Sideways Sammy

Two wins from two has been a welcome return to form for Coventry City, just when questions were being asked about their promotion credentials. With both Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough also winning in each round of fixtures, those victories have only maintained the Sky Blues’ position, rather than enhanced it. Ipswich dropping points at the weekend, however, makes this trip to Norwich City an opportunity to strengthen Coventry’s hold on a top two spot.

It will be easier said than done, not just because Coventry City have not beaten Norwich City since 2009 but that the Canaries have become one of the division’s form teams over the past month. This is going to be a real test of mettle for the Sky Blues which could be the difference between winning the division at a canter or getting sucked into a dogfight for promotion.

Expected Line-Up

Bobby Thomas is the key returnee for this game, having missed the last three games with a needless suspension. While there may be some pause for thought about immediately throwing him back into the line-up after letting the team down in his last outing, the lack of quality alternatives to him at centre-back – even if Joel Latibeaudiere did okay in his place – will surely see Thomas slot back immediately into the starting XI.

Elsewhere, the relatively long turnaround since the last game means that Frank Lampard doesn’t have to overly concern himself with rotating the squad to maintain fitness levels and can instead focus on picking his best team. That will probably involve starts for Victor Torp and Haji Wright, both of whom have had their minutes managed recently to ensure maximum impact.

The main area of debate for this starting XI is who starts in the central attacking midfield role after another underwhelming display from Jack Rudoni, who continues to labour in search of form. There may be a temptation to throw Brandon Thomas-Asante in from the start but that would probably be a mistake for a tough away game while the forward looks to regain fitness. That could see Josh Eccles start in order to provide energy and stability in that advanced role but it feels conspicuous that Lampard continues to back Rudoni to play himself into form and that may well not change here.

Possible Coventry City Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Torp, Grimes; Esse, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Wright.

Last Time We Met

Norwich City had a terrible start to the season, having made a mistake in appointing Liam Manning as manager, someone simply ill-equipped to get a team chasing promotion to play enterprising football. However, Norwich City remained Norwich City as they took the trip to the CBS Arena back in February, scoring with their first effort of note and going a long way towards holding out for all three points.

Coventry City grabbed a late equaliser, having done well throughout the game to avoid doing so sooner. A promising Milan van Ewijk raid forward looked like it had been scuppered, only for the right-back to tackle a Norwich defender in the penalty, play it to Ellis Simms, whose scuffed effort drew a save from the opposing goalkeeper that was fortunately parried into the path of the waiting Haji Wright.

The Opposition

The Manager – Philippe Clement

Once one of a cavalcade of forgettable overseas players that Coventry City were addicted to taking punts on in their final years in the top-flight, Philippe Clement has forged a quietly impressive coaching career. Spells in Belgian football eventually saw him take on the Monaco job, where he did a decent albeit a smidge below par and did the same again across 18 months at Rangers.

Clement arrived at a Norwich City side in November in danger of being cast-off in the bottom three – despite spending heavily over the summer – and has proved the steady pair of hands he’s consistently been over his managerial career, steering them away from danger and injecting confidence in players who looked shorn of it. Norwich are now performing like the top six level side that their summer spend suggested they should be, albeit with Clement struggling somewhat at home – winning three of the six league games at Carrow Road he’s had thus far.

Who To Look Out For?

With star striker, Josh Sargent, involved in a very public and messy attempt to extricate himself from Carrow Road, Norwich City have found a new leading man much more seamlessly. Jovon Makama was recruited as a punt on potential from Lincoln City over the summer – and having played much of his career as a winger – but the rangy forward’s combination of energy, physicality and increasingly clinical goalscoring instincts has catapulted him into the Championship golden boot race.

Makama is the headline of a number of players who’ve really benefitted from Philippe Clement’s management. The list also includes academy youngster, Tony Springett, whose finally proving his quality out wide having been in their first-team since their last spell in the Premier League, Papa Amadou Diallo on the other flank, along with Pelle Mattson in central midfield and Ruari McConville in central defence – who had made his Northern Ireland debut before starting a senior match.

Norwich City’s attacking options have been supplemented by the addition of exciting winger, Ali Ahmed, from Vancouver Whitecaps this January. Additionally, Mathias Kvistgaarden is making contributions from the bench, having been a big money striker signing over the summer.

At the back, the centre-back duo of the aforementioned McConville and Harry Darling look a nice blend of youth and experience, physicality and quality on the ball. Full-backs, Kellen Fisher and Ben Chrisene support attacks well, while Vladan Kovacevic is a highly confident presence in goal who can pull off big saves, likes to take risks with the ball and get under the skin of opponents with his antics.

Possible Norwich City Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Kovacevic; Fisher, McConville, Darling, Chrisene; Slimane, McLean; Springett, Mattson, Ahmed; Makama.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

With the way Coventry City have been defending of late, a Norwich City side with plenty of pace in the final third are likely to be licking their lips. Frank Lampard faces a key choice here between sticking with what’s worked over the past couple of games and hoping they can out-punch the Canaries in the final third, or tighten things up and risk inviting pressure onto a defence that hasn’t shown it can sit in to keep games tight.

For all of the attacking flair of both teams, this game could well be the story of two goalkeepers who are among the best in the Championship. Both Carl Rushworth and Vladan Kovacevic are of the calibre to make saves most other goalkeeper can’t. If this match turns into an open, free-flowing contest, either goalkeeper turning it on could be the difference between this being close or a heavy scoreline either way.

If Coventry City look to their set-pieces to make a difference in this game, an interesting wrinkle is that Norwich City have conceded the fewest goals from such situations despite conceding some of the highest quality chances. This could be an occasion where variance swings against a team that have been lucky, or it could become apparent why the Canaries are defying the data.