A few weeks ago, it seemed the Premier League might be too much for the newly promoted Coventry City.
Having clinched the Championship title last season and earned promotion for the first time since 2001, Frank Lampard’s side received minimal time to adjust to their new environment when the new campaign started in August.
After just one month back in the Premier League, Coventry found themselves at the foot of the table, having lost all four of their opening matches by a combined total of 10 goals.
The 5-0 loss to the high‑flying Brighton further convinced even the most hopeful supporters that relegation to the Championship might be inevitable.
However, after the defeat on the south coast nearly six weeks ago, Lampard’s team has revitalized their season, securing three victories in their last five matches.
Following consecutive wins over Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United in September, Saturday’s 3-1 triumph over Sunderland propelled the Sky Blues to 15th place in the standings.
Coventry are not alone in impressing; former Championship rivals Ipswich Town and Hull City have also begun their campaigns positively.
Together, the three clubs have amassed 31 points after nine games, marking the 13th‑highest point total achieved by promoted teams at this juncture in Premier League history.
Hull and Ipswich together contribute 22 of those points, each with 11 points under managers Sergej Jakirovic and Gary O’Neil respectively.
Coventry trail their promoted counterparts slightly, yet their three wins have delivered a respectable nine points.
Moreover, a encouraging trend shows that since the 2010‑11 season, every promoted team that has accumulated at least 11 points in its first nine matches has avoided relegation.
