Sunderland and Coventry City faced each other in the Championship playoff semifinals. Sunderland won the first leg 2-1 away. Now, as they host Coventry at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland has implemented a unique tactic to neutralize the main weapon of Frank Lampard’s team.

In the first leg, Coventry relied heavily on long throws from Milan van Ewijk, their full-back, to create danger. However, in the return leg, Coventry has struggled to execute this strategy due to Sunderland’s adjustments.

Sunderland has significantly reduced the distance between the advertising boards and the touchline. As a result, Milan van Ewijk lacks the space to take a proper run-up for his long throws. Coventry fans have protested this move on social media, but Sunderland has gone ahead with it, forcing Coventry to find alternative ways to score.