Lampard begins Coventry reign with thrilling rescue draw

Frank Lampard’s debut as Coventry City manager ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, thanks to Victor Torp’s late penalty, which salvaged a point against Cardiff City on Saturday.  

The 46-year-old former England international signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship club, stepping into the role just days after the surprise sacking of long-serving manager Mark Robins on November 7.

This marks Lampard’s return to management after a hiatus since May 2023, when his second stint as Chelsea boss concluded.

Lampard, Coventry’s new head coach, is eager to rebuild his reputation after mixed results in previous roles.

His first spell as Chelsea manager ended with his dismissal in January 2021, despite a strong start.

A year later, he took the reins at Everton, helping the club avoid relegation in 2022, but was sacked after a challenging run the following season.

His interim return to Chelsea in 2023 saw him oversee just one win in 11 games.

Back in the Championship, where his managerial journey began with Derby County in 2018-19, Lampard faced a tough opening match.

Coventry conceded early when Yakou Meite’s fourth-minute header gave Cardiff an early lead.

However, Torp’s late heroics ensured Lampard’s tenure started with a hard-fought draw, offering a glimpse of his potential to steer the Sky Blues forward.

Both teams were looking to end a run of four games without a win and Ephron Mason-Clark hit a quick equaliser for Coventry.

Alex Robertson’s superb strike just after the break looked set to seal the three points for Cardiff until Torp converted from the spot in the 89th minute.

Coventry edged three points clear of the relegation zone, with Cardiff remaining only one point further back.

“There are some basics in football that have to be there, particularly in this Championship and the nature of it, which is first balls, second balls, fight, sprints and reactions,” Lampard said.

“I think being tougher is something as a group we can be. In terms of our performance at the minute it’s slightly off, I felt today, so there’s lots to take on and work on.

“But I don’t want to be bordering on the side of negative because I’m pleased that we’ve got our point. I know what this league’s like.”

Lampard’s ex-England team-mate Wayne Rooney is under mounting press at Plymouth after their poor run hit a new low with a 4-0 defeat at Bristol City.

Leeds squandered the chance to return to the top of the table as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.

Todd Cantwell’s 22nd-minute penalty proved enough to seal Blackburn’s third successive win as a determined defensive effort frustrated Daniel Farke’s visitors.

Burnley moved above Leeds into second place as the Clarets beat Stoke 2-0 at the Bet365 Stadium to make it four wins in a row thanks to Jay Rodriguez’s opener and a 78th-minute penalty from Josh Brownhill.

Managerless Hull are stuck in the relegation zone after their first game since sacking Tim Walter in midweek ended in a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Late goals from Emiliano Marcondes and Borja Sainz saw Norwich build on their midweek thrashing of Plymouth with a 4-2 win over Luton at Carrow Road.