Coventry City

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Manchester City have responded to the Premier League's confirmation that the club has been found guilty of breaching 115 financial rules.

City have until Friday to appeal the decision but in a statement said: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.

"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.

"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.

"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.

"The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."

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Manchester City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of its commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, the Premier League says.

The League confirmed that City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

An independent commission found that, during that time period, the club arranged the "sham contracts" as well as "relying on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs".

The club continues to deny any wrongdoing and has until Friday to appeal.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

"It also vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

"It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.

"This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission's decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans."

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Unbelievably, sensible and well-informed people are seriously discussing Manchester City getting a huge points deduction or being demoted or kicked out of the English leagues completely.

‌There is also reasonable talk about them being sued by just about every other major club in the domestic game, and a few beyond that. That is before you get to the concept of titles being stripped and trophies retrospectively re-awarded to others.

There is still an appeal to be heard, but they have been found guilty already. Serious consequences must be considered. Following the draconian punishments handed to Everton and Nottingham Forest, among others, City might find they don't just have the book thrown at them, it is the entire British Library lobbed in their general direction.

Those other clubs cooperated in the process. City have faced more charges and they involve larger sums and over a longer time period. In short, things are not looking good for the club that dominated English football for almost a decade.

This may be the biggest story in the Premier League's history and it is going to run and run.

Other serious considerations will follow hard on the heels of the Blues' dilemmas – specifically what long-term effects will this have on the Premier League? They will not all be good ones.

Some reasonably argue that the financial rules City have been found to have broken shouldn't have been put there in the first place. They were brought in to safeguard the financial security of the clubs and the league, but try telling that to many City, Everton and Nottingham Forest fans just now.

Newcastle and Aston Villa have plenty of financial backing, but these rules have hurt their ability to grow and stay competitive with the legacy clubs. This all feels unfair if you are a supporter of those two.

The money that will now be frittered away by the English game on lawyers and legal fees is eye-watering, and it will grow exponentially as the litigation increases.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

BBC CWR's Will Oelrich is joined by fans Ben Taylor and Ben Wise as they discuss all things Coventry City.

There's debate on Carl Rushworth, discussion on whether alcohol should be allowed in stadiums and plenty on the Premier League season so far.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Coventry City page to get all Sky Blues audio content.

In the final part of our special Q&A, BBC CWR Coventry City reporter Will Oelrich discusses this season's aim and if there's any scope for the Coventry Building Society Arena to have a capacity increase in the future.

Darren asked: Other than just saying "survival", how many points are Coventry aiming to achieve this season? What's the target?

Will: I think Coventry City's objective this campaign is pretty straightforward - stay in the Premier League.

Whether survival is secured comfortably with games to spare or goes right down to the final day, everyone connected with the club would take a 17th-place finish or higher if it guarantees another season in the top flight.

Of course, conversations around targets will have taken place between chairman Doug King and Frank Lampard before the campaign, but the overriding aim remains the same. Establishing Coventry City as a Premier League club is the priority, and maintaining their status in the division is far more important than a specific points tally or league position.

If the Sky Blues can achieve survival this term, it would represent another significant step in the club's journey and provide a platform to build on in future years.

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Dennis asked: If required could the capacity of the CBS Arena be increased?

Will: It's difficult to say with any certainty, but my feeling would be that a stadium expansion is unlikely in the short term because of the way the CBS Arena is currently designed.

Any significant increase in capacity could require major redevelopment work, which would bring both logistical and financial challenges. From the outside, it does not appear to be a straightforward project.

That said, if Coventry City continue to sell out home matches and establish themselves in the Premier League, it's certainly a conversation that could gather momentum.

Chairman Doug King has made no secret of his ambitions for the club, and if attendances remain high over a prolonged period, I'm sure all options would be considered. At the moment, though, the focus is likely to be on cementing Coventry City's place in the Premier League rather than pursuing any major redevelopment of the stadium.

Find the first part of the special Q&A on the Coventry page

Listen to Sky Blues Fancast Live every Monday and Friday at 18:00 and subscribe to the Coventry City page on BBC Sounds

We asked you to send in your questions for BBC CWR Coventry reporter Will Oelrich to answer. In the first part of a special Q&A, he addresses Haji Wright's contract and working on player combinations in the extended international break.

Richard asked: Is there any more clarity on when we will see Haji Wright back and what his contract situation is?

Will: Haji Wright is currently expected to return by the end of October, provided there are no setbacks in his recovery, and he would undoubtedly give Coventry City an extra attacking option heading into a busy period of the season.

As things stand, Wright's contract is due to expire in the summer of 2027, meaning he will soon be coming to the end of his Coventry City contract. That inevitably raises questions about his long-term future at the club.

Coventry may face a decision over whether to pursue a contract extension or consider offers in the transfer market, particularly as clubs are often reluctant to risk losing valuable assets for nothing. With Taiwo Awoniyi and Sidiki Cherif arriving this summer, there is already increased competition in the forward areas.

While it would be no surprise if interest emerged in Wright during the January transfer window, his immediate focus will be on regaining full fitness and getting back up to match-speed after his injury lay-off. Should he return as expected, the Sky Blues could benefit from having his experience and quality available during November and December before any decisions are made about his future.

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Ian asked: I have heard that we will have only one behind-closed-doors friendly match during the international break. My question is, given the number of new players, will this be enough to assess all the potentially different combinations of formations?

Will: The international break should provide a valuable opportunity for Coventry City to work on different formations, refine their shape and strengthen relationships across the team. While eight players are away on international duty, many of them are regular starters, which inevitably limits how much work Frank Lampard can do with his full squad in the short term.

However, once those players return, there will be plenty of time to put those ideas into practice. The behind-closed-doors fixture - scheduled a week before the trip to Newcastle United on 12 October - comes at an ideal time and should give Lampard a chance to work with a near full-strength group.

It will also be an important opportunity for players returning from injury to build fitness and sharpness. With a rare large period on the training ground, Lampard is likely to use the break to ensure his squad is as prepared as possible for the challenges ahead.

Keep across this page for part two of Monday's Q&A, which will look at this seasons aim and the Coventry Building Society Arena capacity.

Coventry City have three points from the opening five games of the 2026-27 Premier League season and sit 18th in the table.

The Sky Blues had a tricky start to the season, but went into the international break on a high after earning their first points of the campaign at Nottingham Forest as Jay Dasilva also scored their first top-flight goal in over 25 years.

Head coach Frank Lampard has shown he is willing to adapt his gameplan and structure each match, switching to a back five, as well starting different attacking partnerships.

There is lots to discuss, so BBC CWR reporter Will Oelrich will be on hand to answer a selection of your questions next week.

What do you want to know about the Sky Blues right now?

Get in touch with your question here

Listen to Sky Blues Fancast Live every Monday and Friday at 18:00 and subscribe to the Coventry City page on BBC Sounds

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We asked you to rate Coventry City's start to the 2026-27 season and to tell us what Frank Lampard should be concentrating on in the extended three-week break.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: It has been deceptively positive. Other than a difficult period with 10 men against Brighton, we've looked competitive and relatively solid at the back. We just need the rub of the green a bit more, like in the Nottingham Forest game. If the wind blows our way, we stand a chance of staying in this division.

Simon: It's an awful start. You can't lose to Hull City! The rest were against better sides though, but our defence has been too leaky. The new signings haven't really settled in yet and they haven't shown much to me. Aurele Amenda looks good, Ethan Pinnock is growing into the team, Caleb Yirenkyi shows flashes - but the rest haven't been anywhere near the level. We could have done with more proper Premier League experience, but hopefully the Forest win will be a massive boost for all.

Steve: We're pretty much where I thought we would be, although the one win being against Forest rather than Hull was not expected. I've read comments suggesting Lampard needs to settle on a regular starting XI, but I disagree. His bigger priority is a match-to-match strategy, beginning with Newcastle, utilising the whole squad.

Jack: I'm cautiously optimistic. The first few defeats were hard, but I was delighted with the spirit shown against Forest. Our October fixtures also look better than the ones we started the season with. I'm loving how Jay Dasilva and Bobby Thomas have taken to the Premier League. I'm positive again after a tough few weeks!

As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League.

Saturday's win over Nottingham Forest was Coventry's first top-flight win for 25 years and gave a much-needed boost going into the extended international break.

Frank Lampard's side are now off the bottom of the table - only sitting in 17th on goal difference - and can look forward with optimism now their first points are on the board.

How do you rate the Sky Blues' start to the season and why? And what should Lampard be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here

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European football commentator Kevin Hatchard says Coventry would be in "a very different scenario" going into the extended international break had they not secured their first win of the season by beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Saturday.

It was the Sky Blues' first goal and win in the Premier League since 2001 and ensured Frank Lampard's side moved off the bottom of the table.

"The win at Forest is enormous because to go into that international break on a high is really important," Hatchard told BBC CWR.

"It's a really long international break and, as Lampard said, you can't train all the time - but there is a lot of time to reflect and think about previous results.

"If that had been a defeat it would have been Coventry really struggling at the foot of the table and it would have been a very different scenario.

"The Premier League is so tough. Every team now has a pretty extensive budget. It has been a tough start, it was always going to be, but I think that Forest win is enormous for the self-belief.

"Coventry are a brilliant attacking team but that leap to the Premier League is tough because defences are quicker and stronger - it is so much harder to score goals.

"That would be my concern when it comes to Coventry. They have good attacking players but can they perform at the top level?

"That is part of the puzzle for Lampard over the break. How can they be more dangerous and clinical?"

Listen to the full episode by hitting the play button below or on BBC Sounds.

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Former Coventry City goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic says it was "brave" to play Brandon Thomas-Asante as the number nine on Saturday against Nottingham Forest - but it was a decision that paid off for manager Frank Lampard.

Ghana striker Thomas-Asante got the nod ahead of Ellis Simms and summer signing Sidiki Cherif as Lampard opted to shake-up his attacking line-up.

Thomas-Asante was supported by wingers Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Rudoni, with the trio's regular interchanging of positions leaving Forest players wondering who to mark.

"It was the same with Caleb Yirenkyi as he started off at right-back, but towards the end of the game he was coming into midfield," said Ogrizovic on BBC CWR'S Sky Blues Fancast.

"Lampard said post-match that he didn't have a lot of time to put the team together and work at it on the training pitch, but they were actually very well drilled.

"They weren't caught short at the back either and were very solid defensively.

"It was a brave decision to play Thomas-Asante there because if we had lost, he would have got pelters.

"You need to have athleticism and pace to survive in the Premier League and they did with this team."

Sky Blues fan Stuart added: "One thing Thomas-Asante has got, which probably edged him over Simms and Cherif, is his first touch.

"It's always close control, whereas with Simms it sort of bounces off him.

"Thomas-Assante can swivel and turn on a sixpence, which I think helped us."

Listen to the Sky Blues Fancast on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on whether Coventry City have enough to stay up this season based on the opening five games.

Here are some of your comments:

Paul: I've been a Coventry supporter for 60 year so this past month has been nothing new really! We have faced enormous problems and come through. We are notoriously bad starters, but we have our first win so I believe we can stay up - 17th will be fine with me, but I've bet on a top-six finish.

Steve: Shame about the three-week break coming now. We could have had some real momentum going into the Newcastle match. It's going to be a huge challenge to stay up, but I do think there will be three teams with fewer points than us by end of the season.

Nick: Absolutely no doubt that this squad is good enough to stay in the Premier League once Frank Lampard finds his best formation, although he has also proved that there is sufficient depth to allow strategic changes at key moments. PUSB.

Andy: I think we will have enough to stay up, but it's going to be a long, hard season. We only have to do enough to finish 17th, which may sound easy but we know the reality is that it won't be. Home form will be the key.

Theo: Shows our resilience and consistency in good performances, and unlucky results, has paid off with three points. A bit of confidence in the players will now hopefully give us more momentum to get more points, not just good performances.

Ian: Of course we will stay up. We might need to win our last three games, but we have the easiest closing fixtures after having had the most difficult opening fixtures.

Following the heavy defeat by Brighton earlier this month, former manager Tony Pulis wrote in his BBC Sport column that the way Frank Lampard deals with defeat this season is going to be key to Coventry City.

The Sky Blues had lost all four of their Premier League games at the time of writing, having only lost seven of their 46 games in the Championship in 2025-26.

Pulis said: "Being the leader of a group of young men, you cannot look washed out and empty on a Monday morning after a heavy loss.

"Walking into the training ground in a dark mood and with your head around your backside just does not work, irrespective of what you are feeling inside."

However, Lampard clearly buried his disappointment and rallied his side to go again at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, when a strong team performance earned them a first three points.

Practical leadership coach Jacqui Jagger told BBC CWR: "Those small wins start to build the evidence of what is possible and that plays a huge role in confidence.

"When we expect things to go well then they are more likely to go well.

"There will be a lot to celebrate this week, not just because of the result, but because of the way they were thrilled for Jay Dasilva too."

Hit play above to hear more from Jagger or listen on BBC Sounds here

The latest edition of BBC CWR's Sky Blues Fancast has dropped.

Presenter Will Oelrich and Coventry City legend Steve Ogrizovic, are joined by fans to reflect on the first five games back in the Premier League and the win at Nottingham Forest.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and subscribe to the dedicated Coventry City page to get all Sky Blues audio content.

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Coventry City fan Conna Chahal believed his club "might struggle in this league" after their 5-0 defeat by Brighton on 13 September, but Saturday's hard fought 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest has changed his thinking.

It had been 9,287 days since the Sky Blues last tasted victory in the Premier League, so the result had been a long time coming for the club's loyal supporters.

"Do not underestimate how big that three points is for Coventry City," said Chahal, who provides analysis and reaction videos as part of BBC Sport's Fan Collective. "We have been getting ridiculed for a month now, so it is a huge win.

"There's the goal, there's the three points, there's the clean sheet away from home against a very good Nottingham Forest side as well.

"People thought Frank Lampard was just going to roll over and do the same thing over and over until he got the sack - but he actually made the changes, just like he did last season.

"People might call me delusional, but I still think we have enough to stay up."

Saturday's matchwinner Jay Dasilva also revealed that the main message has been to "keep the belief", despite some pundits - like French football journalist Julien Laurens - casting doubt over Lampard's management in recent weeks.

Do you share the belief that the Sky Blues will have enough to stay up this season? What can Lampard's side achieve this season?

Get in touch with your views here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Coventry City.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

Gary: It hasn't clicked at home for Forest yet but it will soon. Munoz doesn't look, at the moment, like the attacking threat that he was at Crystal Palace, so there's more to come there. Hudson-Odoi's return would be a welcome boost. Then the goals will come.

Andrew: Can Forest play all of their games away this season? And they want to increase the size of the stadium to 52,000. Most fortresses are made of stone or brick. This one is made of straw.

Graham: There will be plenty more of that to come. We are now in 12th, which is about as high as Glasner gets. The tactics are not working and there was no plan B. We were too slow out at the back and showed no fight. Subs were too late - we were losing, and he brought on a defender.

Martin: Lacklustre display by Forest. Too slow in the build-up, passing was way off it and devoid of any ideas going forward. More of this and we will be challenging Tottenham for the bottom spot.

Coventry fans

George: Just what we needed - grit, determination, a moment of quality, and a little luck! Feel-good factor will be back for the next three weeks while training fine-tunes some of the new-look tactics. Can't wait for Newcastle next.

AJ: So proud. Those players have embodied the Sky Blue never-say-die attitude and grabbed a win when everybody had written them off. We'll beat a few more this season that can't match Coventry's heart and desire.

Lee: Unbelievable! For Jay to get our first goal in the top flight since 2001 is incredible! A great display from all the defensive line and congratulations Mfuni for a great Premier League debut.

Stuart: Terrific belief and team effort, with what would not have been the starting XI had things gone differently the previous week. Confidence is key. Goal and a clean sheet is a good day's work.

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Coventry City matchwinner Jay Dasilva has told BBC CWR his goal against Nottingham Forest secured the Sky Blues "a massive win going into the [international] break".

"The boys have been giving me stick for a while so I'm happy to finally score," said the defender.

"Great time to do it, first goal for the club and a nice clean sheet.

"We've had some tough games and tough results, but we've had that feeling and we're getting better each week. Keep the belief - that's been a big message - and show more fight to get the job done.

"If we were coming in now with a different result and knowing it was three weeks until the next game to put it right, it would feel really different - so it was good to keep that win."

Hit play below to hear more from Dasilva or listen on BBC Sounds here

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport journalist

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Hear'Say were top of the pops; a mobile phone game called 'Snake' was all the rage and Tony Blair was Prime Minister.

Wind the clock back to April 2001 and things looked rather different.

It was also the last time Coventry City tasted victory in English football's top flight.

That came courtesy of a 1-0 win over Sunderland - John Hartson heading in the winner for Gordon Strachan's side in front of 20,946 fans at Highfield Road.

Much has happened in the life of Coventry since that moment 9,287 days ago. A rollercoaster journey might be understating it.

They were relegated at the end of the 2000-01 campaign and would spend the next 11 seasons in the second tier before dropping down to League One in 2012.

Then followed a particularly dark and turbulent period in the club's history featuring points deductions and a stint in administration.

Having left Highfield Road in 2005 they became embroiled in a bitter dispute over the Ricoh Arena in 2013 and its rent.

The nadir, arguably, was when they were forced to play matches away from Coventry, at Northampton Town, before later plummeting down to the fourth tier for the first time in 59 years in 2017.

Doubtless there were those packed into the Bridgford Stand at the City Ground on Saturday who were present during those years of Sky Blue hell.

So the explosion of emotion at the full-time whistle - after Jay Dasilva's goal settled matters - felt like Sky Blue heaven.

Coventry had been stranded on 99 Premier League wins for over a quarter of a century before this victory ticked them over to three figures at long last.

Frank Lampard hopes this victory could be a key staging post in a campaign where avoiding relegation will be the main aim.

"It's really important for some of the players," he told BBC Match of the Day.

"For many of them it is their debut in the Premier League, they haven't been here before and they need to feel like they belong and play like that.

"It is easy to point in different directions when you lose but the group's really strong, really together, there'll have a good feeling from this one. But we'll keep our feet on the ground because it is one win, but it was needed for us."

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "The players deserve it. It's really important for some of the players, for many of them it is their debut in the Premier League. They haven't been here before and they need to feel like they belong and play like that. They took on the game plan really well. I am delighted for the players to have that feeling.

"It's not a nice feeling [losing] albeit the Brighton result looks a bit better today after what they've done against Arsenal.

"There are lots of things we can learn and sometimes this year we may take those hits, it's a reality for teams that get to the Premier League. It's important we overcome them in terms of how we take it on board and stay together. It is easy to point in different directions when you lose but the groups really strong, really together, there'll have a good feeling from this one but we'll keep our feet on the ground because it is one win but it was needed for us."

On Jay Dasilva's goal: "He reminded me of Ashley Cole because he scored a few of those. And it was really good. The first touch was outstanding and the finish was outstanding and what a time to do it. He has been brilliant for us."

Listen to Lampard speaking to BBC CWR here

Did you know?

• The last time Coventry won a Premier League game was 16 April 2001, a 1-0 victory at home to Sunderland. John Hartson scored the only goal that day.

• While this was Coventry City's first top-flight win of the season/the last 25 years, it was their 100th Premier League victory overall.