Perfection. From the starting XI lineup, to Steven Whittaker’s lovely one-two with Wes Hoolahan, to the Hoolahan-Nathan Redmond link up, it was perfect. Sorry, Norfolk Cafu. There are so many positives, but here are three thoughts from the ever-shining Stadium of Light.
Neil knows
Manager Alex Neil deserves a lot of credit. He rightly deserves all the praise for the Championship promotion, but he’s carried that praise into the Premier League. Along with the beautiful, flowing football is Neil’s spotless away record.
But the original reason City fans fell in love with him was his ability to issue change if necessary. Following the rocky result v Crystal Palace, Neil wasn’t afraid to drop Bradley Johnson in favour of Redmond. And once again Redmond scored, giving Norwich an emphatic 0-3 demolition of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Redmond now has five goals in six matches. Cameron Jerome also started over Lewis Grabban, becoming a nuisance early on for the Black Cat backline.
Creativity flowing
Even against Palace, Norwich kept their creative juices flowing, churning up chances and causing problems for the opposition. The steady flow carried into today’s match, with City constantly battering the Sunderland defence like a battering ram during a medieval siege. Hoolahan had lovely stints on the ball, leading directly to two of City’s goals. Supporters love to bash Whittaker, but the Scotland international is a strong attacking presence going forward in the final third. His goal proved it.
Even in the midfield, Sunderland were second best and lackadaisical, leaving Norwich to roam free. Redmond’s goal was the prime example: City saw the home side not paying attention and Redmond pounced, with the pass from Hoolahan and a lovely tuck into the near post.
Setting the tone
Whether Canary fans wanted to mention it or not, some doubts after last match crept in looking ahead into this season. But after today, there’s a strong reason to believe Norwich can have a brilliant first season back in the top flight. And judging by the comprehensive master class, this can be a very exciting season to come…
