Norwich City aim to keep their recent winning streak going as they welcome Crystal Palace, who are desperate for positive results in the Premier League.
Norwich City and their manager deserve immense credit for their recent upturn in form. Their condition looked grim after their loss to West Ham in mid-January, although their good run of results began against Everton two days later. Smith masterminded a win over the Toffees at Carrow Road, followed by victory over fellow relegation candidates Watford.
Those two results have lifted them above rock bottom in the league table. While keeping the momentum in this relegation scrap remains in the hands of the Canaries, they have tougher opposition to face in the coming weeks, starting with a Crystal Palace side hungry to stay relevant in their mid-table battle.
Palace put a difficult January behind them with a win over Hartlepool in their FA Cup fourth-round clash. Last month, their only other victory came in the same competition against Millwall, as Michael Olise proved to be the star in both those encounters.
They played three times in the Premier League in January, losing twice and drawing to Brighton in the process. Those results have pushed them down the table to 13th place, denting their hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.
Patrick Vieira will be hoping for an upturn in form from his players and they can begin with a win over Norwich. The Canaries’ good form makes this an enticing contest between two of the most unpredictable teams in the division.
Team News & Tactics
Norwich City
Smith has a few injury-related problems to contend with heading into this encounter. Ozan Kabak, Tim Krul and Jacob Sorensen remain absent for the home game. There is significant doubt over Andrew Omobamidele, who is nearing a return but is unlikely to be back for Wednesday’s match.
? "Carrow Road can be a fortress for us. The crowd certainly help and get behind us to make it a tough place for other teams to come.”#NCFC | #NORCRY | @FootballManager ?
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) February 8, 2022
Lukas Rupp has returned to training and could be included in the squad, while the big doubt for the Palace clash is in-form attacker Josh Sargent. Although there could be a late assessment to determine his inclusion, the American pulled out of the FA Cup clash against Wolves.
As things stand, the former Werder Bremen striker only has an outside chance of making the squad, let alone the starting eleven. Sargent could be replaced by Przemyslaw Placheta, as Smith could be forced to revert to a 4-4-2 formation for this clash.
FA Cup matchwinner Kenny Mclean could partner Billy Gilmour in midfield, while Adam Idah and Teemu Pukki could form the front two. In central defence, Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley could form a partnership in the absence of Kabak, while Angus Gunn will replace Krul in goal.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2) – Gunn; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams; Placheta, Gilmour, McLean, Rashica; Pukki, Idah
Crystal Palace
Vieira will welcome some of his returning stars as he could field yet another strong lineup for the Norwich clash. Nathan Ferguson remains the only confirmed absentee, while AFCON champion Cheikhou Kouyate returns to the club. The Wednesday game could be a bit soon for the Senegal star, so he may sit this one out.
24 hours until kick-off ?
Who will be in the away end? #CPFC | #NORCRY pic.twitter.com/j1rWOnmKXj
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 8, 2022
There are still doubts over Wilfried Zaha’s fitness, which could see the attacker settle for a place on the bench. James Tomkins and James McArthur are big doubts, although a late assessment will determine their inclusion.
After a poor showing against Hartlepool in the FA Cup, Vieira could place Jean-Philippe Mateta back on the bench, favouring either Odsonne Edouard or Christian Benteke up front. There are no threats to the places of FA Cup hero Olise and right-sided wide man Eberechi Eze.
Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi could renew their partnership in central defence, while Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell could play as full-backs. Conor Gallagher is a sure starter on current form, with Will Hughes and Jeffrey Schlupp likely to play alongside the Chelsea loanee.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Butland; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Hughes, Schlupp; Olise, Edouard, Eze
Key Stats
- Norwich City have won 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions and remain on a 3-game winning streak.
- Norwich City have not won 3 consecutive games in the Premier League since 2012.
- Norwich City last beat Palace at Carrow Road in the 2013/14 season.
- Crystal Palace have failed to win 11 of their last 12 away games in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last 6 matches against Norwich City in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Michael Olise
After playing a key role in Palace’s two recent wins in the FA Cup, the youngster is already making his mark in 2022. He has lacked consistency for the team in the Premier League, but with his stature within Vieira’s ranks increasing steadily, one cannot doubt Olise’s ability to put in good performances in the top flight.
In the absence of Zaha, the teenager has adapted to become Palace’s main man in the last month and it appears he has taken the responsibility with aplomb. He has the chance against Norwich to show those FA Cup performances were no fluke and put in a match-winning display, which will help him keep his right-sided position in the team for the time being.
Prediction
Norwich City 1-2 Crystal Palace
The Canaries might come into this game in superior form than their opponents, but Crystal Palace still have the quality in their squad to beat the home side on Wednesday. While Norwich have more pressure to get a result than the Eagles, Vieira will be hoping to start putting together a consistent run of results starting this midweek.
With many of the AFCON players now back with the team, Vieira will have more options to choose from, thus significantly improving his depth. The overall quality of his team will be enough to triumph over the Canaries and end the home team’s recent good streak, despite Palace’s wretched away form this season.
