Coventry beat Newcastle 4-1 to end 25-year wait for Premier League home win

Coventry City beat Newcastle United 4-1 at the CBS Arena to secure their first Premier League home victory in 25 years and move out of the relegation zone. According to BBC Sport’s report, the result lifted Frank Lampard’s side to 14th, giving them successive league wins after their victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqMuMANxwI

Jack Rudoni converted a penalty, Sidiki Cherif scored his first goal for Coventry, and Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni added late goals. The Sky Blues had also been waiting 25 years for a top-flight goal in front of their own supporters. This was their first four-goal performance in the division since beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 in May 2000, while Newcastle suffered a second consecutive 4-1 away defeat.

Cherif made an immediate contribution on his first Premier League start, winning the early penalty before scoring from outside the area. The 19-year-old joined from Fenerbahce in the summer and was making his fourth Coventry appearance. BBC Sport reported that he became the club’s youngest Premier League scorer since Robbie Keane against Middlesbrough in April 2000, and their first to score from outside the box in the competition since David Thompson against Newcastle in January 2001.

The win followed a difficult opening to Coventry’s home campaign. Their previous league matches at the CBS Arena had ended in a 1-0 defeat by fellow promoted club Hull and a 5-0 loss to Brighton. They had also lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup. Against Newcastle, a side that scored 97 goals while winning last season’s Championship produced a much stronger attacking return.

Lampard said the result would help players still adapting to Premier League football, but stressed the need to remain grounded. As reported by the BBC, he pointed to the limited top-flight experience of several members of his squad and said Coventry would remain underdogs in most matches. He also praised Cherif’s appetite for training and improvement after handing the teenager his opportunity.

Coventry are now level on points with Manchester United after six league games. Their next fixtures are away to Tottenham and at home to Fulham, both of whom remain without a win. Lampard’s message after the Newcastle result was that the confidence gained must be matched by the same intensity in the games ahead.