Norwich City 2021-22 Premier League Preview
Can City stay in top flight?
After winning the EFL Championship at a canter last season, Norwich City are gearing up for another year in the Premier League. They only lasted one season when they were last in the top tier following promotion, but can Daniel Farke’s men survive this time?
The Canaries have been busy in the transfer market, already bringing in seven new players. A whole host of old faces have left Carrow Road, too. As you expect, City are one of the favourites for the drop, but can they prove their doubters wrong?
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Table of Contents
- 1 2020-21 Review: Canaries cruise to Championship title
- 2 2021-22 Fixtures: City open up against Liverpool
- 3 Norwich City Transfer News: Will Aarons head for exit door?
- 4 Who Are City’s Biggest Challengers: Can they stay up?
- 5 Watford Preview: Instant return for Hornets?
- 6 Brentford Preview: How will Bees fare in the big time?
- 7 Crystal Palace Preview: Tough test for Vieira?
- 8 Burnley Preview: Can Clarets continue to defy the odds?
- 9 Norwich players to watch out for in the 2021-22 season: Pukki to remain biggest goal threat?
- 10 Our Norwich City Predictions: Can Canaries avoid an instant return?
2020-21 Review: Canaries cruise to Championship title
After suffering relegation from the 2019-20 Premier League, Norwich wasted little time in getting back into the top tier. They actually made a sluggish start to life back in the Championship last term, opening up with one win, one draw and two defeats from their opening four matches.
After a 1-0 home loss to Derby County on 3rd October, the penny dropped for Farke and his boys. They went on a ten-game unbeaten run in the Championship, winning seven and drawing three. After a surprise 3-1 loss at Luton Town in early December, the Canaries went on another impressive run, this time winning five in a row.
Norwich were strong at the start of 2021, establishing their place at the top of the Championship table. They lost 2-0 to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium in early February but went on to win the next nine. They secured their spot back in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Derby in April. After two losses, Norwich ended their season with seven points from their last three matches to win the title
The Norfolk club were incredibly consistent all season long, winning 29, drawing ten and losing just seven of their 46 Championship games. They were the second highest scorers in the league, while only Watford shipped fewer. Norwich ended on 97 points, six ahead of the Hornets.
2021-22 Fixtures: City open up against Liverpool
Norwich start their 2021-22 Premier League campaign with one of the toughest tests of the season. On the opening weekend, Farke’s troops welcome 2019-20 champions Liverpool to Carrow Road. In their title-winning campaign, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds beat City home and away, scoring five and shipping one.
After hosting Liverpool, Norwich travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. They then take on Leicester City – who finished fifth last term – and European hopefuls Arsenal in the next two. The Canaries without doubt have the toughest start of any Premier League club.
In February, they face Liverpool and Man City in successive games once again. Their away campaign ends with a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Their final Premier League match of the season will see them entertain Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham Hotspur on 22nd May.
Norwich City Key Facts
- Norwich have been second-tier champions five times but have never won the top flight
- The Canaries have been League Cup winners twice
- City won the Championship title last season with 97 points to their name
- In their last PL campaign, Norwich finished rock bottom on just 21 points
Norwich City Transfer News: Will Aarons head for exit door?
Norwich have been busy in the transfer market already. They paid almost £10m to Werder Bremen for Milot Rashica, while Pierre Lees-Melou and Dimitris Giannoulis have also joined. The familiar faces of Ben Gibson and Angus Gunn have arrived from Burnley and Southampton, respectively, and Billy Gilmore has moved on loan from Chelsea.
In the other direct, Marco Stiepermann, Orjan Nyland, Alexander Tettey, Moritz Leitner, Josh Martin, Daniel Barden, Mario Vrancic and Josip Drmic have all departed. The club also failed to keep hold of star man Emi Buendia, who moved to Aston Villa for a whopping £38m fee. Norwich are fighting to keep hold of Max Aarons, who is reportedly a target for Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
Who Are City’s Biggest Challengers: Can they stay up?
Like any newly promoted team, Norwich’s main goal will be to stay up. They have won the Championship twice in the last three years but finished rock bottom of the Premier League in the 2019-20 season. The Canaries have not had back-to-back Premier League campaigns since the 2012-13 & 2013-14 seasons. In recent years, they have certainly been the yo-yo club.
Norwich are likely to be involved in a relegation battle this season, competing with the other two promoted clubs and several others. Who will be City’s main rivals this season?
Watford Preview: Instant return for Hornets?
Like Norwich, Watford also secured a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. After the harsh sacking Vladimir Ivic in December, their season could have gone either way. However, new boss Xisco Munoz made a strong start and never looked back.
After a win over Millwall on 24th April, Watford’s promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed. The Hertfordshire club ended up as runners-up, finishing six points behind Norwich. The pair battled to get out of the Championship together last term and are now set to be relegation rivals in the Premier League.
Brentford Preview: How will Bees fare in the big time?
After several failed attempts, Brentford finally booked their place in the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. They could and maybe should have gone up automatically, but Thomas Frank’s troops needed the play-offs to get the job done. The London side beat Swansea City in the 2021 Championship play-off final in May.
Frank has not revamped his squad, instead he has stuck with the players who go them to the Premier League in the first place. It remains to be seen whether that choice is the right one for their first ever PL campaign.
Crystal Palace Preview: Tough test for Vieira?
Patrick Vieira is back in the English capital after being appointed new Crystal Palace manager following Roy Hodgson’s departure. The former Arsenal man was a hero at Highbury, but how will he fare in London as a manager in the Premier League?
After a whole host of players headed for the exit door, the Palace team will look completely different this season. Vieira will be a busy man from now until the end of the transfer window. Can the Eagles avoid a relegation battle this term?
Burnley Preview: Can Clarets continue to defy the odds?
Since arriving back in the Premier League, Sean Dyche’s Burnley have done exceptionally well to have kept themselves afloat. Before a ball is kicked each year, the Clarets are among the favourites for the drop, and it is no different this pre-season.
Burnley have let a few of their old heads go in the summer, including Ben Gibson, who has signed for Norwich. Robbie Brady has also moved on after his contract at Turf Moor expired. The Clarets have proved the critics wrong in recent years – can they do the same this season?
Norwich players to watch out for in the 2021-22 season: Pukki to remain biggest goal threat?
Now Emi Buendia has moved on, the main man tag must go to Finland international Teemu Pukki. The 31-year-old was prolific in both of Norwich’s Championship-winning campaigns, and he scored five goals in his first five games when the Canaries were last in the Premier League.
The Finn is knocking on a bit these days, but his eye for goal remains as deadly as ever. In the 2020-21 Championship, only Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Blackburn Rovers’ Adam Armstrong scored more goals than Pukki. If Norwich do stay up this season, Pukki would have surely played a pivotal part.
Our Norwich City Predictions: Can Canaries avoid an instant return?
After winning the 2018-19 Championship, Norwich found Premier League life tough going the following season, going on to finish bottom with just 21 points to their name. However, they dusted themselves down pretty quickly to get back in England’s top tier at the first time of asking.
Before a ball has been kicked, many bookies have Norwich as their favourites for relegation. Watford and Brentford – the two other promoted teams – have also been tipped for a season of struggle. Elsewhere for the drop, Crystal Palace are priced at 2/1, Burnley at 5/2, and Newcastle United are currently available at 12/5.
No matter which way you look at it, this will no doubt be another tough season for Farke’s Canaries. Having said that, they would have gained invaluable experience over the last few years. Paddy Power have City priced at 10/11 for relegation and 4/5 to stay up. In truth, it could go either way.
