When they were relegated from the Premier League last season, Norwich City stood by manager Daniel Farke. They remained loyal with their boss who got them promoted from the second tier in 2019, and the German could be set to lead them to the Championship title once again.
At the halfway stage of the season, the Canaries had a four-point cushion at the top of the Championship table ahead of Swansea who head the rest of the pack. They have won 14 of their 23 matches and if they continue their points per game ratio over the next few months, they should gain promotion.
Farke deserves a lot of the credit for his team’s success. Just like two years ago, Norwich has been very strong going forward. Although they are not the league’s leaders in goals – that position belongs to Blackburn Rovers – the Norfolk-based club are still formidable going forwards and top the xG charts.
Although expected goals don’t decide a league table, the stats make for positive reading for fans of the Canaries. They now have EFL Championship odds of 17/10 for the title, while they are much shorter at 4/9 to gain promotion.
Emiliano Buendia, Todd Cantwell and Mario Vrancic work so well collectively behind striker Teemu Pukki. Their energy is very impressive and what it does is keep the opposition on the back foot for large parts of the game.
With the help of full-backs Max Aaron and Jacob Sorenson, Norwich are able to stretch the opposition. They can do that as Oliver Skipp, who is on loan from Tottenham, and Kenny McLean provide Farke with protection if their side lose possession in the process.
Positive Away From Carrow Road
One thing which is striking from Norwich’s results this season is they have been able to pick up a lot of points on the road. The Canaries have won five of their last seven Championship games away from home, including a 2-1 victory over Reading.
Many managers are happy to settle for a point on the road but it appears the German is not one of them. In that stretch of seven matches away, Norwich have not drawn a game. This suggests Farke is taking those extra risks in order to gain the rewards on offer.
Norwich are capable of having success in many ways. One of those is through the pace they have in their side. This has been used very well to counter-attack away from home. Cantwell in particular has been used to lead an attack from his own half. Teams have struggled to stop these breakaways which is one of the reasons the league leaders have done so well on the road.
Farke Unlikely To Allow Complacency
Farke will be fully aware there is a lot of football to be played this season so his biggest challenge will be to keep his side focussing on the next game and not looking at the bigger picture.
Norwich have a squad which is equipped to deal with any injuries which may occur over the next five months. However, Farke will be hoping not to lose any of his key players. Management of his squad when fixtures come fast may prove to be crucial.
If successful at the end of the campaign, Norwich will become the first team to make an immediate return to the Premier League as champions since Newcastle managed to do so in 2017.
