Manchester United’s bid for Champions League football was kept alive after a 1-0 win at Carrow Road which saw Norwich slip closer to Premier League relegation.
Juan Mata has formed a habit finding the net against Norwich – he had scored four times against them for United in the Premier League before this encounter. And here was the Spaniard scoring the goal that might well have dispatched the Canaries to the championship.
Norwich had 18 minutes to do what they had not managed to in their three previous games — score — but once more they failed to do so.
The Canaries’ fate could be decided as soon as Wednesday, when they host Watford.
The hosts began with intent, a strong early spell coming between injury blows for the visitors.
Anthony Martial was ruled out during the warm up and, after 16 minutes, Matteo Darmian departed on a stretcher with an apparent ankle injury.
The Canaries played at high intensity and with purpose.
United were woeful for the first half. Pedestrian, dull, insipid. A glimpse at how the team lined up when they won a corner speaks volumes for their lack of ambition. They stationed two players on the halfway line, defending against the breakaway and two other players lurking close to the corner taker. In other words, against a side which
has one of the worst records at defending set pieces in the Premier League, they put just five players in the Norwich.
And then came Mata’s moment. Wayne Rooney, completely confused Sebastien Bassong as they both made for a routine clearance. With the Frenchman marooned, he ran into box, checked and played in Mata, who slammed home. It was a stunning counter attacking goal, which went against much of what we had seen.
United now head to the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday with the odds still favourable. For Norwich, Wednesday’s game at Carrow Road against Watford now looks more critical as they seek for survival in the Premier League.
