Frank Lampard Returns to The Hawthorns Six Years After Memorable Win

Frank Lampard, the new manager of Coventry City, is keen to temper expectations regarding his team’s encouraging unbeaten start as they prepare for a second demanding away match in five days. This upcoming fixture at The Hawthorns evokes memories of one of his most significant managerial triumphs, a 4-1 victory for Derby in October 2018. Following their 1-0 win at Millwall on Saturday, Coventry City is scheduled to play West Bromwich Albion, a side currently placed eighth in the table, a position some suggest might be misleading. Lampard issued a caution, stating: “We need to not get too far ahead of ourselves because it’s one win and there’s a lot of work to do. We’ll prep for the game on Wednesday. That’s the rigours of the Championship for you, so we’ll have to deal with it.” Chris Wilder, the manager of Sheffield United, characterized Albion as the toughest opposition his team has encountered this season, a comment made after their 2-2 draw on Sunday. However, West Bromwich Albion, known as the Baggies, has faced challenges in goal-scoring, having netted only six times in nine home games. This comes after they were top of the league in September before embarking on a run of just one win in 13 games, a period that included a remarkable ten draws. Albion was also contending for promotion when Lampard made his only previous visit to the venue as a Championship manager with Derby County in October 2018. That match marked Lampard’s 14th league game in management, and his largely young Rams side had secured only five victories prior to that point. Despite having talented players such as Tom Huddlestone, Fikayo Tomori, Jayden Bogle, Mason Mount, David Nugent, Tom Lawrence, and Harry Wilson at his disposal, it was an evening when Lampard’s Derby team performed exceptionally well. They established a two-goal lead within 15 minutes and subsequently dominated Darren Moore’s Baggies, ultimately securing a 4-1 victory. At The Hawthorns, Coventry City has a challenging record, having managed just one point and one goal (Haji Wright’s penalty last season), and suffering defeats in three of their past four visits. Their last win at the stadium dates back to December 2007, a 4-2 triumph where Leon Best and Michael Mifsud each scored twice. While Coventry City would ideally aim for another four away goals on Wednesday night, this outcome appears rather unlikely. So far this season, only 11 goals have been scored by either team at the ground, with eight of those occurring in two consecutive 2-2 home draws.