Norwich City vs Bristol City – Match Preview
After a result which left some fans frustrated at the weekend, Norwich welcome Bristol City to Carrow Road on Tuesday night looking to win at home for the first time this season.
Bristol City travel to Norfolk in terrific form, mainly down to the goals of which Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham has contributed, having scored in every competitive game for the Robins this season. Bristol City currently lie second in the Championship after gaining maximum points so far, dispatching Championship newcomers Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion respectively, as well as beating League Two Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup First Round.
Norwich have got off to a brilliant start to their Championship campaign too, having ended a fourteen year wait for an opening day victory after demolishing Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and claiming a good point at the weekend against Sheffield Wednesday, a team I feel are promotion contenders.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since a 3-1 win for the Canaries in the Championship in March 2011 en route to Premier League promotion under then manager Paul Lambert.
It will be interesting to see the performance of Bristol City’s Ivorian striker Jonathan Kodjia having been linked with the Canaries to try to solve their striking problems. Despite interest from Norwich, Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has stated that Kodjia will not move to a fellow Championship team as Bristol City are looking to compete themselves.
Tuesday night’s game will also see the return of three former Norwich players: Gary O’Neil, Korey Smith, who came through the Norwich City academy, and the Bristol City skipper Aaron Wilbraham, who only scored two goals during his time with the Canaries.
Norwich will be without regular first choice goalkeeper John Ruddy for the match after injuring his groin at the weekend, which will allow Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern to make only his second competitive appearance for the club. According to the Eastern Daily Press, City Left Back Martin Olsson, Midfielder Graham Dorrans and Jacob Murphy will all be absent due to injury. This also means that the players could miss Sunday’s crucial East Anglian derby away to Ipswich Town.