Frank Lampard believes Coventry City are making genuine strides in their return to the top flight, pointing to a marked shift in performance between their opening two Premier League fixtures of the season.

The Sky Blues were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal on the opening day at the Emirates Stadium — a result Lampard described as feeling like "our first game for 25 years in the Premier League." His players, he said, were visibly daunted by the occasion, overwhelmed by the physical and tactical intensity Arsenal brought from the first whistle.

A different team against City

The mood was markedly different in the subsequent clash against Manchester City. Despite suffering another defeat, Lampard saw unmistakable signs of growth — a side with structure, purpose, and a competitive edge rather than one paralysed by the moment.

"Today felt like a competitive Premier League team coming with a clear idea and a threat," Lampard said. "So we must take that forward."

He was quick to temper expectations around the difficulty of facing back-to-back heavyweights, noting that Coventry will not be confronting that level of opposition every matchday.

"We're not playing Manchester City every week. The Premier League is a high, high level and we'll play different versions of quality against us."

Confidence from the performance

Lampard urged his players to draw confidence from how they performed against Manchester City, even in defeat. He stressed that the mental takeaway from such a display — the belief that Coventry belong at this level — matters as much as the result itself.

"What's more important to the players today is they take confidence out of the performance," he said. "We're disappointed to lose, but in reflection there will be a lot of good taken out of it if we can use it in our mentality."

Coventry City's return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence has been steep, but Lampard's message is clear: the learning curve is real, and the improvement is already showing.