Coventry Stun Forest for First Premier League Win in 25 Years
Jay Dasilva's second-half strike — and a late VAR reprieve — gave Frank Lampard's Sky Blues a 1-0 win at the City Ground, their first in the top flight since 2001.
Twenty-five years is a long time to wait. Coventry City's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday was their first Premier League victory since 2001, and it lifted Frank Lampard's newly promoted side off the bottom of the table.
Forest dominate, Coventry strike
The pattern of the game made the result sting more for the hosts. Forest piled up 14 first-half shots at the City Ground without converting any of them. Ten minutes into the second half, Coventry made them pay: goalkeeper Carl Rushworth launched a long ball forward, and Jay Dasilva controlled it with a superb touch before finishing with composure in the 55th minute — per Yahoo Sports, Coventry's first Premier League goal in more than two decades, and their first lead of the season.
The VAR moment
Forest thought they had rescued a point late on when substitute Igor Jesus bundled the ball home, but referee Jarred Gillett, after a VAR review, ruled Jesus had fouled Caleb Yirenkyi in the build-up. Lampard's verdict: "He has that little step on him which puts him off balance, and it's a foul... I think that's VAR reaching the right decision." Bobby Thomas had already denied Jesus with a goalline clearance in the 76th minute.
Forest boss Oliver Glasner pointed elsewhere: "For the first time I felt the heaviness of the past... everybody got nervous today."
What it means
For Coventry, this is the kind of result promoted clubs build survival seasons on — ugly on the stats sheet, priceless in the table, and enough to climb off the bottom. For Forest, 12th and still winless at home this season, the concern is sharper: 14 shots in a half is a process worth keeping, but top-flight seasons are decided by teams that turn that dominance into goals.