Sidiki Cherif scored on his first Premier League start as Coventry City defeated Newcastle 4-1 on Monday, 12 October, securing their first home victory of the season.
The 19-year-old forward, born in Conakry and developed at Angers before moving through Fenerbahce, played a decisive role in the Sky Blues’ second consecutive win. He won the penalty that led to the opening goal before doubling Coventry’s advantage shortly after half-time.
Cherif was brought down by Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek in the sixth minute, and Jack Rudoni converted from the spot. Newcastle controlled much of the ball after falling behind and created opportunities to equalise.
Bobby Thomas produced an important clearance to keep Coventry ahead when he blocked Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s shot on the line. The Newcastle forward had rounded Coventry goalkeeper Rushworth before attempting to finish.
Cherif then extended the hosts’ lead in the 48th minute, finding the net with a shot from the edge of the penalty area for his first Premier League goal. He had a chance to add another soon afterwards but failed to hit the target from close range.
That miss appeared significant when Sven Botman pulled one back for Newcastle in the 70th minute with a long-range effort. At 2-1, Coventry were still under pressure and had not secured the points.
Newcastle finished with 19 shots to Coventry’s nine and held roughly two-thirds of possession. Both teams registered six efforts on target, underlining the threat posed by Eddie Howe’s side despite the final margin.
Coventry’s substitutes settled the contest late on. Ellis Simms, who replaced Cherif, restored the hosts’ two-goal advantage in the 81st minute. Stephen Mfuni then added a fourth five minutes later after also coming off the bench.
The goals ensured Newcastle had no time to mount another comeback and gave Coventry a result that moved them up to 14th in the table. The promoted side now have six points from six matches.
Cherif’s contribution went beyond his goal, with his early run earning the penalty from which Coventry took the lead. Newcastle remain on eight points following the defeat.
