Frank Lampard is facing new Coventry City issue - Ipswich Town may be licking their lips | OneFootball

Coventry City are on their worst run since Frank Lampard came to the club, is there position at the top of the Championship at risk?

Coventry City return to Championship action this weekend, as Frank Lampard's side look to hit back in the second tier following their FA Cup third round exit at the hands of Stoke City.

The Sky Blues were beaten 1-0 on Saturday afternoon, as Lamine Cisse struck home a terrific volley for the Potters at the bet365 Stadium to send the Staffordshire outfit through to the next round of the competition, where they will face Premier League side Fulham at home.

While the main focus for Coventry remains the league and winning promotion to the top flight, there is a problem emerging at the CBS Arena that their head coach has not faced so far since arriving at the West Midlands club back in November 2024.

After signing a two-and-a-half year deal when appointed, Lampard is now experiencing his worst run in charge of Coventry, and while their early season form saw them take a commanding lead at the very top of the division, there is now pressure mounting from behind. With the M69 derby on the horizon, the Sky Blues desperately need to get themselves back to their very best, and Ipswich Town are slowly closing in on the league leaders.

Coventry City will be feeling the pressure of Ipswich Town

Coventry have led the way in the Championship since October, and their goal-scoring record has been sensational. They have found the back of the net 57 times in the league so far, conceding only 29 times. A 7-1 victory over QPR was the greatest example of their powers, while they have scored five goals in a game against Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County.

However, in recent weeks, Lampard's side have found it more difficult to unlock defences at the same rate as they were doing so at the start of the campaign, and this has allowed the rest of the division to close in on the second tier's top side.

Coventry have won just two of their last eight games in the league, with their defeat against Stoke in the FA Cup making it just two victories in nine in all competitions, marking City's worst run across such a time period since Lampard's appointment in November 2024.

Ipswich became the first side in the division to complete the double over the Sky Blues, beating the West Midlands outfit 5-0 on aggregate over the course of their two clashes in December.

While the Tractor Boys started the season poorly, their class has finally started to show, and over the course of the last 12 games, no other side has picked up more points in the Championship than Kieran McKenna's side.

Ipswich, who are currently third in the table, are just six points behind Coventry with a game in hand. Middlesbrough, who sit second, had a tough festive period, but they also have the capacity to put further pressure on the leaders in the coming weeks.

Frank Lampard has to find a way to stop Coventry City's rut

Lampard has been excellent ever since taking charge at the CBS Arena, taking the team from the threat of relegation in the autumn of 2024 to the very top of the Championship a year later.

However, this is the worst run of his time in CV6 and with a number of teams closing that gap to the Sky Blues, the former Chelsea boss will be feeling some pressure.

Nevertheless, their clash against Leicester City this weekend offers Coventry the chance to reverse this rut and start a new run of momentum as the Championship prepares for the run-in.

Back-to-back home games in the league gives the Sky Blues a fantastic opportunity to show the rest of the division why they are top of the table, but one slip up may just allow Ipswich their chance to pounce.