- Norwich draw for the first time in 18 league matches under Clement
- Mattsson’s OG was first conceded in the second half of league game for 14.
- A look at how each of the starting XI performed in draw with Pompey
Norwich City were held to a draw in the Championship for the first time since their 1-1 draw with Preston North End in December against Portsmouth on Good Friday.
An 84th-minute own goal from Pelle Mattsson, who was of interest to Pompey last summer, meant that the relegation battlers came away from Norfolk with a point, despite the home side being the favourites heading into the game.
That came after the Danish central midfielder scored his second goal in as many games with a brilliant strike in the first half, taking a touch and finding the bottom corner from Paris Maghoma’s cross.
From the team news before the game, it was not a total shock when the starting line-up came out and Philippe Clement had fielded a patchwork XI.
The changes Norwich had to make against Portsmouth
The Belgian head coach had to change both of his starting centre-backs from the 1-0 win over Charlton at The Valley before the international break, as Ruari McConville was injured and Jose Cordoba needed a rest.
That meant that Harry Darling and Jakov Medic, the centre-back pairing that played during the worst period of the season under Liam Manning, had to come in.
Ben Chrisene’s return to training came too late for him to be thrown in as a starter, which meant that Norwich continued with Kellen Fisher out of position at left-back.
Anis Ben Slimane and Ali Ahmed’s involvement in Tunisia’s clash with Canada on Wednesday morning meant that they both missed out, leaving Jacob Wright and Oscar Schwartau to fill in.
Ultimately, there were too many round pegs in square holes for the Canaries, who fell short of the high standard they have set in recent months.
Norwich player ratings vs Portsmouth
It was an underwhelming performance by Norwich, who only registered two shots on target in the match, and several players did not do their chances of starting against Millwall any favours.
The defence
Vladan Kovacevic (GK): 6
Norwich’s number one had a quiet afternoon between the sticks. There was one decent save from a free-kick in the first-half, but it was fairly routine, and he had no chance when Mattsson fired the ball into his own net.
Liam Gibbs (RB): 5
You cannot fall Liam Gibbs for his work rate and effort, particularly out of position. However, his ability on the ball left far too much to be desired, completing just 54% (14/26) of his attempted passes.
Harry Darling (CB): 6
Stepping in for McConville, Harry Darling did not do much to stand out positively or negatively. He did not make any major mistakes defensively, but the Englishman could have been more proactive with the ball at his feet.
Jakov Medic (CB): 5
Handing out a rating of five to Jakov Medic feels harsh because it was not his fault. He is not a left-sided centre-back who should be tasked with playing out from the back.
The Canaries sorely missed a natural left-footed player in the defence, which led to too many negative passes from Medic, who was not comfortable on his left foot.
Kellen Fisher (LB): 6
Another player playing in a position that he is not entirely comfortable in. Kellen Fisher did try to drive forward with the ball at times, but, like Medic, lacked the natural instincts in possession for the position that he played.
The midfield
Pelle Mattsson (CM): 7
Mattsson became the first Norwich player since Shane Duffy in October 2023 to score a goal and an own goal in the same match, per NCFC Numbers on X.
The all-action midfielder denied himself the Player of the Match award with Portsmouth’s equaliser, but it was still a strong display on balance.
Kenny McLean (CM): 6
The captain, Kenny McLean, did not have his best afternoon in a Norwich shirt. He attempted a whopping 23 long passes, more than he did in the previous two matches combined (16).
It was a symptom of the overall problems with the patchwork nature of the squad, but the constant long passes and punts forward disrupted the flow of the attack.
The attack
Paris Maghoma (RW): 7.5
Paris Maghoma, despite not being at his glittering best, is my Player of the Match for this game because he was at the heart of everything that went well for the Canaries, even if that was not much.
The former Brentford midfielder, playing out of position on the right flank, played an instrumental role in Mattsson’s goal, whipping in a cross that fell to the Dane’s feet.
Jacob Wright (AM): 7
Jacob Wright was another player playing out of position, as a number ten in this case.
The English midfielder, however, produced an impressive display, linking up play nicely when the team could find him in the middle of the park.
Oscar Schwartau (LW): 6
Oscar Schwartau was thrown straight into the starting line-up after recovering from injury and did not look miles off the pace.
The Danish youth international made a few eye-catching runs down the left wing in the first half, but his performance, much like the team’s, sizzled out as the match wore on.
Mathias Kvistgaarden (CF): 5
It is hard not to feel sorry for Mathias Kvistgaarden, who was signed to play as part of a front two under Manning, as another game passed him by.
The Danish striker completed five passes and failed to register any shots on target in 63 minutes on the pitch, and he could be dropped for Mohamed Toure for Monday’s clash with Millwall.
