Norwich City become the first team to win The Deck’s Championship Team of The Week for a second time this season after Johannes Thorup’s side thrashed Hull City 4-0 at Carrow Road.Â
The Canaries previously won the award with a 4-1 win over Watford. Their good form has continued, as they have built on that result with seven points from three Championship matches, taking the Team of the Week award from Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough.
Youthful Ever-Presents Starring as Norwich City Move to Within Point of Play-Offs
It had been mentioned in the previous article that it was a difficult summer transfer window for Norwich City with key players departing but it is clear from the last three to four weeks that they have many talented players for the new manager to work with.
23-year-old Borja Sainz has now bettered his goal tally for the previous campaign and the team’s number seven has been one of the standout players in the division, leading the scoring charts alongside West Brom’s Josh Maja. His tally of seven league goals have come from an xG of just 4.5 so he is proving to be a real threat from the left of the attack.
Opposition defenders cannot seem to contain the Spaniard but also have to worry about the dangerous Josh Sargent. The 24-year-old American struggled in the Premier League after joining Norwich City in 2021 but he has proven to be an exceptionally skilled footballer at this level. His 16 Championship goals came from just 28 appearances in 2023/24 and he has improved the creative side of his game in the current campaign, averaging 1.1 key passes per game, and providing three assists in addition to his four goals.
Manchester City loanee Callum Doyle has proven that he is capable of playing at the highest level, with his versatility seeing him playing starring roles in the centre of and on the left side of defence. His 1.9 interceptions per game is a club-high and ranks him in the top ten for all players in the Championship in that metric.
The 21-year-old provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Hull City and that has taken him to a total of three goals created for his team-mates from a starting defensive role. Finally, defensive midfielder Marcelino Nunez is proving to be the perfect partner for the experienced Kenny McClean in the middle of the pitch.
The Chile international completes 2.3 tackles on average per game but it is his ability with the ball at his feet that is making him standout. The 24-year-old averages an incredible 2.4 key passes per game, creating the type of foundation needed to feed the ball to the in-form attacking players and the deep-lying midfielder took his Norwich City goal tally to seven since joining in 2022 with his goal against the Tigers.
Upcoming Fixtures and Future Prospects
Despite the excellent displays in front of goal, there must be a degree of caution when assessing their chances of promotion this season. It is still a very youthful side that has lost several key players. The manager, at 35 years old, is still inexperienced at this level and it is a big ask for them to compete with some of the club’s vying for a place in the Premier League.
There is enough quality in the starting line-up to beat any side comfortably on their day in the Championship as evidenced in the past few weeks. However, they fall short when compared to the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley in terms of depth as the season progresses.
They may not have enough to get promoted but this Norwich City side is as entertaining as any team in the second tier and with trips to Preston North End and Stoke City to come after the international, expect fireworks as neither side looks comfortable at the back in the opening nine matchdays.
