It is one of the age-old questions in football. Do you take the cup-tie seriously and try to get a cup run going and maybe sacrifice some league points, or rest players in the cup and focus on the league? That is what Alex Neil will have to decide, with a cup-tie against Premier League opposition West Brom travelling who Carrow Road. This occurs three days before a tough away trip to Upton Park where City face third-place West Ham.
Norwich have been on a great run of late since the international break. An impressive 3-1 demolition of Bournemouth at home was followed up by a deserved one-all draw at Anfield. Even though that crushing 0-1 defeat at home to West Brom last time City played them will stick in the mind of fans, their record against the Baggies has been good overall. The Canaries bested them 2-1 at the Hawthorns last time they faced them in the cup – an FA Cup tie in 2012. They also beat the Baggies in their own back yard in the league last season. Perhaps Norwich’s most memorable match against them was the 4-0 win that ensured survival in 2012-13 in the final home game of the season. Their record against the Baggies should give fans confidence.
West Brom currently lie twelfth in the table, with the same number of points as Norwich with eight. Goal difference is all that separates the sides. West Brom will be buoyed by their 1-0 away win at Aston Villa in the West Midlands Derby.
However, the main problem this season for West Brom has been goals. The Midlands team have only scored four times in seven games in all competitions. Of those four goals, one of them was against nine men Stoke, and another came from a deflection. They even struggled to break down League One club Port Vale in the second round of the cup, with penalties being required to advance after a 0-0 draw. I don’t expect them to trouble Norwich especially at the back, but that too depends on the side Alex Neil opts for.
Naturally, Tony Pulis put all of his best cards on the table for the derby at Villa Park Saturday. The Baggies are in a very similar boat to Norwich as far as league positioning and mentality towards the cup, so I am expecting a similar set up for both teams. A few starters, but mostly bench and fringe players looking to prove themselves against Premier League opposition.
Form (least to most recent):
Norwich City: W D L W D
West Brom: D L W D W
As mentioned before, Norwich are on form right now. The 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday really stamped their credentials as a quality Premier League team, and the 3-1 win over the Cherries before that gave them their first home win of the season.
West Brom did not get off to the best of starts, but are starting to pick up the pace. Away wins at Stoke and Aston Villa with a draw at home to Southampton sandwiched between them have seen them rise in the table. The defence has been the catalyst, not conceded in their last three Premier League fixtures.
Predicted Team:
I am expecting a weaker team from Alex Neil, but one that still has some good quality. Declan Rudd was terrific in the second round tie at Rotherham, and I expect him to be rewarded with another cup start. Martin Olsson should start to aid his injury recovery. I would like to see what Wisdom could do too, and Elliot Bennett has proven before he can do a job at right back. Alex Tettey is suspended with five bookings so far this season, so Dorrans against his old club and O’Neil seem like the logical defensive midfield pairing. Matt Jarvis is unable to play on Saturday against West Ham due to him being loaned from the Hammers, so it is reasonable to expect him to start. Redmond and Hoolahan must be on the pitch to create chances against the West Brom defence, and I think the big man Dieumerci Mbokani will start up top.
Verdict:
This matchup is going to come down to whichever manager puts out a better team. West Brom do not play in the league until the Monday night game against Everton, while Norwich are right back at it Saturday afternoon at West Ham. This gives Tony Pulis much more freedom to choose a strong lineup than Alex Neil. I still trust that Neil will be able to find a good balance with the team. We are playing at home, which should give us an edge.
I am going to go with my heart over my head and say that Norwich will win 1-0 in extra time. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
