FOOTBALL - Huddersfield Town vs Coventry City Preview - The Coventry Observer

FOOTBALL - Huddersfield Town vs Coventry City Preview

Coventry Editorial 10th Dec, 2021   0

COVENTRY City are aiming to force their way back into the play-off places when they travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday lunchtime.

 

The Sky Blues have failed to win in their last four matches which has them drop out of the top-six by a single point.

 




And City were beaten 2-1 at home by West Bromwich Albion in their last outing which marked the club’s second defeat of the season at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

 


Their opponents Huddersfield are in 11th place in the Sky Bet Championship table – four points behind the Sky Blues.

 

Saturday’s match is being shown live on the Sky Sports Football channel at 12:30pm.

 

FORM

Coventry looked out of sorts in their narrow defeat to West Brom and were made to pay for a poor first-half showing in which Kyle McFadzean put through his own net.

 

However, the centre-back made amends by scoring a well-placed header in the second-half but could not ignite another City comeback.

 

Huddersfield are without a win in their last three league games and were beaten 2-1 in their last home match by Middlesbrough.

 

The Terriers played out a 1-1 draw away at Barnsley in their last outing with Lewis O’Brien scoring the visitors goal just past the half hour mark.

 

TEAM NEWS

Coventry pair Jake Clarke-Salter (heel) and Martyn Waghorn (shoulder) look set to miss out through injury once again.

 

Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Hamer remains a doubt after he was forced off with a foot injury in the first-half against the Baggies.

 

Huddersfield are set to be without midfield pair Alex Vallejo and Jonathan Hogg (both knee).

 

KEY PLAYERS

Coventry – Callum O’Hare – The diminutive midfielder has struggled in recent games to open up teams with his last goal contribution coming over a month ago against Bristol City.

 

That said, he’s started every game for the Sky Blues in the league this season and will need to be at his best to split Huddersfield’s three central defenders.

 

Huddersfield – Sorba Thomas – The Wales international is enjoying a breakthrough season with the Terriers and is currently third in the Championship’s assists charts with eight.

 

Primarily deployed as a wing-back, Thomas likes to get forward as often as possible and shutting down his space should be vital to City’s gameplan.

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The two teams last met in the league in May earlier this year when City were held to a 1-1 draw at the John Smith’s Stadium with Jordan Shipley’s opener cancelled out by Danny Ward’s equaliser.

 

Coventry’s last league win against the Terriers came in April 1972 with last season’s league fixtures the first in any competition between the two teams for 43 years.

 

City have a worse head-to-head record with the Terriers having lost eight times with five wins draws and four draws across 17 meetings.

 

PREDICTION

Huddersfield 0-1 Coventry – Based off recent form and the two fixtures last season, goals might be at a premium on Saturday lunchtime, but Coventry should have enough to snatch the points.

 

Coventry’s match with Huddersfield takes place on Saturday, December 11 with kick-off at 12:30pm at the John Smith’s Stadium.

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