Venue: Ricoh Arena
Competition: Carabao Cup
Date: Tuedsay, August 8th
Kick-off: 7.45pm
The Sky Blues will be looking to continue their winning start to the 2017-18 campaign as they welcome Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers to the Ricoh Arena tonight for their Carabao Cup first round clash.
Coventry’s 3-0 win over Notts County at the weekend was the ideal start for Mark Robins’ side, capped off with a hat-trick for Jodi Jones.
Rovers began their Sky Bet League One season on Saturday with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Southend United. Charlie Mulgrew’s second-half goal was not enough to cancel out strikes from Ryan Leonard and Michael Kightly before the break.
Blackburn finished 22nd last season in the SkyBet Championship, relegated on goal-difference on the final day. When Mowbray took over from Owen Coyle they sat 23rd in the division and after a string of good results were lifted out of danger, only to fall back in during the final few games.
The Opponents
The former Premier League winners have among their ranks two former Coventry first-teamers. Defender Elliot Ward made 116 appearances at the Ricoh Arena for the Sky Blues and found the net 14 times, mostly from the penalty spot.
Dominic Samuel is another name remembered fondly around these parts. His short loan-spell in the Midlands saw him get on the scoresheet at the most important of times during 2015.
Also in attack for Blackburn is former Watford and Swansea striker Danny Graham, backed up in midfield by new-boy Bradley Dack and Nuneaton-born Peter Whittingham.
Past Meetings
The Sky Blues have not faced Rovers in a league fixture since the turn of the millennium but have locked horns with them four times in cup competitions.
Iain Dowie’s Coventry famously defeated a Premier League Blackburn featuring Morten Gamst Pedersen and Roque Santa Cruz 4-1 at Ewood Park thanks to goals from Michael Mifsud, Elliot Ward and a stunning solo effort from Dele Adebola. An 85th minute David Bentley goal put the Sky Blues’ three goal lead under some threat but Mifsud’s 92nd minute winner wrapped up the victory.
The following season at Ewood Park, Aron Gunnarsson’s 25-yard volley would take the headlines in a close fought 2-2 draw that would force a replay at the Ricoh Arena, a replay eventually won thanks to a goal from the masked assassin, Leon Best.