Norwich City vs. Manchester United: Fearless Canaries Pose Threat to United

It was looking bleak for Norwich City after a 4-1 loss to Chelsea on Oct. 6, but the defense that abandoned the Canaries in the early going has reappeared.

It makes for a close-knit affair against Premier League leader Manchester United on Saturday at Carrow Road.

Norwich has allowed just one goal in its last four EPL clashes since the loss to Chelsea, including a 1-0 victory over Arsenal, spurred by defender Sebastien Bassong.

Bassong made it clear that the Canaries won't back down from high-powered United, via ESPN:

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Whether it is Robin van Persie], [Wayne] Rooney, [Danny] Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, no matter who is up front, they will be quality. Manchester United can scare some people before the game has started, but I am sure it will not be the case with us.

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While United has scored a league-high 29 goals, the defense by the Canaries lately, combined with the fact that United hasn't been top-notch on defense this season, makes for an interesting matchup on Saturday.

Norwich has had trouble scoring all season (eight goals, second-to-last in the EPL), but the Canaries can take some solace in the fact that United just conceded two goals in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa last week. Coming into the match, Aston Villa had scored just eight goals in 10 Premier League matches.

It's important for United to note that this just isn't a gimme game—particularly as it's at Carrow Road. The Norwich squad that took the pitch against Chelsea has undergone a swift transformation on defense, and another brilliant performance could make things interesting.

Obviously, Norwich is going to have to play its best game of the season on both sides of the ball to be within range of shocking United, or matching the EPL leaders, but it's not as far-fetched as it may seem.