Coventry City cemented their position at the summit of the Championship with a 3-1 victory over Watford at the Coventry Building Society Arena, extending their winning run to six matches and underlining their status as the division's most potent attacking force. Early goals from Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jamie Allen inside the opening seven minutes put Frank Lampard's side firmly in control, before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto added a third shortly before the interval and James Abankwah was sent off to leave the visitors with a mountain to climb.
Imran Louza pulled one back from the penalty spot with just over 20 minutes remaining after substitute Vivaldo Semedo was brought down by Carl Rushworth, but by then Coventry were already managing the game with authority. For all that the scoreline suggested a comfortable afternoon for the leaders, Watford created a host of clear chances and forced Rushworth into a series of outstanding saves, yet they were ultimately undone by defensive errors and the cutting edge of a side that has now scored 34 times in just 12 league games to move four points clear before the afternoon kick-offs.
Lightning start from the league leaders
The tone for a breathless opening was set almost immediately. Watford actually fashioned the first big opportunity when Rocco Vata raced clear one-on-one, only for Rushworth to stand tall and block his low finish. Within a minute the league leaders had ruthlessly punished that miss at the other end, as Sakamoto drifted in from the right and delivered a perfectly weighted cross that Thomas-Asante met with a glancing header into the far corner for his ninth league goal of the campaign.