What happened on Saturday at Carrow Road is one of the primary reasons why we love football, even if Manchester City fans feel somewhat differently towards this statement. By contrast, disbelieving fans of Norwich City must be pinching themselves to believed what they witnessed, as their club’s 3-2 victory marks the biggest sensation in the Premier League season thus far.

The newly-promoted team were supposed to be no-hopers, with bookmakers in Britain quoting them at a staggering 20 to 1 in a two-horse race. This team filled with injuries offered the worst defensive record in the league, and no one expected them to perform well against the lethal attack of Manchester City who has been unbeaten since late January against Newcastle. Norwich City has only managed to spend £1.4 million during the summer transfer window, while Manchester City cost nearly £1 billion when you accumulate the cost of each player in the squad.

Norwich City’s Incredible Achievement

The impossible mission that Norwich City had to face on Saturday quickly transformed into a victorious day which we consider to be one of the most dramatic matches in recent years. So, how exactly did this happen? Was Manchester City that bad or Norwich City that good? The answer probably involves a bit of both, even though most of the explanation can be found in the exhilarating performance portrayed by the home side, who managed to pull off a unique tactical trick that no one knew was part of the team’s repertoire.
Norwich is usually a front-foot, bold team, moving the ball exceptionally quickly to create more chances for Teemu Pukki who is their ace scorer. The defence has always been seen as an optional extra. However, this time around the manager requested that his squad close down every avenue and defend deep while facing Manchester City. This required three players, who made their very first league start, to play critical roles in this victory, including Alex Tettey, Ibrahim Amadou, and Sam Bryan.

Norwich City’s Clever Tactics

The covering and concentration by Norwich were so exemplary that Manchester City looked wholly flat and complacent. Kenny McLean managed to put Norwich City in front after only 18 minutes, allowing supporters of the team to start believing. The front four of Todd Cantwell, Marco Stiepermann, Emiliano Buendia, and Pukki ensured that all breaks were made with menace and craft, allowing Pukki to provide the second goal for Norwich City, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

When Aguero managed to pull one back, it seemed like everything would return to normal. However, an error made by Nicolas Otamendi allowed Pukki to score once again, taking place only 5 minutes after the start of the second half. The final score of 3-2 remained on the scoreboard, allowing Norwich City to defeat one of the most reliable team’s in the Premier League while claiming 3 points for their remarkable efforts. Let’s hope their performance continues to surprise people this year!