by Bulldog Drummond
Fortunately for the two of us going to the game, Coventry is only about one hour by car away, although I am told it can be a nightmare getting out of the area. So I shall make sure I am fully laden with audio books to keep me going. However we only only expecting a modest crowd, so maybe it will all be ok
As we have noted already, in the match today Coventry are entitled to play their full first team, without age restriction while we have to play our under 21s with just two over age players.
Thus the question arises, how are Coventry’s first team team currently doing in League 1?
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peterborough United | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 | Portsmouth | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 17 |
| 3 | Barnsley | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 15 |
| 5 | Walsall | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | Fleetwood Town | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 7 | Doncaster Rovers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Charlton Athletic | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 11 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 10 | Accrington Stanley | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Luton Town | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 8 |
| 12 | Coventry City | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 8 |
| 13 | AFC Wimbledon | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 8 |
| 14 | Rochdale | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 8 |
So a fairly average form in what we used to call the 3rd division (and of course before that the Third Division (South) – ah those were the days). Two wins two draws three defeats and scoring just five goals in those seven games. Which means a quick three goal burst from the forwards in the first 15 minutes and we can get out of the carpark early.
This is the club’s form so far this season… All games are in League One except the first Oxford game in the league cup.
| Date | Match | Res | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Aug 2018 | Coventry City v Scunthorpe United | L | 1-2 |
| 11 Aug 2018 | AFC Wimbledon v Coventry City | D | 0-0 |
| 14 Aug 2018 | Oxford United v Coventry City (Lg Cup) | L | 2-0 |
| 18 Aug 2018 | Coventry City v Plymouth Argyle | W | 1-0 |
| 21 Aug 2018 | Blackpool v Coventry City | L | 2-0 |
| 25 Aug 2018 | Gillingham v Coventry City | D | 1-1 |
| 01 Sep 2018 | Coventry City v Rochdale | L | 0-1 |
| 09 Sep 2018 | Oxford United v Coventry City | W | 1-2 |
So a home win against Plymouth and an away victory over Oxford with no one scoring more than two goals in any of these games. Indeed Coventry have only scored two goals once in all these games – that in the last match. Or to give another statistic in four of the matches they have failed to score. It might be a good idea for us not to go one down early on, otherwise they might shut up shop, pull down the shutters and place iron railings around the penalty area with a couple of guard dogs on patrol.
The other two teams in our group at Cheltenham (whom we play on 30 October) and Forest Green (playing them on 7 November).
Of course Coventry have spent some time in the top division and so we have played them on a number of occasions. All told we have won 43, they have won 14 and 19 have been drawn. Here’s an early one
In the table below we take a look at the last 17 matches between the two clubs
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 23 Oct 1994 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 21 Jan 1995 | Coventry City v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 26 Aug 1995 | Coventry City v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 03 Feb 1996 | Arsenal v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 19 Oct 1996 | Arsenal v Coventry City | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 21 Apr 1997 | Coventry City v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 11 Aug 1997 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 18 Nov 1997 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 1-0 | League Cup |
| 17 Jan 1998 | Coventry City v Arsenal | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 31 Oct 1998 | Coventry City v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 20 Mar 1999 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 26 Dec 1999 | Coventry City v Arsenal | L | 3-2 | Premier League |
| 26 Mar 2000 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Coventry City v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 26 Sep 2012 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 6-1 | League Cup |
| 24 Jan 2014 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 4-0 | FA Cup |
So that is one defeat in the last 17 on Boxing Day 1999. I believe it was in the very last match that there was a pitch invasion of a horde of one person, who was led available very gently.
But it is interesting how scoring more than two goals by either side didn’t happen until the last six games, wherein Coventry have done it once, we have done it three times in the last five. Let’s hope for more of the same.
This season we have played four under 23 games.
| Date | Comp | Home | Score | Away |
| 11/08/18 | PL2 | Manchester City | 6 – 5 | Arsenal U23 |
| 20/08/18 | PL2 | Arsenal U23 | 1 – 1 | Brighton U23 |
| 24/08/18 | PL2 | West Ham United | 2 – 3 | Arsenal U23 |
| 31/08/18 | PL2 | Arsenal U23 | 2 – 1 | Tottenham U23 |
Two wins, one defeat and one draw. Here is the league table
| # | Club | W | D | L | GD | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester U23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 9 | |
| 2 | Everton U23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | |
| 3 | Chelsea U23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |
| 4 | Arsenal U23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 7 | |
| 5 | Man City U23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 15 | -2 | 7 | |
| 6 | Brighton U23 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | West Ham U23 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 | |
| 8 | Derby U23 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 5 | |
| 9 | Liverpool U23 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 | |
| 10 | Swansea U23 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 2 | |
| 11 | Tottenham U23 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 2 | |
| 12 | Blackburn U23 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 1 | |
As you can see there are some teams that deliver utterly tedious games – Swansea with just four goals from both teams in four games, Everton with six, Chelsea and Liverpool with seven.
Anyway, that is about that. According to the web site only the West Stand at the Ricoh Arena will be open for Coventry fans, with no mention of where Arsenal fans are due to go, so I think we shall sit in the middle if they allow us.
I am a bit confused about the entry prices however which are listed as
Adults & Seniors (60+) – £11
So are people over 60 not adults? If that is the case I think a certain member of the Untold entourage will be having words.
And the news from Coventry is that the manager is “considering making changes to his Coventry City side.” The story is that two strikers who have not been playing will be given a chance: Amadou Bakayoko and Jordy Hiwula, both of whom have slipped down the pecking order in recent weeks.
Bakayoko was a £300,000 summer signing from Walsall and has not yet featured in the first team I am led to believe. The manager said, “I have got to look at it because I have got players who need games, clearly, but I have got to work with some of them.”
“Amadou needs some work and it might be that we work with him on Tuesday and play him on Wednesday, and then look at Thursday and Friday with a view to Barnsley. But he needs some work, needs that understanding of what he needs to play in that position for Coventry.
So there it is. One hour down the motorway, a beer perhaps in the ground, a good bit of what the media like to call banter but what most of us describe as conversation, and a jolly good match, with an easy saunter home afterwards.
What could possibly go wrong?
We’ll be back tomorrow unless any major news breaks this afternoon.
- Coventry v Arsenal Wednesday 12 September – Who is eligible and the possible line up.
- Coventry City v Arsenal – preparing for the cup match on Wednesday
As an exiled North Londoner living in Coventry, I feel I should give a local flavour to this.
I understand Bakayoko was flagged offside more than any other player in the division in the first few games of the season hence his keenness to tweet at Coventry City fans this weekend that he hadn’t once been given offside in the away game at Oxford. Fair play to the man……………and particularly his sense of humour given he sat on the bench for the entire game!!
OT
It’s interesting to see an ariticle on the BBC website about clubs whose attendance figures don’t match with the police and local authority figures.
The first think in the article is a large picture of the Emirates (no other photos of any other stadium mind) and the body of the article also talks about Arsenal. Yet strangely, the evidence they provide does not show Arsenal as one of the offenders.
No anti-Arsenal bias there then.
OT: David Danskin (Dial Square)
Coventry Live is running a story with an Arsenal flavour.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/arsenal-tribute-david-danskin-15114019
OT: David Danskin (Dial Square)
Note: this story is a week old, or so.
Although FootLon has been running a story saying they have the confirmed lineups, they have no lineups. But, apparently Xavier Amaechi picked up a foot injury while on International (car thief) duty, and will not be available.
COYU21G!
Coventry Live has the Coventry Lineup and bench:
I am not seeing an Arsenal U21 lineup yet.
COYU21G!
FootLon has the starting Lineup, but no bench (yet)
COYU21G!
Here we go, from the Arsenal Twit feed:
COYU21G!
Steve Bould, first-team goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and Per Mertesacker are there to watch from Arsenal. Tony Adams is apparently in the away end of the stands.
COYU21G!
Coventry have a shot on net (saved) inside of 11 seconds. Smith Rowe has it in the Coventry net about a minute later! How to go Emile!
COYU21G!
Arsenal take the lead in the fourth minute. Emile Smith Rowe witness an assist from Tyreece John-Jules.
25 minutes gone and still one nil to Arsenal. The text commentary I’ve found is indicating lots of fouls by both teams. Sounds quite disjointed. Joe Willock had a shot saved, corners at both ends but few clear cut chances
I’m following 3 different commentaries Andrew, probably different from yours as well.
At one point, all the commentaries felt the need to say that Arsenal was having a nightmare at the back. I think the reason for this, is because the first team has had some nightmares at the back this season. But I don’t see why this (augmented) U21 team needs to fit the same mould as the first team.
And then the commentaries diverge. One talks about Allassani needing treatment as a result of a tackle, and the feeling I got was that he (the Coventry player) had been the one tackling. And then all the players went for drinks (presumably because they needed them). Another commentary doesn’t say anything about a player needing treatment, it just talks about drinks. And the third commentary says Arsenal’s Olowu was guilty of inflicting something on Allassani, and that there was not really a need for drinks (but they were anyway) because it was a cool night.
But if they want cool, they can come here. We had snow come in last night. 🙂
It would be nice if the commentary was accurate and consistent.
COYU21G!
First half ends and still one nil
10 Arsenal fouls, 8 from Coventry. Two saves at each end
Half time.
COYU21G!
And two fouls against Gord. One for getting the time of Emile’s goal wrong, and the other for not refreshing the page to see that Andrew had already put up a half time flag.
Come on Emile, a hat trick would be nice!
COYU21G!
Second half underway. Arsenal sub – Zelalem on for Olowu
One substitution on the restart, Tobi Omole on for Joseph Olowu. Some commentator says Arsenal has shifted to 4 men at the back with this substitution.
I do the refresh, and different information from Andrew? Probably Andrew is right.
COYU21G!
One source of commentary says that Plezguelo should have had a yellow, and another source says that Ljungberg was badgering the 4th official that it wasn’t close to a yellow (or something like that), something that he had learned from Wenger.
So, the commentary needs to berate the U21 defence, because the first team defence can have problems, and they need to bash Wenger if the opportunity arises.
COYU21G!
Apparently 2375 fans at the game, of which 183 are away fans. And we think 2 of those 183 are Untold’ers.
I am guessing that Burton tackled a Coventry player, got a yellow for his trouble, and needed treatment.
COYU21G!
Sub 2 – Nketiah for Robbie Burton.
COYU21G!
Goal two for Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah on 77 mind five after coming on as a sub
I’m following the Sky live text – no idea if it’s right or not
Late substitution – Saka on for Pleguezuelo following an injury – I hope it’s not serious
And Joe Willock makes sure of the points with a left footed shot high into the goal. Three nil in the 90th minute!
Game over Coventry City 0 Arsenal U21 3
Well done the lads
The twit feed from Arsenal never did comment on the substitution.
Only 1 of 3 commentaries mentioned Pleguezuelo’s substitution.
It sounds like Willock’s goal was skillful and artistic.
Congratulations Gunners!
Some medja article said that we are now second in South Group E, on goal difference (the other “first game” ended 4-0), after 1 game.
Some groups have played 1 game and some have played 2 at this point, so what follows is just trivia. Data from Wikipedia.
There have been 13 games played in the North and 15 in the South. All games require a result. A draw at the end of 90 minutes is decided by penalties.
In the North, Home won 3 times in 90 minutes, and 7 times in penalties. Away won 4 times in 90 minutes, and 1 time in penalties.
Home scored 20 goals in regulation and 22 goals in penalties. Away scored 22 goals in regulation and 16 goals in penalties.
In the South, Home won 7 times in 90 minutes and 2 times in penalties. Away won 4 times in 90 minutes and 2 times in penalties.
Home scored 28 goals in regulation and 16 in penalties. Away scored 18 goals in regulation and 16 in penalties.
It might be interesting to visit some of this data, once this round is done. At this point, I think it is just trivia.
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Speaking of trivia, I think it has been a while since the confusion over mobile versus desktop style sheets (CSS) has happened. So maybe the wizards on north circular lane (or however Tony refers to things) fixed things? Congrats to the wizards! Thank you.
My 9:16pm entry (https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/71099#comment-949298) has this:
The Daily Mail has this in their report:
Daily Mail is wrong! There were not several thousand fans at the game. There were less than 2500 fans, so if you are going to talk thousands of fans, there were only two thousand fans watching. Not several.