Coventry climbed out of the relegation zone with a win that leaves Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s first Premier League goal put Coventry ahead 17 minutes in, Taiwo Awoniyi’s first league goal for the home side doubled the lead eight minutes before the break and Jack Rudoni sealed victory early in the second half.
Sunderland were offered a little hope when Enzo Le Fée sent Carl Rushworth the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, but they grew increasingly frustrated and finished the match with 10 men when Omar Alderete was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Régis Le Bris, Sunderland’s head coach, said: “I don’t think they are not aware of the situation. We are exposed this season with this busy schedule, it’s really demanding.
“Is it unexpected? I don’t think so. Many clubs last year experienced exactly the same situation. First year in Europe, you know you will have on average 10 less points. It’s our reality.
“Does it mean we are happy? Absolutely not. We have to get better. We have to play better than we did in the first half. It’s hard to be not able to play our football with confidence, with the ability to be ourselves.”
Frank Lampard said this week it was too early in the season to worry about the table, but this was a much-needed win after last Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 home defeat by Fulham, another side who had arrived at the CBS Arena in the bottom three.
“It’s a nice bounce for us,” he said. “We won two games, we lost two games, the feeling can change very quickly. We try not to let that affect us, but I’m talking about the feeling in the stadium.
“Fulham felt not great because there’s this strange expectation we’ll come here and win games and dominate games. It’s not that, it’s the Premier League. Everything’s different.
“We have to try and fight and be at our max every game to try and win. When you get that feeling of what it takes to win a game, it takes every little bit of energy.”
Coventry’s first-half goals came after defensive mix-ups from Sunderland, who are thriving in cup competitions with four wins from five, but who have five points from nine Premier League games and one point from five on the road.
Quick Guide
Coventry 3-1 Sunderland key facts
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• Sunderland have taken (3) and scored (2) more penalties than any other side in the Premier League this season.
• Sunderland remain winless in their past seven games in the Premier League (D2 L5), with their five points this season being their lowest nine games into a campaign since 2016-17, when they were relegated from the top tier (2 points).
• Coventry scored two goals from outside the penalty area in a Premier League game for the first time since Boxing Day 1999, when Gary McAllister (pictured) and Mustapha Hadji netted from distance against Arsenal.
Le Bris has welcomed the challenge of continental football this season, but his side have taken just one point since their Europa League campaign kicked off in mid-September, with this another game when they will look back with regret at several missed chances.
Coventry had failed to score in five of their eight matches, but took the first real opening that came their way with a little help from the visitors. Trai Hume’s half-hearted clearance of Milan van Ewijk’s cross struck his teammate Luke O’Nien and fell for Sakamoto to arrow a shot into the far corner.
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Sunderland should have been level six minutes later, but Brian Brobbey dragged his shot wide with the goal gaping after too easily spinning away from Ethan Pinnock.
Coventry were looking much brighter than a week earlier. Victor Torps’s free-kick tested Robin Roefs, but the goalkeeper could do nothing when Awoniyi doubled the lead before half-time.
Again it was poor from Sunderland. After an ill-advised pass from Chris Rigg, O’Nien lost possession to Awoniyi, who charged his way past a couple of desperate challenges before beating Roefs with the help of a deflection off Alderete.
Coventry’s confidence was high enough that Rudoni tried a bicycle kick shortly before a half-time whistle that was greeted with boos from the Sunderland end. Things soon got worse for those travelling supporters as Rudoni’s shot struck the unfortunate Alderete to put Coventry in control.
Chemsdine Talbi missed a fine chance moments after coming on, but Sunderland got a lifeline when Pinnock used an arm to block O’Nien’s strike, Simon Hooper pointing to the spot after a lengthy spell watching replays and Le Fée hit an emphatic penalty.
Stephen Mfuni, in for the injured Bobby Thomas, made a huge block to keep out O’Nien’s volley as Coventry held off a series of late attacks from Sunderland before Alderete’s red card.
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