Aston Villa will be looking to pick up some key points this weekend, as Dean Smith’s side travel to face Norwich City.
The Canaries have lost their last two on the road, but return to Carrow Road for the first time since their huge win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Villa will be looking to bounce back after dissapointing results against Burnley and Arsenal as of late.
To get a better understanding of the Canaries, I spoke to Daniel Emery of Read Norwich, and asked him several questions about the Canaries.
Norwich shocked the world when they beat Manchester City recently. How did Farke manage to outsmart Pep Guardiola?
Essentially, he knew they would dominate the ball and create chances, but he set up his side to force them into crossing situations – as he knew that’s where they were least likely to score from, especially without De Bruyne on the pitch. Mix that with some excellent build-up play and a slice of luck and there’s your three points.
Teemu Pukki has been a revelation so far this season, what makes him so good?
His movement. He’s a great finisher, but there are plenty of them in the Premier League. What sets him apart is his ability to make runs at exactly the right time and into the perfect positions to put him in goalscoring situations. His ability to tee up his teammates is also often overlooked, as he always seems to know where his fellow attackers are without even looking.
Other than Pukki what other players could cause Villa problems on Saturday?
Emi Buendia, for sure. He has been Norwich’s biggest creative outlet this season, with four assists to his name, and will be the player they will look to on Saturday to break down Villa’s defence.
Which Villa star do you think could be the biggest threat against Norwich?
An obvious one, but Jack Grealish. Norwich could have Grant Hanley at the back and he’s been questionable when it comes to player with quick feet and a turn of pace this season, which is a category Grealish certainly falls under. He could cause a lot of problems for Norwich’s defence.
Last season in the Championship, Norwich got the better of Villa on both occasions. Do you reckon we could be in for a repeat of this on Saturday?
It’s a hard one to call, with a number of key Norwich players still doubts for the game. Norwich could be starting with Michael McGovern in goal, who was not good enough to start in the Championship, and Hanley, who has struggled in all of his Premier League appearances this season. However, anything is possible with the attacking prowess Norwich possess.
Finally, what is your score prediction?
2-2.
