Having already provided the lowdown on Coventry City’s head coach, Frank Lampard, our ‘Promoted’ series will now check out their defence.
In this article, there’s an assessment of the Sky Blues’ Fantasy Premier League (FPL) clean sheet potential, then a look at their key defensive options.
To provide a fan’s perspective, we’ve included insights from Coventry supporter Lenny, who is a long-time user of the site.
WHAT IS COVENTRY’S CLEAN SHEET POTENTIAL?
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | CS | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall record | 46 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 97 | 45 | +52 | 17 | 95 |
| Home | 23 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 51 | 19 | +32 | 8 | 55 |
| Away | 23 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 46 | 26 | +20 | 9 | 40 |
The Championship winners finished on 95 points and let in the division’s fewest goals (45), despite ranking only fifth for expected goals conceded (xGC, 50.2) and preventing shots on target (168).
Additionally, they were joint-sixth for denying opposition shots (537).
So, of the promoted trio, perhaps Ipswich Town are slightly better from a defensive perspective:
| Team | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Expected goals conceded (xGC) | Shots conceded per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry City | 45 | 17 | 50.2 | 11.6 |
| Ipswich Town | 47 | 17 | 46.6 | 10.5 |
| Hull City | 66 | 11 | 80.1 | 14.8 |
After an opening clean sheet, they conceded seven goals in the next four, right before five successive shut-outs. That preceded one clean sheet in 10.
Lampard’s lot were particularly resolute in February and early March, allowing just three goals in seven matches.
However, they didn’t end with either the best home (Ipswich) or away (Millwall) record for restricting goals.
THE PLAYERS
2025/26: APPS, GOALS AND ASSISTS
| Player | Primary position in 2025/26 | Starts (sub apps) | Mins | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan van Ewijk | RB | 43 (1) | 3,784 | 0 | 8 |
| Jay Dasilva | LB | 41 (1) | 3,552 | 0 | 3 |
| Liam Kitching | CB | 37 (1) | 3,339 | 2 | 0 |
| Bobby Thomas | CB | 33 (0) | 2,924 | 3 | 4 |
| Joel Latibeaudiere | CB | 15 (0) | 1,275 | 0 | 1 |
| Luke Woolfenden | CB | 11 (6) | 1,072 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaine Kesler-Hayden | RB | 5 (17) | 585 | 2 | 1 |
| Jake Bidwell | LB | 3 (8) | 425 | 0 | 1 |
| Miguel Brau | LB | 1 (8) | 196 | 0 | 0 |
DEFENDERS
Like at Ipswich and Hull City, all their FPL defenders are priced at exactly £4.0m. Therefore, managers need to figure out who is nailed-on to start, offer an attacking threat and is the likeliest to collect the most defensive contribution (DefCon) rewards.
“He played with five at the back once or twice last year and, while winning games with ten minutes to go, would take off an attacker and put on Woolfenden to deal with the opposition pumping in high balls. But 4-2-3-1 is his go-to formation.” – Lenny
GOAL THREAT
A target at set-pieces, Bobby Thomas registered three goals last season.
Liam Kitching actually beat him for attempts (43 v 37), shots on target (13 v 12) and expected goals (xG, 4.6 v 2.9) but played more minutes because Thomas’ stop-start campaign included recurring calf niggles + a bout of illness.
Also, the likelier-to-start Thomas scored five times in 2024/25.
“His style of play is very attacking, and the aim is to give the ball to the two wingers as quickly as possible. Both full-backs go forward, and one gets into the box when the other crosses the ball.” – Lenny on Frank Lampard
As for the others, full-backs Milan van Ewijk and Jay Dasilva could only put one shot on target, combining for a low 1.7 xG.
And new £17 million signing Aurèle Amenda? He’s yet to net a senior competitive goal.
ASSIST POTENTIAL
| SHOTS | ON TARGET | XG | CHANCES CREATED | BIG CHANCES CREATED | DEFCON PER 90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van Ewijk | 23 | 1 | 1.1 | 46 | 10 | 6.42 |
| Thomas | 27 | 12 | 2.9 | 28 | 5 | 8.56 |
| Kitching | 43 | 13 | 4.6 | 19 | 2 | 8.90 |
| Dasilva | 15 | 1 | 0.6 | 48 | 5 | 5.12 |
Helped by his speciality of taking long throws, van Ewijk was the Championship’s second-best defender for assists (eight) and set up the most big efforts (10) from this Coventry four.
Left-sided Dasilva pipped him for creating chances (48 v 46), and Thomas sat in between them with four assists.
“I think we will score some goals from van Ewijk’s throw-ins but, for someone with so much pace, his crossing lets him down. I would probably go for him against Hull, as I don’t think DefCon points will come into it, should the opponents sit deep like last year.” – Lenny
DEFCON POTENTIAL
None of last season’s main four averaged nine or more DefCon actions per 90 (above), though it’s worth taking into account that, this time, they won’t be the league’s dominant team. That should add some more clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles.
Back-ups Luke Woolfenden (9.48), Kaine Kesler-Hayden (8.60) and Joel Latibeaudiere (7.98) did well but from much fewer minutes.
Amenda didn’t become a Frankfurt regular until the latter months of 2025/26, averaging 8.97 actions per 90.
Interestingly, in the recent friendly versus Monaco, both Thomas (14) and van Ewijk (10) reached the DefCon threshold.
GOALKEEPERS
Meanwhile, between the sticks, there’s no dispute about who Coventry’s number one is: £22 million arrival Carl Rushworth (£4.5m).
A loanee last time, Rushworth played all 46 matches, ranking fifth for saves (121) and third for save percentage (73.2%). That bodes well for FPL, where three stops in a match gain an extra point. And tweaks to the rules give goalkeepers a better shot at receiving bonuses.
His 17 clean sheets won the second-tier’s Golden Glove, as Millwall’s 18 were split between three people.
“Rushworth is the best keeper I have seen at the club (including Ogrizovic, Blyth, Hedman and Kirkland), while van Ewijk has so much pace. If you get past him, he recovers. Because Sakomoto defends so well on the right, we are strong down there.
“On the left-hand side, Dasilva is in between a winger and a defender. We were forever saying that yet another goal came from our left side.” – Lenny
FINAL WORD
Taking the final friendly against Monaco into account – featuring a promising clean sheet – it looks like Rushworth and chief chance creator van Ewijk are the most nailed-on ways to cover Coventry’s backline.
Goal-threat Thomas is almost at that level, and it’ll likely be him and Amenda in Gameweek 1. Left-back Dasilva doesn’t currently have serious competition, but Lenny thinks another will eventually be bought.
“Kitching and Dasilva will be replaced. We are looking at left-backs and a left-sided centre back – hopefully one who is quick.” – Lenny
Considering that a portion of FPL managers are basing a Gameweek 2 Bench Boost around the Sky Blues’ hosting of Hull, this is all good to know.
