Coventry City star is EFL Championship’s worst in one area - it’s scary where Frank Lampard’s side could be | OneFootball

Haji Wright sits joint-top of the Championship's big chances missed table despite being the division's top scorer

Coventry City striker Haji Wright sits joint-top of the Championship's big chances missed table with six squandered opportunities, despite being the division's leading scorer with eight goals.

The 27-year-old American shares the unwanted record with Birmingham City's Kyogo Furuhashi - but Wright's clinical finishing in other scenarios has helped propel Frank Lampard's side to the top of the table after nine games.

Coventry’s remarkable start to the 25/26 campaign has seen them score 27 goals in the league, creating a 12-goal gap between themselves and the second-highest scoring teams in the division, Bristol City and Ipswich Town, who have 15 each.

So, there’s no denying that Wright’s prowess in front of goal has been key to their early success, yet the stat highlighting his big chances missed reveals just how dominant the Sky Blues could become.

Haji Wright's missed chances show Coventry City's frightening potential under Frank Lampard

As per a tweet from the Second Tier Podcast, Wright has missed six big chances so far this season, matching Birmingham's Kyogo at the top of this particular table.

However, the crucial difference lies in their respective goal tallies - while Furuhashi has yet to score, Wright has the most in the Championship with eight, as previously mentioned.

The stat is particularly striking when considering Coventry's position at the top of the table.

Lampard's side have accumulated 19 points from their opening nine fixtures, remaining unbeaten with five wins and four draws while conceding just seven goals.

Their goal difference of plus-20 dwarfs that of their nearest rivals, with second-placed Middlesbrough managing a significantly more modest plus-six. Coventry also have the most clean sheets in the division so far, with five.

With all this in mind, Wright himself spoke after his recent international performance against Australia, saying, "I'm not confined to the No. 9 role as a standard striker. I have the freedom to move and flow.​​"

Name-dropping both Mauricio Pochettino - who manages the USA - and Lampard as ones "allowing me to be expressive in the field," it shows how Lampard has been pivotal to Wright's development this season.

These words came after Wright scored twice for the United States in a 2-1 win over the Socceroos, which could help his chances of going to next year's World Cup.

Coventry City could run away with the Championship title thanks to Haji Wright

Coventry's early-season dominance has established them as genuine title contenders, and to nobody's surprise, their attacking output could prove the decisive factor over 46 games.

The Sky Blues' current scoring rate of three goals per 90 minutes would theoretically result in 138 goals over a full season, though such a rate is unlikely to be sustained.​ The EFL record is 134, which has been held by Peterborough United since their Division Four season in 1960/61.

Given Coventry's xG (expected goals) of 22.4 isn’t miles away from their actual goals scored - Lampard may well keep his squad scoring loads consistently throughout the season.

Additionally, if Wright can maintain his current scoring rate while burying some of those ‘big chances’ he does miss, Coventry’s goal tally could reach unprecedented levels for the Championship.

In truth, Lampard's side have already shown they’re not messing about this season with some big victories - including a 7-1 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers, a 4-0 win at Millwall, and a 5-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

These results show not just their quality up top, but also their ability to maintain the intensity of it throughout matches.

With Wright leading the line and missing big chances while still topping the scoring charts, the frightening reality for other Championship defences is that this Coventry side may only be getting started.