Preston North End will travel to Coventry City tomorrow

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard says his side can’t afford to underestimate Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

The Chelsea legend was appointed as Sky Blues boss at the end of November and has been an instant hit. Coventry have won six of their last seven matches in the Championship, form which has seen them fly up the table and into seventh - just one point shy of the play-offs.

A 2-1 win away at Sheffield Wednesday last time out maintained their top six push. North End have been tough to beat themselves though, losing only seven of the 31 league games under manager Paul Heckingbottom. Lampard is fully aware of the challenge that faces his team.

“Preston is going to be a really difficult game in many ways and they’re not to be underestimated,” said the Coventry boss ahead of Saturday. “They’re an aggressive team, man-to-man marking at times in high pressure.

“And they’re physical, very difficult to play against for different reasons. So I’m considering nothing about momentum and all these things in this moment in time. I’m thinking about Preston because it’s going to be a difficult game.”

“It’s not my record...”

Whilst not discarding current form, the Lilywhites’ monumental record against the Sky Blues is something of note. Remarkably, Coventry have failed to beat North End in their last 22 league meetings, a run that traces back almost 18 years.

PNE have won the last three contests between the two, including a dominant 3-0 victory at the Coventry Building Society Arena in February 2024. Lampard, whilst aware of the record, has opted to try and separate previous generations of the team with his own.

“I’m aware of the record, because there are a lot of Coventry people that work here so they feel more emotionally attached to it than others,” said Lampard. “It’s not my record, it’s Coventry’s, but now I’m a big part of Coventry so I understand it.

“But I focus on the game as what it is, so for me it’s not that much of a thing, other than preparing the team well and getting three points.

“So, it would be nice to win the game, which is so important to us now and break that record that hangs over us slightly.”