Coventry City's Matt Grimes transfer outlay will be justified if QPR trend continues | OneFootball

Matt Grimes helped the Sky Blues earn three points against Queens Park Rangers at the CBS Arena on Tuesday night.

Coventry City only made one new signing during the January transfer window, but the early signs suggest that it could have been a vital one.

The Sky Blues completed a deal to sign midfielder Matt Grimes from Swansea City towards the end of the winter window, after Football League World had exclusively revealed that the Swans were demanding a £3.5 million fee for the 29-year-old.

Grimes has since debuted for his new club, having been brought off the bench by Frank Lampard during the home defeat against Leeds United, before he was handed his first start against Queens Park Rangers at the CBS Arena on Tuesday night.

Coventry secured a vital three points against the Rs courtesy of an injury-time winner from defender Bobby Thomas, which has left them on the cusp of the top-six with a spot in the Championship play-offs at the end of the season now seeming like a real possibility.

Having a player with the level of quality and experience that Grimes possesses will be crucial for Coventry in their pursuit of the play-offs, so it was no surprise that he showed a glimpse of what he is capable of during the game against QPR.

Grimes will hope that QPR trend can continue

Grimes played 90 minutes for the first time since joining Coventry against QPR in midweek, and his performance provided the supporters with an idea of what he is going to be able to bring to the side.

No player on the pitch had more touches of the ball, as he helped to make things tick for the Sky Blues during a game in which they enjoyed 60% of the possession.

Grimes stood out on the ball for the hosts as he comfortably made the highest number of accurate passes during the game with 60, as per FotMob. Thomas was the player who came closest to the midfielder, completing 45 accurate passes on the night.

That stat can often be misleading, especially when a team spends large parts of the game in possession of the ball, as passes can be racked up when the centre-backs and midfielders are knocking it around between themselves waiting for an opening, but that was not all that Grimes was doing on Tuesday night.

The 29-year-old completed the highest number of passes into the final third during the game with 12, providing opportunities for his side to get on the attack, which is exactly what Lampard would have been hoping for when Grimes was brought to the club.

Lampard will hope Grimes can build on his first start

Lampard will no doubt have taken huge encouragement from the fact that Grimes was able to dictate things in the way he did so early into his Coventry career.

As a result, Coventry supporters should have hope that he can build on his positive start and make even more of an impact during games to come.

Grimes was booked just after the hour mark against QPR, which may have contributed to him losing a few more duels than he would have liked, so he may be able to have more of an impact out of possession during the remainder of the season, even if it is not the standout element of his game.

There will be plenty more important games for Coventry between now and the end of the season as they hunt a top-six finish, but if Grimes can make his performance against QPR the benchmark and help the Sky Blues reach the play-offs, he could well justify his price-tag within six months of joining the club.