After a year of absence from the Premier League, the Canaries are back after crushing it in the Championship. The German coach Daniel Farke has inspired the Canaries to an instant return to England’s top flight with 97 points from 46 matches played in their 46 EFL Championship fixtures. They won 29 matches, drew 10, and lost 7. They scored 75 goals and conceded 36 goals. Norwich is coached very similarly to some of Germany’s top sides. Daniel Farke’s principles of play are not only reliant on possession and width, but quick transitions, pressing and simultaneous verticality.

Despite having the vertical, quick attacking transition mindset, Norwich also keep more possession than any other team in the Championship. The fullbacks also push up quite high in the press, often past the central midfielders, providing additional cover in wide areas. The key to this approach is that the attackers are the first line of defense. Norwich conceded the least amount of fouls per game this season. Norwich also succeeds in using their pace and power on the dribble to advance past opposition defenses. Teemu Pukki’s movement is also exceptional, which massively helps a team who want to attack quickly in this manner. The players who seemed to be the regular core and starter are, Pukki, Cantwell, Mclean, Hanley, Gibson, Aarons and Krul. The team seems to be too strong for the 2nd division while being too weak to compete in the top flight!

The champions of the English second-tier sit rock bottom of our Season Ticker in the opening month, having been handed a nightmare start. They will host 2019-20 champions Liverpool in their opening Premier League fixture before traveling to champions Manchester City a week later, with Leicester City to follow before the September international break. It’s difficult to know which incarnation of Arsenal will turn up when the Canaries welcome the Gunners to Carrow Road in Game-week 4. Daniel Farke’s troops have some respite from Game-weeks 4-7, at least, with fellow new boys Watford to come as well as Everton, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley.

• FIRST SIX FIXTURES: LIV | MCI | LEI | ARS | WAT | EVE
• POSSIBLE TURNING POINT: WAT (GW5)

Goal Keeper: I can’t see GK Gunn usurping Krul (£4.5m) in goal but pre-season will tell us more. Gunn is the £4.0m GK who could possibly challenge 33 years old Krul, who have started 36 matches and kept 17 clean sheets on their last championship campaign.

Defense: The defense already has question marks over it and considering they had the least clean sheets with 5 in the 2019/20 Premier league. With Tim Krul in goal and Grant Hanley (£4.5m) at centre-back, Norwich has two experienced Premier League players that not only eased their way through the season but could be key again in the top flight. As far as the LB is concerned young Spanish LB Quintilla returned to Villareal, so I’m assuming Giannoulis (£4.5m) who competed with him at the end of the season will take that spot. The Canaries regular starter RB, 21 years old Max Aarons (£4.5m) scored 2 goals and 2 assists in his 45 matches for his club.

Midfield: Norwich has a youthful energy that emulates the club’s philosophy to promote young players from within. Ben Gibson (£4.5m), Kenny McLean (£5.0m) and Todd Cantwell (£5.5m) all have Premier League experience. Dowell (£5.5m) has the best stats as a mid but he is not their regular starter. Cantwell’s form is going very poor nowadays and he’s no longer the £4.5m mid he was in 19/20.

Forward: The thirty one years old Finnish striker Teemu Pukki (£6.0m) netted 26 goals with 4 assists in 41 matches this season, finishing as the league’s third highest scorer. It’s worth saying that Pukki’s stats are not that bad but although he started well in the Premier League he faded badly. The Finland international hit 11 goals in Norwich’s previous Premier League campaign, over half of which came in the first five Game-weeks. He’ll probably miss Buendia the most.

Set Piece Takers: Norwich City was heavily dependent on Buendia and Pukki for their set piece duty, but after the departure of Buendia, the Canaries have become very much unstable from their mid to front and as well as on their set piece taking capability.

• Penalties: Pukki, Hugill
• Direct Free Kicks: Dowell
• Corners: Dowell, Placheta, Kenny McLean

FPL Prospect: Teemu Pukki (£6.0m), Grant Hanley (£4.5m), Max Aarons (£4.5m), Tim Krul (£4.5m).

Player to Avoid: Todd Cantwell (£5.5m).

Must Pick: None.

By Ahmed ShanTonu

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