Coventry 3-1 Sunderland: Sakamoto, Awoniyi and Rudoni Lift Lampard's Side Out of the Relegation Zone

Coventry City climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone on Saturday with a 3-1 home win over bottom side Sunderland. Japan winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored his first Premier League goal, and Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni added the others before half-time and just after. Enzo Le Fée's penalty was Sunderland's first league goal since 20 September. It was not enough to stop Régis Le Bris' team staying bottom.

Sakamoto sets the tone

Frank Lampard made four changes after the defeat at Fulham. Awoniyi and Victor Torp came back into the starting XI, and Yann Gboho made his Coventry debut. The changes worked quickly.

In the 17th minute Sakamoto curled a left-footed shot from the edge of the box into the far corner. It was his first goal in the Premier League, and an early lift for a club that came up from the Championship last season.

Coventry's second goal came from pressing. In the 36th minute Awoniyi took the ball off Luke O'Nien, drove into the box and beat goalkeeper Robin Roefs with the help of a deflection. It was the former Nottingham Forest striker's first league goal since he joined Coventry in the summer.

Rudoni puts it beyond reach

Seven minutes after the break, Rudoni made it 3-0. Torp set him up, and his shot from the edge of the area deflected off Omar Alderete and past Roefs. It was Rudoni's third goal of the season.

Sunderland got one back in the 67th minute. VAR judged that Ethan Pinnock had handled in the box, and Le Fée scored the penalty. Brian Brobbey shot wide and Chemsdine Talbi missed a good chance, so the visitors never got close to a comeback. Sunderland's afternoon got worse in the ninth minute of stoppage time, when Alderete was sent off for a second yellow card.

The scoreline flattered Coventry slightly. Sky Sports noted that with the penalty taken out, Sunderland's expected goals were 0.80 and Coventry's 0.71. Coventry still took their chances far better.

Two clubs heading in opposite directions

This was Coventry's third league win of the season. It took them out of the bottom three and above Manchester United in the table. Lampard said the performance was "really good" and praised how his players managed the closing stages.

Sunderland stay bottom and their scoring problem continues. Le Bris did not hide from it after the game. "Consistency is the key word in this league," the Frenchman said. He added that his team's current level of consistency is not acceptable in the top flight.

What's next

Coventry travel to Everton on Friday night, kicking off at 8pm UK time (4am Saturday in Malaysia). Centre-back Bobby Thomas is expected to be available again. Everton go into that game after beating Newcastle 1-0 on Monday.

Key takeaways

• Coventry beat Sunderland 3-1 on Saturday 31 October, through Sakamoto (17'), Awoniyi (36') and Rudoni (52').
• Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored his first Premier League goal, a curler from the edge of the box.
• The win was Coventry's third of the season. It took them out of the relegation zone and above Manchester United.
• Sunderland stay bottom. Le Fée's penalty was their first league goal since 20 September, and Omar Alderete was sent off late.

FAQ

Who scored in Coventry vs Sunderland? Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni scored for Coventry. Enzo Le Fée scored a 67th-minute penalty for Sunderland.

Is Coventry City out of the Premier League relegation zone? Yes. The 3-1 win, their third of the season, lifted Coventry out of the bottom three and above Manchester United.

When do Coventry play next? Coventry visit Everton on Friday 6 November at 8pm UK time, which is 4am on Saturday 7 November in Malaysia.

Sources: Sky Sports, VAVEL, ESPN, NBC Sports