3 Surprising Statistics About Norwich City This Season

It's fair to say that Norwich City have endured a very mixed season so far.

There have been highs and lows, with wins over the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal compounded by heavy defeats at the hands of Fulham and Liverpool, in addition to an equal measure of elation and frustration as fans continue to wonder just what will come next.

But followers of Norwich City will know that the club like to keep everyone on their toes and that unpredictability is just part and parcel of supporting a football club.

Nine months of being put through the emotional wringer will all be worth it if Chris Hughton can ensure that Norwich City are a Premier League club once more this time next year, but with 12 games still left to play, fans can expect many more twists and turns yet. 

Here are some statistics so far from a campaign that has taught us to expect the unexpected.

Robert Snodgrass Leads the Way in Almost Everything

Robert Snodgrass has enjoyed a wonderful début season since joining the Canaries from Leeds United in the summer.

Snodgrass is just one of a number of players who have opted to jump ship from Yorkshire in favour of a move eastward in recent transfer windows, and how glad Norwich must be that he made that choice.

The Scot's impact at the club simply can't be underestimated, because everywhere you look—Snodgrass tops the list.

According to Whoscored.com, Snodgrass leads the way in the majority of the key individual stats, with his influence of an average of 1.4 successful dribbles per game and 2.3 shots per match the headline contributions. 

If that wasn't enough, Snodgrass has also managed to hit the most crosses in the Premier League to date, with 102 balls having been delivered into the box (EA Sports Player Performance Index) and shares the combined goal and assist leaderboard at Norwich City with Anthony Pilkington.  

But it isn't just in an attacking sense that the former Livingston trainee has thrived, with Snodgrass standing alone as the Canaries player to make the most tackles per game at an average of 3.0 (Whoscored.com).

Whichever way you look at it, the 25-year-old has been imperative to Norwich City, and Chris Hughton will be hoping that Snodgrass continues to deliver in the coming months. 

Norwich City Have Been Heavily Reliant on Set Pieces

Anyone who has watched Norwich City this season won't be surprised to learn that set pieces have played a starring role in many of the club's goals this season, but the extent of that reliance may raise a few eyebrows.

According to Whoscored.com, 12 out of the Canaries' 25 league goals this season have come courtesy of set-piece delivery.

That means that a staggering 48 percent of City's strikes this term have been created via this avenue, confirming that Chris Hughton's men have struggled to be effective from open play.

Only Stoke City have a higher average (50 percent) in the division, and without registering those 12 goals from set pieces, Norwich City would be 11 points worse off. 

It just goes to show how fruitful such a route has been for the Norfolk outfit during this campaign and how set pieces could yet prove to be literally worth their weight in gold come May. 

(Please note that the term 'set piece' doesn't include penalty kicks in this instance, and even if it did, Norwich City wouldn't be affected as they are yet to be awarded a spot kick this season!)

Discipline Has Improved Considerably Under Chris Hughton

Chris Hughton has put his own stamp on things this season, and the club's disciplinary improvement has been an obvious adjustment. 

It took the Canaries five games into the season to even pick up their first yellow card, with Jonny Howson becoming the first player to go into the book against Newcastle United. 

Since then, Norwich have seen yellow on 33 occasions (Squawka.com) but are still yet to have a player sent off.

Only Southampton and Reading can better that record at the time of this writing, meaning that Norwich City are among the most disciplined sides in the division.

Such statistics are in stark contrast to last season, when City finished with a total of 62 cards overall under Paul Lambert. 

Incidentally, Lambert's Aston Villa team currently top the card standings, with 54 yellows and two red cards having been issued to Villa players so far in this campaign. 

Coincidence or not?

The Best of the Rest

- Norwich City have let in a remarkable 16 goals in the four games that Sébastien Bassong has missed this season, meaning that the Canaries concede an average of four goals per game when the Cameroonian isn't on the pitch.

The 26-year-old wasn't a Norwich player when his future employers were smashed 5-0 on the opening day of the season at Fulham, and he also missed the 5-2 and 5-0 hammerings at the hands of Liverpool. Finally, Bassong was forced off thanks to an injury in the early stages of a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United. 

- Norwich City are one of only six teams yet to score a goal on the counterattack this season, according to whoscored.com.  

- Norwich City have averaged 43.6-percent possession this term, with only Sunderland, Stoke and Reading having had less of the ball.

- Grant Holt was the last Norwich striker to score for the club in a Premier League clash (in the 4-3 win over Swansea City), which means that a City forward hasn't hit the back of the net for 10 games now.

- Norwich City have currently registered 29 points and scored 25 goals from their first 26 games this season. At the same stage last year, the Canaries had gained 35 points and scored 38 goals. 

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