Analysis: Glasner left with food for thoughtpublished at 20:12 BST 19 September
20:12 BST 19 September
Timothy Abraham BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
There will be plenty to ponder for Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner after this result.
Forest have failed to score in their first three home games in a league campaign for the first time in their history.
Their expected goals (xG) in this match was 1.15 compared with Coventry's 0.67, but in their first meeting in the Premier League since 1999 they were left to rue their wastefulness.
Forest's 24 shots today were their second most in a Premier League match since they returned to the top flight in 2022.
Similarly, only Pascal Gross (15) has created more chances in the league this season than Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White (14).
There was a clear lack of cutting edge, which meant much of this creativity was in vain.
Delap, a £45m signing from Chelsea, was supposed to provide some ruthlessness, but none of his four shots were on target and Coventry largely kept him quiet.
Last season Forest won just four of their 19 home games and were among the fourth-worst in terms of goals scored on home turf.
Glasner identified this as a clear area for improvement at the start of his tenure, but this result was a stark reminder that there is still work to do.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Coventry: What Glasner saidpublished at 20:03 BST 19 September
20:03 BST 19 September
Media caption,
Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to BBC Match of the Day on his thoughts on the loss: "Frustrated, disappointed.
"We wanted three points and the players gave everything until the end but we made one big mistake, one big ball from the goalkeeper.
"We knew he had a very big strike and we got punished. We tried everything until the end but we have to blame ourselves. It's the third home game without a goal and that makes it difficult to win.
"We have to find a solution, today was the first time I could feel the heaviness of the past, it was very quiet in the dressing room. When we conceded the goal, everyone was nervous, the entire City Ground was nervous and I think this is the reason of last year.
"There is nobody to blame, the solution is to play with more freedom and more confidence."
On the VAR decision: "Of course I have thoughts but I don't want to speak about it again.
"We had this big discussion after Tottenham, referee decided and we accept it, that's it."
Did you know?
Nottingham Forest have failed to score in their first three home games in a league campaign for the first time in their history.
Among ever present sides since the start of last season, only Tottenham have won fewer home games (three) and earned fewer home points (16) in the Premier League than Nottingham Forest (four wins, 21 points).
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Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Coventry Citypublished at 11:06 BST 19 September
11:06 BST 19 September
Coventry were served up a couple of shockers by getting Arsenal and Manchester City as their first two away fixtures, and this trip is far from easy for them either.
In fact, this is another stinker of a game for Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard, because they are still struggling while Oliver Glasner seems to be getting Nottingham Forest going after a slow burner of a start.
There is a strong chance Coventry's confidence has been sapped already so Lampard will be trying to rally the troops and give his players some belief they can compete at this level.
That is going to be really difficult because they must be looking at the results of the other promoted teams and not just thinking about where a win is coming from for them but also where a point is coming from and where a goal is coming from too.
I don't think they will get any of those things this week, because Forest are looking pretty solid.
Well done to Forest striker Liam Delap, who got his first goal for them in last week's win at Aston Villa.
He had a tough time at Chelsea, and I know what that is like, so it is great to see him off the mark for his new club.
By the way, Delap scored one league goal for Chelsea - same as me - but his price went up by £20m, from £30m to £50m. My value went down by almost 50% when I left Stamford Bridge - from £10m to £6m - so what has gone on there?
Seriously, though, sometimes you need a change of scene to find your form again and Delap must be feeling a bit freer now he has his first Forest goal.
Nottingham Forest v Coventry City: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 20:09 BST 18 September
20:09 BST 18 September
Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist
Nottingham Forest earned their first win of the season last weekend and now face a bottom-of-the-table Coventry City side yet to score or avoid defeat since their return to the Premier League.
It's the first top-flight meeting between the clubs since a 4-0 home win for the Sky Blues in January 1999.
Forest must address home truths
Nottingham Forest answered Oliver Glasner's call to find the "final bit missing" when they deservedly beat Aston Villa last weekend. Head coach Glasner was referring to his team's goalscoring issues but it could just as easily apply to their troublesome home form.
So far this season at the City Ground, Forest have lost twice to Leeds United – including in the Carabao Cup – and drawn with Spurs. They failed to score in any of those games and seldom threatened to do so, registering a combined seven shots on target.
It's the continuation of an issue which dates back to last year; their only home league victory in 13 attempts since Christmas came against soon-to-be-relegated Burnley in April.
Only Tottenham have earned fewer points at home among Premier League ever-present sides during that time, while Forest are the lowest scorers in front of their own fans.
Hope remains for Coventry
The momentum of a Championship title-winning campaign has swiftly dissipated for Coventry, who are yet to earn a point since returning to the Premier League and made a midweek exit from the EFL Cup.
After 97 league goals last season, they have none after four top-flight games; Mustapha Hadji remains the last Coventry player to score a Premier League goal, on 5 May 2001.
This is the first time since their debut 1919-20 campaign that Coventry have lost their opening four league fixtures in a season, while they are only the fifth side in English top-flight history to do so without scoring. The Sky Blues are creating chances, though, and have an expected goals tally of 4.2.
Perhaps not enough of those opportunities are falling to the right players. Coventry have had 41 attempts on goal in the Premier League but only nine were by centre-forwards, rising to 23 – a modest 56% – when incorporating all attacking players. Surprisingly, six clubs have a lower percentage but only Coventry have a defender with his side's most goal attempts – Bobby Thomas, with nine.
Despite Coventry's current travails, history offers them hope: eight of the previous 18 teams to start a Premier League season with four straight defeats managed to stay up.
And Frank Lampard's side can take inspiration from the fact Crystal Palace lost their opening seven games without scoring in 2017-18 but rallied to finish 11th.
Gibbs-White 'doing everything he can' - but Tuchel still looks elsewherepublished at 18:26 BST 18 September
18:26 BST 18 September
Image source, Getty Images
"I'm still scratching my head about why he isn't in that squad regularly at the moment," said BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray after finding out that Morgan Gibbs-White had once again missed out on a place in the England squad.
Thomas Tuchel said the Nottingham Forest player was not included in his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures because "it does not make sense" to pick any more number 10s.
But Gibbs-White, who scored 15 goals and registered four assists last season, has accumulated more goal involvements than any other English midfielder this calendar year.
He has also already netted one goal and contributed two assists in Nottingham Forest's opening four games of the 2026-27 campaign.
On how close the 26-year-old was to being selected, Tuchel said: "It was close, but it is always the case. It makes no sense to nominate four or five number 10s. It just doesn't help anyone.
"We can see the form he is in. He ended last season very strongly, he was a key player in Nottingham Forest avoiding relegation, and we can see him stepping up now.
"It is one thing to be nominated, like Cole Palmer getting his ticket back into the squad, but it is another thing to perform for England - and that also counts."
Speaking on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, Fray said: "He can't do much more to get into the England squad, but was I entirely surprised by the decision? No, not really.
"Tuchel knew the form he was in at the end of last season and he still didn't take him to the World Cup.
"His numbers for 2026 are unparalleled by an English player. I also believe, as a midfielder, he is leading the way in terms of goals and assists this calendar year across Europe's top five leagues.
"He is doing everything he can, so I think it says a lot about their relationship.
"Tuchel said he didn't want to pick four or five number 10s, which I get, but who are the ones in the best form? Gibbs-White is indisputably at the top of every list right now, so you just cannot make that argument, in my opinion."
Listen to the full Gibbs-White conversation and catch up on the City Ground redevelopment plans below or listen on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty Images
