Key events
GOAL! Coventry 2-1 Leicester (Van Ewijk 88)
Coventry complete the turnaround! A corner eventually comes to Milan van Ewijk on the edge of the box and he lashes a shot towards goal and in. It was not the cleanest strike but do the home fans care? They do not.
GOAL! Coventry 1-1 Leicester (O’Hare 79)
A lovely finish from Callum O’Hare. Coventry’s frustration ends – a decent move finds the 25-year-old in the box and while there were plenty of Leicester defenders between O’Hare and the goal, he threaded the needle with a precise shot.
Mowbray has said he will be subtle in his adjustments at Birmingham rather than demanding a whole new style of play from the off. Though he’ll know results need to improve ASAP – and these are the bold believers he has picked for his first XI. The Swansea team – announced on X in a fetching Bret Hart-style ‘hot pink’ – is also below.
Leicester containing and controlling things at Coventry with 70 minutes gone. The Sky Blues have been in rich form of late but they need to find a spark if they’re to make the most of their man advantage here.
Grim news: West Midlands Police had to remove offensive banners aimed at Leicester’s late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, placed on the motorway before the match. Coventry City have condemned the people involved and said they will work with the police to find those responsible.
Alongside the 3pm thrills, Championship leaders Leicester are currently 1-0 up – yet down to 10 men – at Coventry in the 12.30pm game. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s penalty put Leicester ahead before half-time, but Abdul Fatawu was shown a red card minutes later for a rash challenge on Jake Bidwell. So it’s tightly poised in the second half.
Preamble
Afternoon, the Premier League is going through its staggered winter break, leaving the Football League to bask in unrivalled 3pm kick-off action. In the Championship, the experienced Tony Mowbray – who recently did a fine job at Sunderland – has his first game in charge at the club formerly known as Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham, so let’s assume co-owner Tom Brady will be frantically refreshing this live blog in his palatial US mansion (hi Tom!). Swansea are the visitors aiming to spoil the party.
Other tasty match-ups include fourth-placed Leeds travelling to Cardiff, in-form Southampton hosting a suddenly revitalised Sheffield Wednesday, while mid-table Middlesbrough go to Millwall in the Mi-derby, as it is never known.
In League One, leaders Portsmouth are going through a wobble with one win in five games and the chasing pack are closing in. They host Leyton Orient today. Meanwhile in League Two, Van Wilder-owned Wrexham – currently in the final automatic promotion spot – take on an AFC Wimbledon side who occupy the final playoff place but only on goal difference. Plenty more drama besides that, too.
