Football Season Guide

Norwich wasted no time in returning to the Premier League following their relegation in 2019/20, as Daniel Farke’s side demonstrated extraordinary consistency in the Championship and went all the way to the title after winning 29 of their 46 matches. Norwich registered the second-best scoring tally in the league, as well as the second-best defensive record and the highest points total in Championship since 2018. The Canaries have been particularly active in off-season. They signed Werder Bremen winger Milot Raschica, who could add more creativity to their attack, and made permanent the loan deals of Ben Gibson and Dimitrios Giannoulis, both of whom stood out in defence last term. Midfielder Pierre Lees Melou and goalkeeper Angus Gunn arrived to add depth to the squad, while promising midfielder Billy Gilmour joined from Chelsea on loan. They also signed striker Josh Sargent to complement 31-year-old Teemu Pukki in attack. The only major departure was that of Emiliano Buendia to Aston Villa, given that the midfielder was considered their finest player last season. Farke is using a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their main strength being that their defenders are able to play out from the back and the team can dominate the ball, having averaged the highest possession of any team last season (58.3%). Following Buendia’s departure, Norwich will be weak in midfield if they don’t sign a Premier League level ball carrier.