Norwich Thrash Manchester City 6-0 and Sink Them Further in Premier League 2 Table
Caught numerously in possession, a young and inexperienced Manchester City side faltered in the face of an aggressive Norwich City. This new-look Manchester City will end the year without recording a single win in the Premier League 2 this season.
They started the match with a high line, but soon Norwich demonstrated their experience by dominating long spells of possession, mainly playing in the home side’s half. Ken Aboh had the first chance in the game quite early from a Manchester City mistake inside the box, but the goalkeeper made a decent save.
Norwich always looked to stretch the Manchester City defense by playing long diagonal passes from deep into the wide areas, but when they didn’t have it, the ball the wingers became very narrow, forcing Manchester City to play wide where they found little joy. Wasteful in possession and too easy to play through when they had the ball, Norwich squeezed and capitalised on the spaces left, dominating most of the possession.
Manchester City’s Femi Fapetu came off injured early in the first half – replaced by Alfie Harrison who provided moments of positivity with his forward runs. Norwich’s pressure paid off when a frustrated Manchester City conceded a penalty via a handball by Kian Noble. Aboh, who had been causing problems for Manchester City’s defence by dropping deep into pockets of space, dispatched the penalty won on the stroke of halftime, coolly firing into the bottom left corner.
In the second half, City started bright and on the front foot, but it didn’t quite click for them in attack they were allowed to enjoy possession, but it ultimately did not bear fruit as they were constantly caught in transitions as Norwich efficiently pressed in packs. Taking advantage of chances in the second half, EFL Championship star Przemysław Płacheta dropped a shoulder, drove in from the left, and rifled one in past the goalkeeper doubling the visitors’ lead, announcing his return from injury in style.
The tension was then doubled as Tony Springer, confident from his first goal, scored his second of the game with a headed effort before substitute Joe Duff added his own brace to the score line. Approaching the end of the match, Placheta darted into the box to convert Norwich’s final goal of the match in a 6-0 thrashing in Manchester.
The Blues showed promise in the first half, but they fell apart in the second. They will now return in the new year playing away to Stoke City. Whilst Stoke City sit 19th in the table, City sit rock bottom in 26th place, having accumulated just six points from their first 10 matches.
By: Tyrese King / @TyreseKing17
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / James Gill – Danehouse / Getty Images