Coventry City have had a difficult return to the top-flight, but manager Frank Lampard remains appreciative of their fans.

The atmosphere inside their CBS Arena home on Sunday showed strong support from the home fans, even as they lost 5-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Having won the Championship in remarkable style last season, the Sky Blues have found it tough to get going in the Premier League, losing each of their first four fixtures.

Lampard was grateful for the support from the fans despite Coventry's difficult start, pointing out that he understands that frustration may be building with their poor run, while assuring them that the players continue to give their all.

Frank Lampard Thanks Coventry City Fans After Brighton Defeat

Lampard spoke openly and honestly after his side lost to Brighton about how he feels regarding the match-going fans.

He admitted that the red card to Taiwo Awoniyi made things very difficult for his side, who were already trailing 2-0 at the time.

He thanked the fans for knowing that the players gave their all and acknowledged that their support will help the team to get through this difficult phase.

“After the red card it’s very difficult but I’m thankful for the reaction of the fans at the end because they understand this group give everything.

“My job is to win games so it’s not nice but we’ve had a great relationship with the fans for a long time here.

“I think they all understood this jump, it’s going to be difficult for us and the players are giving everything.

“Having the fans and that nature of support is a big deal and we all appreciate it,” he concluded.

Coventry City are stuck at the foot of the standings, having failed to record a single point or goal in the league so far.

The Sky Blues have generated 4.19 xG across their four games so far, despite facing Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton in three of those games.

They will be aiming to improve quickly as they look to close the gap on the teams above them.

How Coventry City’s 5-0 Defeat to Brighton Unfolded

Coventry City took on Brighton on the back of a narrow defeat to Manchester City, and there was cause for optimism after they caused some trouble to the Cityzens.

They were very much in the game in the first half despite falling behind to a Charalampos Kostoulas strike in the 35th minute.

By the end of the half, they had generated the exact same xG as the Seagulls and had more shots on target, but went into half-time 1-0 down.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw things go from bad to worse for them, as they conceded to a Malick Yalcouye effort in the 51st minute before Awoniyi was shown a straight red card for violent conduct two minutes later.

The floodgates were well and truly opened for the Seagulls, as Pascal Gross scored from a penalty before further goals from Lewis Dunk and Yasin Ayari secured the joint-biggest away Premier League victory in Brighton history.

What Comes Next for Frank Lampard and Coventry City?

Coventry City will briefly turn their attention away from the Premier League, as they prepare to face Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The Sky Blues have enjoyed some success in the competition this season, having overcome Plymouth Argyle in the previous round, with the likes of Awoniyi and Caleb Yirenkyi shining.

Lampard's side will come up against a Villa side that has struggled at times in the league this season, and will see this as an opportunity to kick-start their campaign properly.

With the game set to take place at the CBS Arena, the manager will be hoping that his team can finally give their fans something to cheer about.