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Coventry City v Derby County: Championship – live | Championship
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53 min: Travis cynically walks into the path of Esse, and it’s a free kick. He’s already been booked, so really wants to watch himself here. You’ve seen referees book folk for less. The bar’s always higher for a second yellow, I guess, even if we all know it shouldn’t be.
52 min: Sakamoto whips a dangerous cross in from the right. Clarke clears yet again, with Simms lurking. Derby counter through Brereton Diaz on the right. He crosses low and hard. Thomas tries to intercept with a slide, but misses the ball. If Banel controls with his first touch, he’s one on one with Rushworth. But his first touch is clunky, and that allows Thomas to spring up and flick clear.
50 min: Sakamoto and Van Ewijk combine well down the right, but when the ball’s cut back for Grimes, the resulting cross goes straight down O’Donnell’s throat. It’s Derby’s fans making the most noise at the moment.
49 min: Sakamoto sprays a right-to-left diagonal in the direction of Esse, but Ward diverts the ball back to O’Donnell with a stooping header. Promising early second-half signs for Coventry, after being on the back foot so much just before the break.
47 min: Coventry are on the front foot immediately. Esse shoots. Blocked. Another wave. Esse crosses. Clarke, who has been excellent tonight, clears.
Coventry get the second half underway. No changes. Yet.
Half-time postbag. “Evening Scott. [Deletes half-written email about how Derby have got little out of the top six this season, probably aren’t yet ready for the play offs, but have maintained appreciable progress for a third year on the trot so that’s OK.] GAME ON!! HAVE THAT, FRANK LAMPARD’S COVENTRY CITY!!!!” – Tom Hopkins
HALF TIME: Coventry City 1-1 Derby County
The whistle goes before Derby can take a corner, and Coventry disappear down the tunnel. Derby have been much the better side. Work for the league leaders to do. Derby’s play-off hopes are real.
45 min +3: They really could! Because Ozoh’s hustle wins possession out on the left. The ball’s shifted to the right for Ward, who crosses to the far post. Morris heads back across goal, but Banel can’t force a header home from six yards. Coventry somehow escape!
45 min +2: Coventry really could do with hearing that whistle all right.
45 min +1: Esse plays a loose backpass straight to Banel, who is suddenly one on one with the keeper! He aims low and hard for the bottom right, but Rushworth makes a crucial stop! Derby should be leading. But what heroics from the Coventry keeper.
45 min: There will be three additional first-half minutes.
43 min: Esse probes down the left and wins a corner off Ward, who he looks to have the beating of. Everyone in sky blue comes up for the set piece … but Eccles hoicks it over everyone’s head and out for a goal kick. The CBS Arena a little bit stunned by the momentum shift. Frank Lampard not looking quite so content now.
41 min: Now Clarke gets back to the day job, stopping Simms as the Coventry striker bustles down the middle of the park. Derby have their tails up, and they counter, Brereton Diaz sending a low cross into the Coventry box. Kitching clears. All of a sudden, Coventry could do with hearing the half-time whistle.
40 min: That was one hell of a cross from Clarke, it really was. And a fine run by the Derby centre-back to get himself into a position to deliver it! Wow.
GOAL! Coventry City 1-1 Derby County (Brereton Diaz 38)
They’ve got some reward now! Clarke channels his inner Beckenbauer to dribble his way down the inside-left channel. He reaches the edge of the box and whips in a stunning cross to the far stick. Brereton Diaz, steaming in from the other side, plants a header across Rushworth and in! A wonderful connection, but the quality of the cross was such that he could hardly miss!
37 min: Derby have enjoyed 58 percent of possession since the Coventry goal. But they’ve not forced Rushworth into any meaningful action.
36 min: There are no recriminations. Simms was within his rights to go for the ball he’d flicked into the Derby box, and he accidentally poked the keeper instead. Thankfully O’Donnell is fine. Hard but fair. We all play on.
35 min: The tempo drops, and for the first time this evening the CBS Arena falls quiet. But suddenly Sakamoto loops a long pass down the right. Simms juggles the ball inside Sanderson and stretches a leg for it. O’Donnell comes off his line to bravely smother, because he takes a clatter from Simms for his trouble.
33 min: A period of Derby possession in Coventry territory. But they don’t apply any serious pressure. On the touchline, Frank Lampard looks calm and content.
31 min: Brereton Diaz cuts in from the right and blooters a shot that’s blocked and deflected to Murkin on the left. Murkin shoots, and his effort flies straight right, back through the Coventry box. Nothing’s working for poor Murkin right now.
30 min: More applause, another tribute, this time to Coventry fan Roy Slade, who recently passed after years of grass-roots involvement in the sport.
29 min: Travis is spun by Eccles near the centre circle, and suddenly there’s a break on. Travis takes one for the team, hanging a leg across his opponent, bringing him down and earning himself a booking.
27 min: Grimes hits the corner long, but Eccles can’t get an effort away from a tight angle on the left. Derby clear their lines … then Onyeka comes back on, and immediately wins the ball back. A huge cheer from the Cov fans for their returning hero.
26 min: There was no ill intent in Ozoh’s challenge. A wee bit mistimed maybe. Happily it looks as though Onyeka will be fine.
25 min: Onyeka strides down the inside-right channel and slips a pass forward for Simms, who shoots from a tight angle. Sanderson blocks out for a corner. But the corner can’t be taken yet, because Onyeka was clattered by Ozoh making the pass, and he’s fallen awkwardly on his shoulder. On comes the trainer.
24 min: Morris steams down the left and wins Derby their first corner of the evening. Coventry may be divisional leaders at scoring from set pieces with 24, but Derby aren’t too shabby either, with a total of 20. But this time Murkin’s delivery hangs easily for Rushworth to pluck from the sky. Not been a great game for poor Murkin so far.
22 min: Onyeka cushions a pass into the road of Eccles, who falling backwards on the edge of the Derby D, threads a shot towards the bottom left. Easy for O’Donnell.
21 min: Watching replays of the goal, I can’t work out whether Onyeka meant it or not. So let’s give him all the credit. Sorry for ever doubting you, Frank.
19 min: Both sets of supporters break into warm applause, in tribute to Paul Pike, a young Birmingham fan who went to a game at Derby last month and sadly never made it back home. A heart-breaking story, a lovely tribute. Rest well, Paul.
17 min: Murkin faffs around 30 yards out, facing his own goal, and allows Sakamoto to race off with the ball down the right. Murkin redeems himself by chasing back, and when Sakamoto chops inside, preparing to shoot, reclaiming possession. Derby have misplaced their early mojo.
16 min: That’s a bit of a blow to Derby, who had started pretty well. But the hosts are completely on top now, and first to everything.
14 min: Whether that was a cross or a shot, O’Donnell will be disappointed with his positioning, and the way he misjudged the flight of the ball. Hats off to Onyeka, though, because his persistence in stripping Murkin of possession and driving immediately forward paid dividend. The CBS Arena erupts!
GOAL! Coventry City 1-0 Derby County (Onyeka 12)
The Coventry captain curls the free kick into the mixer. Sanderson is on point to clear. But Coventry regain possession. Onyeka wins the ball off Murkin, out on the right, and one-twos with Esse. Onyeka enters the box, and sends what looks like a cross swinging out to in … and over O’Donnell, and into the top left! Not 100 percent sure he meant it, but he cares not one jot!
11 min: Eccles is clattered by Sanderson out on the left flank as the pair compete for a corner. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Derby box, waiting for Grimes to deliver.
10 min: Simms makes a run of great insistence down the left. It’s a real power hustle, and he shrugs off Sanderson, but Brereton Diaz tracks back to ensure he doesn’t make it all the way to the Derby box. Everyone is well up for this.
8 min: Esse motors down the left and his shot-cum-cross is smothered by O’Donnell in the Derby goal. This is good bank-holiday entertainment.
7 min: Banel briefly threatens to break into space down the inside-right channel, but Onyeka eases him off the ball. Derby keep pressing, though, and Clark barges his way down the opposite channel, but his shot, half-scuffed, is blocked by Thomas. Derby look lively.
5 min: Brereton Diaz bustles down the right and earns a throw deep in Cov territory. Ward shapes to throw long, but then goes short, and gets the ball back. He whips dangerously to the near post, but Rushworth has read the intent and gathers without fuss. Both teams seem in the mood to attack.
3 min: However Coventry come straight back at Derby. Esse’s shot is blocked by Clarke, who extends a leg bravely at close quarters. Then Murkin gently shoves Sakamoto in the back as the pair contest a high ball. A huge cry for a penalty, though it’s more from the Coventry fans than the players themselves. Fast start by the hosts.
2 min: Van Ewijk looks long for Simms. Clarke intercepts. Then Esse hassles Ward down the left and forces the first corner of the match. Coventry have scored 24 goals from set pieces this season, the division’s best … but this one comes to nothing.
Derby get the ball rolling. The CBS Arena roaring.
The teams are out! Coventry City all in sky blue – hats off to Jimmy Hill – while Derby wear second-choice grey with orange trim. We’ll be off in a minute!
Derby boss John Eustace talks to Sky. “We’re really excited … we’re playing against the best team in the league … we’ve got nothing to lose … we know they’re a top team with top players coached very well … what a great opportunity for us to showcase ourselves and see where it takes us … we’ve kept level headed … believe in our process … our football is improving all the time … we’re looking forward to each challenge and tonight is another one.”
Eustace also delivers some unwelcome news regarding Rhian Brewster. He picked up an injury against Birmingham and that’s required surgery, so he’ll be out for the rest of the season.
Cov manager Frank Lampard speaks to Sky Sports. “Focus on every game … continue with the momentum … the basics … everything we’ve been doing for a period of time now … stay calm … understand that this league is so tough … absolute focus from us … a bit of a rest … train well … be ready … understand now we’re at the crunch end … [Derby] will be a really tough one … we found that out earlier in the season … we know they’re a good team … we have to be at it.”
By way of fair measure, here’s what happened in this fixture last season. Once again, over to our old pal PA Media, Esq.
Jerry Yates excelled as Derby earned their first away win by beating Coventry 2-1. The forward scored the opener after 11 minutes and his strike after the break deflected in off Bobby Thomas. Derby withstood a potential late comeback from their hosts after Coventry pulled one back through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
That result led to the surprise sacking of Mark Robins, who had taken Coventry to within a toenail of the club’s second FA Cup final just a few months earlier.
If tonight’s game is even half as good as the reverse fixture, played back in August at Pride Park, we’ll be in for a treat. Here’s what happened, as reported on this very website by that omnipresent scribe, Mr PA Media.
Coventry staged a stunning comeback to beat Derby 5-3 at Pride Park. The visitors, coached by the former Derby manager Frank Lampard, scored three times in the space of eight minutes for a remarkable victory.
The teams traded goals in the first half with Derby twice coming from behind to go in level at the break before their captain, Ebou Adams, put them in front. But after Brandon Thomas-Asante equalised, Ephron Mason-Clark and Victor Torp settled a pulsating match.
Coventry’s first goal was tinged with good fortune as Jacob Widell Zetterström punched Matt Grimes’s low free-kick against Bobby Thomas and the ball bounced into the net in the seventh minute. There was nothing remotely lucky about the equaliser five minutes later. David Ozoh won a free-kick on the left side of the penalty area and Callum Elder bent his shot at pace into the top-right corner.
Haji Wright made no mistake when Coventry won a penalty in the 25th minute, but the home side levelled in first-half added time after Thomas handled a cross and Carlton Morris coolly rolled in the penalty.
Five minutes into the second half Derby were ahead. A long throw dropped to Adams who placed a low shot into the bottom corner from 10 yards, but the game changed again as Coventry scored twice in the space of four minutes. Another long throw in the 72nd minute was headed by Thomas against a post and Thomas-Asante bundled the ball over the line.
Derby were caught cold three minutes later when Milan van Ewijk got in on the right and crossed for Mason-Clark to head in at the back post. Four minutes later Coventry had a fifth with Torp given space just inside the area to fire a low shot in off the left post to seal their first win at Derby in 11 matches.
Coventry make three changes to their starting line-up after the 3-0 win at Swansea a fortnight ago. Romain Esse, Liam Kitching and Josh Eccles come in for Ephron Mason-Clark, who drops to the bench, and Joel Latibeaudiere and Brandon Thomas-Asante, who miss out altogether (the former rested, the latter hamstrung).
Derby also make three changes, following the 1-0 win over Birmingham City two weeks back. David Ozoh, Carlton Morris and Jaydon Banel come in for Patrick Agyemang, who drops to the bench, and the injured pair of Sammie Szmodics and Rhian Brewster.
The teams
Coventry City: Rushworth, van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva, Grimes, Onyeka, Sakamoto, Eccles, Esse, Simms.
Subs: Wilson, Rudoni, Mason-Clark, Wright, Kesler-Hayden, Bidwell, Markelo, Woolfenden, Overgaard.
Derby County: O’Donnell, Ward, Sanderson, Clarke, Murkin, Banel, Travis, Clark, Brereton Diaz, Morris, Ozoh.
Subs: Forsyth, Batth, Agyemang, Liam Thompson, Fraulo, Gordon, Allen, Smith, Price.
Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire).
Preamble
Today’s earlier results in the Championship didn’t go too badly for Coventry City. Millwall won 2-1 at Middlesbrough, while Hull City were held 1-1 at Oxford United, and so …
… Frank Lampard’s side have the opportunity to extend a lead that stood this morning at nine points to an extremely comfortable 11. They’d then require just eight points from their remaining six fixtures to guarantee Premier League membership next season.
But this is no gimme. Derby blow hot and cold – they’ve won six and lost four of their previous ten in the Championship – but four of those victories have come in the last five. A campaign that started with the Rams flapping around the lower reaches has picked up some serious momentum, and a play-off finish is now very much within reach. So both of these famous midlands clubs have plenty to play for tonight. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
A 44-year-old man is in custody over the incident where a woman appeared to be shoved into the path of a bus.
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World Cup 2026: Fifa urged to remove official over hand gesture; teams hit back at Ceferin; Iran arrive in US – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
More now on the hand gesture story mentioned earlier. Fifa’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup has called for a video assistant referee to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign.
“Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,” the Fare network, a longtime partner of Fifa and Uefa, the European football governing body, to monitor racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international games, said in a statement. “Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,” Fare said in a statement, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”
Kick-off times are more friendly for the UK viewer today. Spain v Cape Verdi at 5pm and Belgium v Egypt at 8pm. But we need to think globally so that’s 3pm for Cape Verdi viewers cheering on their team while in Egypt it’ll be 10pm for those tuning in to see if Mo Salah can inspire his team to victory over the Belgians.
The biggest test for the UK viewer today is Iran v New Zealand at 2am BST. In Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch that’ll be 1pm while in Tehran, Mashhad and Karaj it’s a less palatable 4.30am.
Thanks Sarah. As for World Cup songs, this one from the German 1990 squad always sticks in my mind. While England took the genre to a new level with New Order and John Barnes’ rap, the Germans very much went down the traditional route. A singer that looks like a cross between Chris de Burgh and Thomas Muller, Karl-Heinz Riedle on maracas, one or two playing air saxophone. Pleasingly dreadful.
I am off to grab some food and so I leave you in the hands of Dave Tindall who will take you through the next few hours of news. I’ll be back later on.
From requests of your favourite football songs to another on if you live in a World Cup host city. We want to hear from you if you have football teams in town from the atmosphere to how it is affecting business. Use the form on this page to get in touch:
We have another shout for the best/worst football song and I can’t decide which side of the forward slash this one belongs on. Graeme Neill said:
Timely given yesterday evening’s match. Japan’s Cornelius and his utterly bonkers Ball in Kick Off is worth a listen:
France will kick-off their tournament against Senegal on Tuesday and to say they have attacking quality is an understatement. The team boasts players like the captain, Kylian Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Cherki but they all have a role to play, according to Adrien Rabiot. Read more:
Jacob Steinberg
The cat is well truly out of the bag. Nobody expected the conversation to be quite so revealing when Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers sat on the Lions’ Den sofa last week. Content controlled by the Football Association was an unlikely place for Bellingham to drop a few truth bombs, but the England midfielder was not minded to hold back when it was time to discuss his experience at Euro 2024.
“It didn’t feel like there was any kind of hierarchy,” the 22-year-old said. “I think at the Euros we got some things a little bit wrong off the pitch. I don’t feel like the group connected as well as it could have – for a number of reasons.”
Read more:
Fifa urged to remove official over hand gesture
Fifa have been urged to remove a video review official who appeared to make a white supremacy hand gesture during Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao.
The governing body’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup called for Shaun Evans from Australia to be removed from the tournament.
The gesture was also spotted by several fans who posted about it on social media.
“Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,” the Fare network said.
Fifa are yet to comment on the situation.
There have been some sights at the World Cup but Scotland fans taking over Fenway Park is one that has been one of the most surreal. The Boston Red Sox lost 6-4 to the Texas Rangers but Scotland fans stayed long after the game was over singing “super John McGinn” and during the match there was a rendition of “yes sir, I can boogie”.
Anil Patel has emailed:
This absolute banger wasn’t attached to any particular team but is one of the best themes out there.
This is a great shout and a fun fact for you about it, it was initially written to be a baseball anthem. Some baseball news coming your way soon…
If anyone is unsure of the song I referenced, here it is:
Football songs can be iconic or occasionally cringey, that one with Dizzee Rascal and James Cordon comes to mind for the latter for me. What are your best/worst anthems for a major tournament? Get in touch and let me know.
England may have banished some penalty shootout demons in the last few major tournaments but the question of who would step up to take one is one that will always be asked. One such player who said he would take on is Eberechi Eze, despite missing one in the Champions League final. Have a read of what he said:
There will be many questions raised at this World Cup. Who will win the trophy? Who will claim the Golden Boot? What will the next standout moment be? But there is another question that has been answered in the following piece: Where have the WAGs gone?
Matt Hughes
Fox will not face any punishment from Fifa for breaking the governing body’s advertising rules during the opening game of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa last week.
The US broadcaster broke Fifa’s strict guidelines for showing commercials during hydration breaks on the first occasion they were in operation by returning to the live action 10 seconds after play had resumed during the second half at Mexico City Stadium.
Fifa’s tournament regulations, which were given to all rights holders two months ago, state that while broadcasters can show ads during hydration breaks they must return to the match 30 seconds before play resumes.
Read more:
Sometimes a team needs a player to have some standout performances to jump start a tournament and Jordan Henderson believes that player for England will be Jude Bellingham. Henderson said:
I’m sure he will have a big impact for us in this tournament. I can remember five years ago I gave him his first cap, it was away at Middlesbrough. How much he’s grown, as a player and as a person since then, is incredible really. I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training, and the way he was.
I think everybody forgets how young he is. We do rondos and it’s the youngest in, and there’s people that I think should be going in before him, but he’s always one of the first in the middle to go in. It just reminds us how young he is. I honestly couldn’t speak highly enough of him.
Read more:
The travel at this tournament has grabbed more than a few headlines so far and there is another one pertaining to Australia. The Socceroos beat Turkey 2-0 in their opening game with their second against one of the co-hosts, the US, on Friday. Their focus will be on that game but recovery is also high on their list. Read more here:
There have already been so many historic moments at this tournament, including Scotland’s first World Cup win in 36 years. Mo Salah is hoping to replicate the moment and end Egypt’s long wait of 92 years for a victory at the tournament. The team have their first game against Belgium today to try and make history:
Spain, who start their campaign today against Cabo Verde, are among the favourites to win the World Cup after their European Championship success in 2024. Here’s a piece on how the team are embracing the tag and how they are using one trophy-winning tournament to potentially lift another:
Uruguay will take on Saudia Arabia later today but their travel was delayed amid challenges across the tournament.
The team’s initial flight from Mexico was cancelled with their replacment delayed. The Uruguay captain, José María Giménez, described the situation as “difficult”.
Read more:
There are more games to be played today with another four in store. The details for those kick-off times and match-ups are below but do get in touch to let me know what your World Cup routine is. Are you having to get up early to watch the games? Or are you in a time zone where you can get home from work and watch back-to-back football until it’s time for bed? Email me and let me know, here are today’s fixtures:
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Spain v Cabo Verde (5pm BST, 12pm ET, 9am PT)
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Belgium v Egypt (8pm BST, 3pm ET, 12pm PT)
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Saudi Arabia v Uruguay (11pm BST, 6pm ET, 3pm PT)
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Iran v New Zealand (2am BST, 9pm ET, 6pm PT)
So what happened in the matches yesterday? Four took place with the biggest win coming in Germany’s 7-1 dismantling of Curaçao. The island nation will be disappointed with the result but they also made history as they scored their first-ever World Cup goal. That came from Livano Comenencia, who plays his club football for Zürich. Have a read of that report and others for all the latest action on pitch:
Čeferin criticised for ‘uninteresting’ comment
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin was criticised by multiple nations from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean after reportedly saying the expanded World Cup creates “uninteresting” matches.
According to Zurnal 24, the boss said at a conference last Monday: “We have a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting.”
The associations of Cape Verde, Congo, Curaçao, Haiti, Jordan and Uzbekistan released a joint statement, which was in solidarity with the federations of Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
It said: “Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,” the statement said. “For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime.”
Ben Fisher
The Iran striker Mehdi Taremi has said the controversy and disruption surrounding their involvement at the World Cup undermines Fifa’s message of peace and conceded he felt the tension before arriving in Los Angeles on the eve of their opener, hours before a peace deal was announced. For the first time since the competition’s inception, a host nation has received a country with which it is at war.
On Sunday Iran flew to LA from Tijuana, Mexico, where they were relocated amid an ongoing row over visas, but are expected to face opposition from Iranians, many of whom believe the national team do not represent the country. Iran has been beset by problems in the buildup to the tournament, with several officials denied entry to the US.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to today’s World Cup news blog where we bring you the latest updates from the global event being hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Any breaking news, team updates or reflections on what has happened so far will be all here for you to feast on, no matter what you are doing with your Monday.
Please do get in touch too, we always like to hear from readers. Potentially on the best underdog story at the World Cup or any quirky predictions you may have for the tournament.
Amongst several stories surrounding the competition today is Iran’s arrival in the US. The team landed on Sunday before they take on New Zealand.
More details on that story will be with you shortly, as well as the reports from the games that took place yesterday to catch up on all the latest action.
The man said his home has been targeted three times in the last five months.
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