It’s been a mixed start to life at Coventry City for Norman Bassette, but the young striker’s exploits in the penalty shootout victory against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup third could provide a significant confidence boost as Frank Lampard bids to push his side up the table in 2025.
The 2024/25 season has turned out to be a thoroughly disappointing one for Coventry, who were widely expected to challenge for promotion after reaching an FA Cup semi-final under Mark Robins and coming close to finishing first last season. Few could have predicted that Robins would be dismissed of his duties just months later, but that is exactly what happened when Doug King made the tough decision to end his nearly eight-year reign in the West Midlands.
Robins, on the other hand, had failed to bring the Sky Blues into the promotion picture despite King’s expectations and summer funding, and he was replaced by Lampard, an ex-Chelsea and Everton head coach.
Lampard and Coventry have been plagued by inconsistency in recent weeks, with the 46-year-old winning four, drawing three, and losing three of his first ten games while the club remains in 16th place.
Several Sky Blues players will need to step up sooner rather than later, and Bassette hopes that their recent third-round advancement will act as a springboard for him.
Norman Bassette’s winning penalty for Coventry City versus Sheffield Wednesday
Coventry have advanced to the FA Cup fourth round, where they will face Premier League strugglers Ipswich Town next month, after defeating Sheffield Wednesday at home thanks to Bassette’s winning penalty kick.
Lampard elected to field a tough team, and Coventry took the lead after 26 minutes through Liam Kitching, but they were pulled back in the third minute of stoppage time when Anthony Musaba equalised for the Owls right before the end.
But Coventry held their nerve and made it through extra time before going to penalties. After Danny Rohl’s side’s Jamal Lowe and Olaf Kobacki both missed from twelve yards out, Bassette, a second-half substitute, stepped up to convert the winning penalty.
The Belgian international didn’t hold back in his celebration, stripping off and holding up his shirt, which elicited varied reactions on social media.
But, at that moment, Bassette was rightfully confident, and Coventry will want to maintain that when 2025 begins.
Norman Bassette can have Coventry City confidence following Sheffield Wednesday exploits
Bassette joined Coventry from French club Caen in the summer for a rumored fee of more than £2 million and has had an uneven season, despite showing positive signs of promise overall.
| orman Bassette’s career stats via FotMob, as of January 14 | ||||
| Club | Years | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| SM Caen | 2020-2024 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| KV Mechelen (loan) | 2023-2024 | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Coventry City | 2024- | 17 | 2 | 1 |
Bassette did not open his account until November, when he scored in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, and he scored the sole goal for Coventry in their humiliating 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth last month.
The 20-year-old has been tipped for a big future in the game, as evidenced by the fact that he has already represented Belgium at senior international level, and Coventry fans will argue how promising he has been overall, with his relentless high-pressing and pace in behind posing problems for many Championship backlines.
Bassette’s goals simply haven’t flowed enough yet, and that’s the true stumbling block he has if he wants to get started at the CBS Arena. However, strikers, particularly those of a young age, rely on confidence, and you can only imagine how much of a lift Saturday’s event gave the former KV Mechelen loanee.
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