Norwich City: 5 Observations from Chelsea Draw
Norwich City can be proud of their performance to secure a 0-0 draw against Chelsea. There are some key observations from the game for the Canaries. This was a true team performance and there were a number of big performances.
With that in mind, I have compiled this slideshow. Enjoy the review and let me know what you think.
Finally, a Clean Sheet
1 of 5Norwich City have had improved defensive displays in recent games. In general, the team has only conceded one goal in these games. However, finally the Canaries produced a complete defensive performance.
If the club can continue to have a settled back four, then further clean sheets should arrive in the coming games. The central defensive unit of Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala certainly has a lot of promise.
Anthony Pilkington Can Cause Even the Top Teams Problems
2 of 5Norwich City spend a decent amount of the game defending, but they looked to get out when they could.
Anthony Pilkington was often the man the team looked for. The winger managed to get in behind the Chelsea defence on a number of occasions. His final ball often let him down, but the point is he caused the Chelsea defence problems.
This was quite impressive for a player that was playing League One football last season. With a bit more experience in the Premier League, Pilkington can be a real standout performer. International recognition may follow before long, but for now Norwich City can enjoy the abilities he has to offer.
Grant Holt Is Not for Sale
3 of 5Paul Lambert could easily have started Simeon Jackson with Steve Morison, but knew that would be an unwise move. We are in the middle of the transfer window here, and Rangers have already expressed an interest in the Norwich City captain.
Grant Holt on the bench would signal to certain people that he is being protected from injury for a likely transfer. This is certainly not the case and Holt remains an integral part of the team. It was another all-action display from the player, and certainly not the body language of someone looking for a move.
Could John Ruddy Be Heading to the Euros?
4 of 5John Ruddy put on another superb performance in the Chelsea game. Fabio Capello does not have many options, so he cannot continue to ignore Ruddy's talent.
Paul Lambert certainly shares the view that his goalkeeper has the ability to play for England. However, it remains to be seen if Ruddy could get a seat on the plane. If Norwich can continue to improve their defensive performance and keep a few more clean sheets, anything is possible.
It's Not Always Necessary to Be Statistically Dominant to Pick Up a Result
5 of 5A lot of people have mentioned that Chelsea dominated all the major statistics in the game. However, the same could have been said in the game against West Brom.
However, it is important to be efficient as well as dominant. Norwich City understands the importance of that. This organized team again picked up a vital result against the odds. So this can continue because there are no prizes for being dominant.
