Norwich v Sunderland - Sat 16th April 12:45

[Whitechapel]

TEAM NEWS
Norwich City are likely to be without influential defender Timm Klose for Saturday's pivotal game against relegation rivals Sunderland.

The Swiss limped off during last week's 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace after jarring his knee, so Sebastien Bassong is expected to deputise.

Sunderland have a fully-fit squad, with Duncan Watmore returning to the matchday squad.

He has not featured since damaging ankle ligaments in early February.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• Norwich have won their last five league matches at home to Sunderland, and are unbeaten in 10 since a 3-1 top-flight defeat in March 1985.
• Sunderland last beat Norwich in a Premier League meeting at the Stadium of Light in February 2012. Their most recent win at Carrow Road was 4-1 in a League Cup second-round tie in 2009.
• There has been a red card in three of the last four Premier League meetings between the Black Cats and the Canaries.

Norwich City

• Norwich's three-match unbeaten run was ended by Crystal Palace last weekend.
• The Canaries are vying to earn successive home wins for only the second time this season.
• They earned eight points from the reverse fixtures against their remaining five opponents (W2, D2, L1). A repeat would give Norwich 39 points for the season.
• Alex Neil's side have conceded a league-high eight penalties this season. Sunderland are next with seven.

Sunderland

• They have gone six games without a league win, and their only victory in 11 attempts came against Manchester United two months ago (D6, L4).
• Sunderland have won just three of their last 27 Premier League away matches (D9, L15).
• The Black Cats have kept four clean sheets this season, the fewest in the division, and managed only one in their last 17 away games.
• They average a point per game under Sam Allardyce, losing half of his 24 league matches in charge (W6, D6, L12). Allardyce has never won at Carrow Road (D1, L2).
• Sunderland suffered five defeats out of six in the reverse fixtures against their remaining opponents.
• Jermain Defoe has scored nine goals in 13 Premier League away appearances this season.

 

[Hank]

Nervous about this. We really need to win, can't see it happening. 1-1

 

[JimJams]

Away win! Season on!

 

[mistermagic]

This will make or break the end of the season at the bottom. Norwich, the bottom 3 go down. Sunderland win they have a chance and so do Newcastle if they beat Swansea.

Sam to do what he always does and win when it matters.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Wow. Brave, brave call from Mariner there. Correct call though! 1-0 Sunderland!

 

[mistermagic]

Massive goal that.

 

[Art Morte]

That was a lucky penalty, but good for the match (and the relegation battle).

 

[DarkSithLord]

That was a lucky penalty, but good for the match (and the relegation battle).

Why? Looked a clear penalty to me?

 

[DarkSithLord]

2-0 BlackCats!

 

[Veggie Legs]

Probably a foul on Bassong in the build up but god knows what he was trying to do.

 

[Hank]

For fucks sake Defoe pass the ball.

 

[DarkSithLord]

3-0 game set and match.

 

[Art Morte]

The canaries will feel hard done by the referee, a foul lead to Sunderland's second and I thought one of the Kaboul-on-Mbokani penalty shouts was a penalty.

Why? Looked a clear penalty to me?

The call was correct, I meant lucky that there was contact. Both players were stretching for the ball and I think Wisdom actually first touched the ball. It wasn't really a tackle, even. But the contact was bad enough for it to be a penalty, yeah.

 

[FishyMackem]

Sunderland were very frustrating at times with the amount of long balls from defenders for Defoe to latch on to when running from behind the defenders but it did work better when it was tried by the midfielders further up the field which is a given obviously. Watmore was guilty of being a bit greedy at holding on to the ball too much in the second half but did very well for his goal. It could have been quite easily 4 or 5 nil to Sunderland by the end of it. Norwich were unfortunate with some of the decisions going against them but the first Sunderland goal was definitely a penalty and any higher up the leg and it would have been a red card too.