Coventry City manager Frank Lampard believes the 3–0 defeat to Ipswich Town could ultimately prove useful for his squad as they prepare to respond against Preston North End on Tuesday.
The Sky Blues had surged 10 points clear at the top of the Championship and hit the 50-goal mark before travelling to Portman Road, but their five-match winning run ended abruptly. Ipswich, pushing for promotion themselves, extended their unbeaten home streak to four games with an impressive performance that lifted them to fourth.
Sindre Egeli, George Hirst and Ivan Azon all found the net for the Tractor Boys, inflicting Coventry’s second league defeat — and third overall — this season. With Ipswich now five points off second-placed Middlesbrough and seven behind Coventry, their promotion push is gathering momentum.
Despite the setback, Coventry still hold a strong position. Lampard’s men remain nine points ahead of third-placed Millwall and seven clear of Middlesbrough. They are still favourites for the title and for automatic promotion.
Lampard admitted he dislikes losing but suggested the result might help refocus the squad. Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph, he said:
“We’ve had a lot go our way this season. If there’s any positive to losing — and it never feels like it — it’s that people on the outside may stop thinking the season is already wrapped up. We’re only 19 games in. There’s a lot of work still to do, and while I’m proud of where we are, there’s so much more ahead of us.”
Frank Lampard gives his thoughts on today’s defeat at Ipswich. 🎙️
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) December 6, 2025
Preston challenge awaits
Coventry now look to bounce back quickly with a trip to Deepdale to face fifth-placed Preston. North End are unbeaten in their last three games and have one of the better home records in the league.
However, Coventry have been the Championship’s strongest away side so far, collecting 20 points from 10 matches. They will aim to continue that impressive form on Tuesday.
Preston are priced at 29/10 for the win, the draw is 5/2, and Coventry are 17/20 to return to winning ways.
Leave a Reply