Coventry gain promotion to EPL after 25 years

Frank Onyeka was in action as Coventry secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after Bobby Thomas’ late equalizer earned a 1-1 draw against Ryan Alebiosu’s Blackburn.

While Onyeka was substituted in the 62nd minute, Alebiosu was in action for 90 minutes.

Coventry only needed a point from Friday’s game to seal promotion but looked to be denied after Ryoya Morishita gave Blackburn the lead, before Thomas rose highest to score a free-kick six minutes from time to give his team a much-needed equaliser.

Coventry last played in the Premier League in 2001, when they were relegated from the English top flight and have been a fixture since their founding in 1992.

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The Sky Blues’ lowest point came when they crashed out of League Two in 2017, but they have fought back and, after losing to Luton in the play-off final in 2023, have stormed into the Championship under Chelsea legend Frank Lampard this season to secure a return to the Premier League with three games to spare.

They will have to wait to secure the title, as second-placed Ipswich are now 11 points behind with five games left to play.

Furthermore, the draw could be crucial to Blackburn’s chances of avoiding relegation as they are five points clear of the bottom three after an unbeaten fourth home game.