after a 5-1 win against Portsmouth.

Frank Lampard's side had already secured promotion to the Premier League on April 17, after a 1-1 draw with Blackburn.

The Sky Blues needed to beat Pompey at the Coventry Building Society Arena to secure the league title - and they did in style by winning 5-1.

In 2026/27, Coventry will play in the top flight of English football for the first time in 25 years.

The newly-crowned champions were up and running inside 11 minutes when Jack Rudoni's corner was nodded in by top scorer Haji Wright.

Pompey goalkeeper Schmid should have done better as he flapped at the corner and allowed Wright to notch his 17th of the season.

It was the 27th goal the Sky Blues had scored from a set-piece this season, and they almost added another before half-time.

Bobby Thomas' late goal at Ewood Park on Friday had secured Coventry's promotion, and the defender headed another Rudoni corner onto the top of the crossbar.

Portsmouth had registered just one shot in the opening 45 minutes and found themselves two goals behind almost immediately after the break.

It was another moment to forget for Schmid, whose heavy touch from Poole's backpass allowed Ephron Mason-Clark to steal in and tap into an empty net.

Things were starting to unravel for Portsmouth as Regan Poole then diverted Milan van Ewijk's cross into his own net just five minutes into the second half.

Wright should have made it four when he missed a glorious chance on the hour mark.

Rudoni took aim from distance and rifled his low effort off the post before American Wright lifted the follow-up over the bar with the goal gaping.

Pompey were next to take advantage of a lack of concentration as Adrian Segecic latched onto Rudoni's loose pass and lashed beyond Carl Rushworth from the edge of the box.

But any hopes of an unlikely comeback were dashed almost immediately as Victor Torp's defence-splitting pass played in Mason-Clark, who made space to fire in his second.

Substitute Kaine Kesler-Hayden put the icing on the cake when he slotted in Rudoni's cross at the back post to notch Coventry's 90th league goal of the season.

"Coventry City is Lampard's fourth club, and fifth role overall. There has been more success in the past than naysayers will have you believe. There was Derby's journey to the play-offs, taking a Chelsea side under a transfer embargo to Champions League qualification, and keeping Everton in the Premier League.

"But this latest success, promotion with the Sky Blues, undoubtedly caps the lot. Taking over a club from one of the most popular and successful managers in their history in Mark Robins - who was sacked in November 2024 amid a tidal wave of fury from fans to whom he was a hero.

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"Lampard, off the back of things going sour at Everton, a miserable second spell at Chelsea - albeit as a caretaker - and more than a year out of the game, was not a well-received appointment.

"It was time to prove himself again. And he has done just that. Lampard took them from 17th in the table into last season's play-offs - where they heartbreakingly lost to Sunderland in the semi-finals. And he has gone one better this year with automatic promotion and the title, too."

Coventry are there. Back in the Premier League after 25 years away, and a lot has happened since.

"2001, the last time Coventry City played in the top flight, relegated by bitter rivals Aston Villa. Now, for the first time in my lifetime, I am finally going to get to watch my team play in the Premier League.

"Growing up, it wasn't easy being a fan of Coventry. I've experienced relegations, points deductions, groundsharing at Northampton and Birmingham, leaving me and every other fan thinking: why always us?

"But the lows of the falls have made the rise feel even sweeter. We have been through so much we deserve this more than most. Even our last title was ruined by the Covid outbreak when we were top of League One.

"It makes me feel proud to support this team, nothing is ever easy, nothing is ever normal, but that is what makes us Coventry City.

"Admittedly, we may get regular 30,000-plus attendances now with a new generation of supporters coming through in the successful years, but no one will ever be able to take away from me that I was there in that League Two season, supporting my team no matter what.

"In the next few weeks, there will be tears, there will be hugs, every emotion you can ever imagine. This doesn't happen often, it is time to enjoy, it is time to celebrate like there's no tomorrow.

"It almost brings me to tears just saying this, my team, Coventry City, will be in the Premier League next season, after enduring years of pain, drama and tears.

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