2021/22 Premier League Preview – Norwich City

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Norwich City are back in the Premier League after just one season in the Championship. They must now learn from previous mistakes and attempt to cement their place in the top-flight.

• Manager: Daniel Farke

• Stadium: Carrow Road

• Last Season: 1st (Championship)

The Canaries only managed to win five of their 38 Premier League games in 2019/20. As a result, they finished 13 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

However, the Norwich hierarchy stuck with Daniel Farke – and the manager repaid their faith. Needless to say, they will be desperate to avoid a repeat of what happened last time.

• What Happened Last Season?

Norwich were the best team in the Championship by a considerable margin last term, losing just seven of their 46 games to finish six points clear at the summit.

Not only were Farke’s men the second-highest scorers in the second tier, but they also finished the campaign with the second-best defensive record in the division.

Once again, Teemu Pukki was the star of the show – chalking up 26 goals in 41 league appearances in 2020/21.

Players In

• Milot Rashica – Werder Bremen (£9.90m)
• Ben Gibson – Burnley (£8.37m)
• Dimitrios Giannoulis – PAOK Salonika (£6.75m)
• Pierre Lees Melou – OGC Nice (£5.40m)
• Anguss Gunn – Southampton (£5.27m)
• Flyn Clarke – Peterborough United (Undisclosed)
• Billy Gilmour – Chelsea (Loan)

Norwich appear to have made a number of shrewd signings over the summer, with players arriving from all across Europe.

Billy Gilmour also looks set to be an excellent addition to the squad. The Chelsea loanee starred for Scotland at Euro 2020 and will add class in the midfield area.

Players Out

• Emiliano Buendia – Aston Villa (£34.56m)
• Mario Vranic – Stoke City (Free)
• Philip Heise – Karlsruher SC (Free)
• Josh Martin – MK Dons (Loan)
• Daniel Barden – Livingston (Loan)
• Sebastian Soto – FC Porto B (Loan)
• Akin Famewo – Charlton Athletic (Loan)
• Sam McCallum– Queens Park Rangers (Loan)
• Daniel Sinani – Huddersfield Town (Loan)

The departure of Emiliano Buendia is the big story at Norwich this summer. It goes without saying that Farke will miss the Argentine’s presence in the team.

The gifted playmakers notched 15 goals and 17 assists in the Championship last season, underlining his quality.

• Norwich City’s Key Player

Teemu Pukki – It looks as though the Canaries will be relying heavily on Pukki once again this season, just as they did back in 2019/20.

Norwich netted a measly 26 goals in the Premier League last time around – and Pukki 11 of them. There is absolutely no denying that he is Norwich's main man.

• What Can Norwich City Achieve in 2021/22?

Ultimately, the Canaries’ main aim will be avoiding relegation this season. And with the experience of 2019/20 still fresh in the memory, they will be confident of finishing outside the bottom three.

If Norwich can learn from their previous mistakes, there is no reason why they can’t establish themselves as a solid top-flight side.