Coventry defeated Portsmouth 5-1 to be crowned Sky Bet Championship champions.
Frank Lampard’s side had already clinched promotion to the Premier League after drawing 1-1 with Blackburn on 17 April.
The Sky Blues needed to beat Pompey at the Coventry Building Society Arena to win the league title, but they did so in style with a 5-1 win.
In the 2026/27 season, Coventry will play in English football’s top flight for the first time in 25 years.
Coventry beat Pompey to claim the title
The new champions gained momentum within the first 11 minutes, with top scorer Haji Wright converting Jack Rudoni’s corner kick.
Pompey goalkeeper Schmidt should have done better when he fluttered in a corner, allowing Wright his 17th goal of the season.
It was the Sky Blues’ 27th goal from a set piece this season and they almost added another before half-time.
Bobby Thomas’ late goal against Ewood Park on Friday sealed promotion for Coventry, with the defender heading another Rudoni corner over the crossbar.
Portsmouth registered just one shot in the opening 45 minutes, but found themselves two goals behind shortly after the break.
This was another unforgettable moment for Schmidt. A fierce touch from Poole’s backpass allowed Efron Mason-Clarke to sneak into the goal and slot it into the empty net.
Things started to fall apart for Portsmouth just five minutes into the second half when Regan Poole diverted a cross from Milan van Eywijk and sent it into their own goal.
Wright should have reached a four-point lead when he missed a golden opportunity with an hour left.
Rudoni took aim from distance and hit a low shot against the post before the American right wing sent a follow-up shot over the bar and the goal was empty.
Pompey then took advantage of a lack of concentration as Adrian Segečić latched on to Rudoni’s loose pass and fired a shot past Carl Rushworth from the edge of the box.
But any hopes of an unlikely comeback were dashed almost immediately as Victor Torpe’s defence-slicing pass found its way to Mason Clarke, who created space to fire home his second goal.
Substitute Kane Kessler-Hayden curled Redoni’s cross into the back post for Coventry’s 90th league goal of the season.
Lampard: “Winning the title at the pinnacle of my career”
Frank Lampard of Coventry:
“It was a really great night. It was a dangerous Friday night, so it was great. In a weird way, the way we did it was great.”
“That was great and this is great in and of itself. We’ve been in the lead for a long time and we’ve been pushing through the second half of the season so this is what I really, really wanted.”
“It takes a really strong unit and a really strong group and they showed that.
“This is right at the pinnacle of my career. I said after Blackburn it was to seal the title with the way we did, how the team played from the start and how we stepped up in the second half.”
“This team has been very consistent, with many performances like this at CBS (Arena) this year. The last few weeks have been challenging in a way because of the pressure, because we are not used to this, and recently we have been getting the results we need to get promoted.”
“When you get this close, to get it done with two games to go is unbelievable because this league is getting harder.
“In this league, all the teams here give us different challenges, but these guys have won 27 games. It’s amazing what they’ve done.”
Coventry’s league position after relegation to the Premier League
“Lampard has once again proven his doubters wrong.”
Sky Sports EFL Editor Simeon Gollum:
“Coventry City is Lampard’s fourth club and fifth overall. He has had an incredible amount of success in the past for naysayers, including helping Derby reach the play-offs, leading a transfer-banned Chelsea side to Champions League qualification and keeping Everton in the Premier League.
“However, this recent success with promotion with the Sky Blues will undoubtedly set the limit. He will take over from one of the most popular and successful managers in the club’s history in Mark Robins, who was sacked in November 2024 amid outrage from his heroic fans.
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Take a look at some of Coventry City’s best moments during the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season as they secured promotion to the Premier League.
“Lampard’s arrival was not well-received due to the deterioration of his time at Everton, a disastrous second season at Chelsea (albeit as caretaker manager) and more than a year away from the game.
“It was time to prove himself again and he did just that. Lampard led his side from 17th in the table to the play-offs last season, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat to Sunderland in the semi-finals. And this year he did even better with automatic promotion and the title.”
The decline and rise of Coventry
Coventry is there. We’re back in the Premier League for the first time in 25 years and a lot has happened since then.
“The bass of the waterfall made the ascent feel even sweeter, it was finally our time.”
Matt Quigg, Coventry City fan:
“The last time Coventry City played in the top flight was in 2001, when they were relegated to bitter rivals Aston Villa. Now, for the first time in my life, I will finally be watching my team play in the Premier League.
“Growing up, it wasn’t easy being a Coventry fan. We’d experienced relegation, point deductions and ground sharing at Northampton and Birmingham and myself and all the other fans always wondered why it was us.
“But the cascading bass made the rise feel even sweeter. We deserve this more than others because we’ve been through a lot. Even our last title, when we were top of League One, was ruined by the coronavirus outbreak.”
“I’m proud to support this team. Nothing is ever easy and nothing is normal, but that’s what makes us Coventry City.”
“Sure, successful years bring in a new generation of supporters and we may now regularly have crowds of 30,000 or more, but no one will ever be able to take away from me the fact that I was there during that second league season and supported the team no matter what.
“Over the next few weeks there will be tears, hugs and every emotion imaginable. Things like this don’t happen very often. It’s time to have fun. It’s time to celebrate like there’s no tomorrow.
“Just saying this brings tears to my eyes, my team Coventry City will be joining the Premier League next season after enduring years of pain, drama and tears.
“Finally, our time has come.”
