Sky Blues end pre-season schedule with win over French visitors
Coventry City concluded their summer preparation schedule by hosting Ligue 1 side AS Monaco at the CBS Arena, with the encounter coming just days after their victory over Espanyol and the much-discussed return of Gustavo Hamer to the club.
The Dutch midfielder was included in the matchday squad and would see action in the closing stages, with the home supporters warmly welcoming his second stint in Coventry colours.
Kick-off was scheduled for 7.30pm with team news released beforehand and post-match comments from Frank Lampard anticipated.
The hosts emerged triumphant in what proved to be a comfortable evening’s work. Goals before the interval through Ellis Simms and Loum Tchaouna secured the victory, while Hamer’s introduction midway through the second half drew appreciative reactions from the crowd.
City now turn their attention toward their opening Premier League assignment, a trip to face Arsenal next Friday evening.
The match itself featured several talking points. A free-kick delivery from Grimes found Amenda, whose header was ruled out for offside. The goalkeeper produced an impressive fingertip save to deny Biereth after City were exposed at the back. Yirenkyi, making his first start since joining from Nordsjælland in a deal reportedly worth around £23million, caught the eye with an energetic display including a thunderous challenge that saw Abline receive treatment.
The opening goal arrived after twelve minutes when skipper Grimes threaded a precise ball through for Simms, who composed himself and finished into the far corner. Monaco threatened when Biereth raced clear but could only fire over the crossbar. Twenty-two minutes in saw Van Ewijk produce a crucial sliding challenge to prevent a dangerous situation.
Tchaouna doubled the advantage at the half-hour mark following an excellent pass from Yirenkyi that sent the winger clear, and he made no mistake with his finish. Despite Monaco enjoying greater possession and territory during periods, City looked dangerous on transitions.
Hamer entered the fray with approximately fifteen minutes remaining, slotting into central midfield as supporters sang his name throughout. Monaco introduced several substitutes including Vanderson, Cabral and Golovin.
City lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Thomas and Amenda anchoring the back four, Grimes and Onyeka joining Yirenkyi in midfield, and Tchaouna alongside Thomas-Asante supporting striker Simms. Notable absentees included Balogun amid ongoing speculation, while former Tottenham man Eric Dier featured for the visitors and Zakaria, who spent time at Chelsea, also appeared.
Reports from TalkSPORT suggest Coventry maintain an interest in Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong, with the Blues apparently reconsidering their stance after previously rejecting offers. Earlier this summer, Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso had indicated the player featured in his plans.
Prior results this pre-season read: defeats against Wimbledon and draws with Northampton and West Brom, preceding the Espanyol triumph. Monaco, meanwhile, prepare for their Conference League group stage opener on Thursday.