The Game
Argyle v Coventry. Home Park. Tuesday, 25 August. 7.45pm. Carabao Cup Round Two.
The Opposition
Coventry City come into the 2026/27 campaign a Premier League team for the first time since 2001. They won the Sky Bet Championship last season, racking up an impressive 95 points under former top-flight winner Frank Lampard.
Most of their supporters will just be hoping to see them survive this season; the size of the task at hand was evident when they were beaten comfortably by Arsenal at The Emirates last weekend.
Lampard will believe they can do it, they've kept a substantial amount of the squad that were so brilliant last season and added some extra quality. The likes of Aurèle Amenda, Caleb Yirenkyi and Sidiki Cherif have been brought in from the continent to bolster the Sky Blues' squad across the pitch.
If these new additions perform as hoped, and Lampard manages to integrate them with the pre-existing cohort, there is no reason why they can't remain a Premier League side come the end of May.
The Gaffer
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard is now into his fifth managerial role since retiring in 2017. He is best known for his time at Chelsea, 164 goals in 481 appearances speaks for itself. Lampard also represented West Ham United, Swansea City, Manchester City and New York City on the pitch throughout his illustrious career which saw him lift the Champions League as well as the Premier League three times.
He won countless individual accolades as well as over a century of caps for England, representing his nation at four major tournaments. After hanging up his boots stateside, Lampard returned to England and was named Derby County’s manager. In his only full season at Pride Park, he guided the Rams finished to sixth and suffered play-off final heartbreak.
That summer, Lampard headed to Chelsea, taking over from Maurizio Sarri. After a mixed season-and-a-half at Stamford Bridge, Lampard was sacked. He took the Everton job just a year later, but once again was sacked prematurely.
After a brief caretaker stint back at Chelsea, Lampard took the Coventry job in 2024, with the Sky Blues vastly improving under the former England midfielder. There was more play-off heartbreak for Lampard in 2024/25, but Coventry could not be stopped the following year.
Last season, they cruised to the Championship title racking up 95 points, in turn offering Lampard another crack at Premier League management.
The Squad
Gus Hamer is new for 2026/27 but has had a previous spell at Coventry City before. Born in Brazil, the midfielder moved to The Netherlands as a junior, joining Feyenoord's academy. He struggled to break through in Rotterdam, instead being loaned to Dordecht and eventually sold to PEC Zwolle. Coventry forked out a reported £1.5 million to sign Hamer in 2020, he went on to spend three years with the Sky Blues, making 132 appearances and becoming a fan favourite. Sheffield United pinched him for around £15 million when they got promoted to the Premier League in 2023. Hamer spent three years in the Steel City before making the reverse transfer, leaving Sheffield United to join Coventry this summer upon promotion to the Premier League.
Jack Rudoni has gone from strength-to-strength since joining Coventry City two years ago. His career began at AFC Wimbledon after he was released by Crystal Palace as a junior. Rudoni broke into the Dons' first-team after a loan at Tonbridge Wells, making 105 appearances and scoring 17 goals. This saw him recruited by Huddersfield Town in 2022 when they were a Championship side. His performances at Accu Stadium earned him a move to Coventry just two seasons later. He has since starred, scoring 17 and assisting 19 across the past two campaigns.
One of Coventry's players that will be expected to make the jump up to the Premier League with ease is Milan van Ewijk. The dynamic full-back was born in Amsterdam and featured for a variety of Dutch sides before moving to England in order to sign for Coventry in 2023. Since then, van Ewijk has been one of the Championship's top performers. In 2026/27, he will have the chance to showcase his ability in the Premier League, an opportunity City fans will hope to see him seize with both hands.
Previous Meeting
April, 2025 was the last time the two sides met. It was Championship action at Home Park, the game finished 3-1 to Argyle after Mustapha Bundu netted a brace and was joined on the scoresheet by Ryan Hardie.
A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their green home kit for this game.
Argyle TV
Only audio passes are available for this game due to competition regulations. These are available worldwide, CLICK HERE for more information.
