Image source, Shutterstock

The Sky Blues may have steamrollered their way through much of this 2025-26 Championship season, but since a run of six straight wins in February and March, they have seemingly slowed to a cruise as the finishing line approaches.

City bounced back from the home defeat by Southampton on 14 March with back-to-back wins over Swansea and Derby, but have drawn their past two 0-0, at Hull on Easter Monday and at home to basement-boys Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.

They might be 19 places below and 37 points worse-off in the table but Blackburn were actually in better recent form than Coventry until three days ago.

Rovers took nine points from five games, winning at Millwall and Birmingham and drawing at Stoke last Saturday, in addition to goalless home draws with Middlesbrough and West Brom.

However, a 3-0 defeat at St Mary's on Tuesday night means they have scored just twice in their past five games and remain too close to the drop zone for comfort.

Image source, Opta

• Blackburn are winless in their past 10 league games against Coventry (D5 L5), since a 4-0 away victory in October 2020.

• Coventry have kept a clean sheet in their past five league games against Blackburn – they have never gone six without conceding against an opponent, while only against Chelsea have Rovers had a longer goalless run (seven between 2006 and 2009).

• Each of Blackburn's past three home league games have ended level, with the last two ending goalless. They last drew four consecutive home league matches in May 1988 (4).

• Accounting for three points per win all-time, Coventry's 85 points this season is already their most in a single league campaign in the club's history. The Sky Blues will be promoted to the Premier League if they avoid defeat in this match, last featuring in the top flight in 2001.

• Haji Wright has scored 16 goals in the Championship this season, his joint-most in a single campaign for the club (also 16 in 2023-24). Only Viktor Gyokeres has netted more than 16 times in a Championship season for the Sky Blues (21 in 2022-23, 17 in 2021-22).

Steve Ogrizovic
Ex-Coventry City goalkeeper on BBC CWR

The bigger picture here is that Frank Lampard will want to go up as Champions and three points would go a long way towards that.

But football doesn't always work like that, get a point here, get a win there...

BBC Local Radio

Unfortunately due to broadcast rights we are unable to bring you live radio coverage of tonight's game on this page.

If you live in the local area then BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC CWR will have commentary you can access the old fashioned way, of course.

If not, fear not, we'll stay across the airwaves on your behalf and bring you a flavour of their coverage right here in text form throughout the evening.

Image source, Getty Images

A four-point gap doesn't feel particularly comfortable going into the final few games of the season, but an unexpected win for Blackburn tonight would not only poop the Coventry promotion party (temporarily, at least), it would also give Rovers' survival chances a massive shot in the arm.

They have played a game more than the sides chasing them, but with Sheffield United (away) and Leicester (home) to finish the season, three points would pile the pressure on chasers Oxford United, Leicester and West Brom, who lie fourth bottom, two points above the U's and behind Rovers.

When asked if one more win from their final three games would be enough for Blackburn to stay up, O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire it would not put them mathematically safe but would "take a little bit of the pressure out of the situation".

"It would give us 51 points," he said. "It would put Oxford seven points behind us and it would put Leicester 10 points behind us, which is a lot to get in your last four games.

"But I'm not going to put any sort of target on it because we've got to make sure that we take whatever we can in the final three games, as many points as possible."

Blackburn manager Michael O'Neill says his side will try to spoil Coventry's promotion party at Ewood Park this evening.

The Sky Blues need a point to secure a return to the Premier League but Blackburn have plenty to play for themselves, with the gap to the Championship relegation zone just four points, having played one game more than Oxford in 22nd.

"I said to the players, if you're not invited to the party, it's a nice thing to try and spoil it and that's what we have to do," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"They'll bring a big away support, as did West Brom and Preston in particular, and Middlesbrough.

"But we've handled those games well. We're unbeaten in any of those games. We play a team that's top of the league but every game in this Championship is winnable."

O'Neill said the wins picked up by fellow relegation strugglers Portsmouth against Middlesbrough and Ipswich show "you have to stay in the game as long as possible when you're in the lower end of the table, particularly when you play the top sides".

"And the game can become more difficult for them," he added.

"That's our objective - to make the game difficult for Coventry, but obviously bring our own level of performance to the game as well."

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Make no mistake, this will be no end-of-season game with one side already on the beach.

What jumps out at you here? Blackburn's four-point advantage over the bottom-three? Their slightly worse goal-difference? Or the fact they have played a game more than the other sides around them?

Having already played (and lost) at Southampton in a fixture rearranged due to Saints' FA Cup semi-final date, Rovers have just two games to come after tonight.

They will visit Sheffield United next Wednesday before a potentially agonising wait for the final day visit of Leicester to Ewood Park on 2 May.

Do not expect Rovers to simply roll over and let Coventry start their celebrations, a win could be just as precious for their own needs.

There won't be champagne flowing at Ewood Park even if Coventry secure promotion tonight, according to Jack Rudoni.

The 24-year-old midfielder told BBC CWR the Sky Blues will need to match Blackburn's intensity, adding: "We need to show as much fight as they do, if we do our quality will show. That's why I love football - anything can happen."

Asked about potential celebrations if City can secure the point they need for promotion, he added: "We've got a title to win, we can celebrate in the summer, I am not fussed about celebrating when the season's not finished.

"Maybe I'll have a bit of a celebration once we win the title."

Rudoni also discusses his frustration at an unfortunately-timed injury, his measured return from that calf problem, his connection with his fellow midfielders and speculation about a move away from the CBS Arena.

Coventry manager Frank Lampard refused to talk about the Premier League, despite being just one point away from a top flight return.

When asked what promotion would mean to the club, Lampard told BBC CWR: "Let's just talk about it when we're officially there.

"I think the Championship is a great league to to work in and to watch, especially with its unpredictability.

"The support bases, the sizes of the teams that are in it, and the different styles of play are great."

Speaking about Blackburn, who were beaten 3-0 by in-form Southampton on Tuesday, Lampard said: "They are a team who are fighting.

"You can see they have good players and a good energy about them, and so it will be a tough game."

When asked about the challenges faced by the club over the past 25 years, Lampard said: "There have been tough times I can't even describe because I wasn't here.

"But that will make everything even more special for us as a football club.

"The fans are the first ones that should enjoy it, and I know they will, in the stadium or outside of the stadium.

"But we need to focus on our job on the pitch because we will enjoy it even more if we do our job right."

If you're not sure what Pete is on about, check out our entry at 19:14 BST!

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Four games left for Coventry, but they might only need one.

The Sky Blues have a 10-point lead in the title race, though second-placed Ipswich do have a game in hand, away at Southampton on 28 April.

Frank Lampard's men are, however, 12 points clear of third-placed Millwall, who have also played 42 games, so a point at Blackburn tonight would make their advantage in the promotion race unassailable.

A victory for the Sky Blues tonight would be a huge step towards the title, which would be sealed as soon as Sunday, should Middlesbrough beat Ipswich at Portman Road (12:00 BST).

David Anderson
BBC Sport England at Ewood Park

Image source, Shutterstock

Blackburn saw a Sky Blue invasion this evening as 7,000 expectant Coventry fans descended on Ewood Park.

One fan was there when they were last promoted to the top flight in 1967 – and he was there in 2001 at Villa Park when they were relegated.

He has followed them thick and mostly thin since then, although he drew the line when they ground-shared with Northampton Town.

Most fans under the age of 30 cannot remember them being in the top flight, even though they graced it for 34 continuous years.

They packed out the local pubs and the kerbside merchandisers did a roaring trade with their ‘Coventry City – Premier League’ scarves and flags.

Jared Evitts
BBC Newsbeat

Coventry fans Alex Craig and Demi-Rae Doherty weren't born when the club were last in the Premier League.

But they've heard plenty about those days.

"It's been a journey for them," says 22-year-old Demi-Rae about people like her dad, brother, uncle and nan, who she goes to games with.

"I've not been here to see Coventry in the Premier League so have heard stories from my dad and my nan."

BBC Newsbeat met up with Alex, 23, and Demi-Rae at the Coventry Building Society Arena, a ground that's been a big part of their story over the past 25 years.

"For the longest time, I didn't really see it as home," says Alex, about the times they had to play in Northampton and Birmingham.

Demi-Rae agrees, saying it "means so much more to now be promoted with the stadium".

Alex, who will be in the away end at Blackburn, thinks the Sky Blues will get the job done tonight.

"For the first time going into a big game I am not nervous at all," he says.

"If Coventry get promoted it's not just going to be fans celebrating, it's going to be the entire city and I think it means a lot to everyone in this city."

If Coventry can pick up the point they need for promotion tonight then a lot of behind-the-scenes plans will spring into action very quickly indeed, and the city might look very different later tonight.

Local transport companies are planning messages of congratulations on city buses and special announcements at the train station this weekend, while there are plans in place to turn the lights of Broadgate and Whittle Arch, plus the city's water features, sky blue.

Lord Mayor of Coventry, Rachel Lancaster also told BBC CWR the message 'We are Premier League' will flash onto the variable road signs on the city's ring road as soon as promotion is achieved.

So the plans are in place, it's all in the hands of the players now...

It's never been easier to get in touch and share your thoughts on the big match or the footballing matters of the day.

Just head to the shiny gold button on the top left of this page and get it all off your chest.

Tonight might be a special one for fans of Coventry City, we want to hear from you, Sky Blues fans, how are you feeling?

Your club has experienced more than its fair share of dark days across the past 25 years but how does it feel to be stood on the doorstep of the Premier League after your journey up and down the EFL divisions, and all those trips on the M1 and A45 too, along the way.

And Rovers fans, how about you? Would any points tonight be a bonus in your relegation scrap or do you think you can indeed spoil the party and pile the pressure on the chasing pack before they play tomorrow?

Get in touch and we'll publish some of your comments right here throughout the evening.

Image source, Dan Morgan

Football does strange things to people, we all know that...

Traders in Coventry have been giving City fans the chance to show their passion by producing special Sky Blue wares to mark a night which they hope will end a 25-year exile from the top table of English football.

A bakery has created dozens of Coventry City-themed creations, including cupcakes, iced buns and a whole team of Sky Blues gingerbread men.

And a local butcher has been painstakingly trying to create sky blue sausages to make sure this evening goes with a bang.

Click here for more.

Image source, Gemma Glover

Image source, Alex Craig

Coventry City have a long-awaited return to the Premier League in their sights tonight - with a palpable buzz in the air as life-long fans anticipate glory.

Across the city, there is fervour as fans predict the return of a "feel good factor" - and note people are being brought together.

"After everything that we've been through, there's no other club that deserves this more," said 23-year-old supporter Alex Craig.

Click here to hear more from fans, and to learn more about plans to turn the city Sky Blue... when the time is right, of course.

Image source, James Roach

Coventry have, unsurprisingly, sold their allocation of 7,195 tickets for tonight's game.

Fans will flock up the M6 from the Midlands, of course, but one far-flung Sky Blues season ticket holder has opted to fly to Lancashire via Barcelona for tonight's match as it was cheaper than taking the train from his home in Brighton.

James Roach paid £84 for two flights – from Gatwick to Barcelona and back from Spain to Manchester. A single train ticket from London to Preston would have cost him £85, he said.

Click here for more on his adventure.