Norwich City cruised to their first win of the season as they convincingly defeated a hapless Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light.
The Canaries took the lead in the 26th minute through Russell Martin, with Steven Whittaker adding a second goal eleven minutes later to send City into the break with a commanding two-goal advantage.
Nathan Redmond notched the third early in the second-half to put the game beyond doubt, while Black Cats substitute Duncan Watmore netted a late consolation for the home side.
Outside 90’s Ryan Menezes takes a look at how each player who participated in the match – who made an impact and who struggled to take their opportunities.
Sunderland
Costel Pantilimon – 6: Made a fine early save to deny Jonny Howson, but could do little to stop Martin and Whittaker putting the visitors in control. The Romanian could have done better in his attempts to save Redmond’s second-half goal.
Billy Jones – 4: Offered an attacking threat down the right, but struggled to deal with Robbie Brady and gave the away far too much room throughout the match.
Sebastian Coates – 3: Looked all at sea in the first half and never got to grips with the physical play of Cameron Jerome. Made a couple of decent interventions but was too often found wanting.
Younes Kaboul – 3: Was well off the pace in the fixture and showed no ability to read the game. Made a few clumsy challenges and lacked positional awareness.
Patrick van Aaaholt – 2: An absolute liability for Advocaat’s men. The majority of Norwich’s threat came down his side of the pitch and he was unwilling to track back after raiding forward. Showed no positional sense and switched off for Norwich’s second and third goals.
Sebastian Larsson – 3: Struggled to get up to the speed of the game and his set pieces were poor. Passing was lacking as he and his fellow midfielders were over-worked and outmuscled in the middle of the park. His half-time substitution is all that needs to be said about his performance.
Yann M’Vila – 3: Had a bright start to his debut, showing aggression and willingness for a tackle while using the ball fairly well at times, particularly in the first-half. However, the Frenchman faded drastically after the first goal and was invisible after the break.
Lee Cattermole – 2: Struggled once again for the Black Cats in the middle of the park. He made mistakes for two of Norwich’s goals and failed to get control of the midfield.
Jeremain Lens – 3: The game passed him by apart from a couple of moments when his cross found Steven Fletcher and had a well-taken shot saved by John Ruddy. The Dutchman was booked for a poor first-half challenge.
Jermain Defoe – 3: Had no effect on the game whatsoever. He was starved of service in the first-half and was shifted out to the wing in the second until Duncan Watmore’s arrival.
Steven Fletcher – 2: Had a decent chance to reduce the deficit before the break, but his header wide. The Scotland international appeared to show very little, if any appetite for the fight throughout the contest.
Substitutes
Danny Graham – 3: Replaced Larsson at the break as Advocaat looked to add some offensive spark, however, could not find a way to break into the game.
Duncan Watmore – 7: The one Sunderland player to show a spark in the final-third and was rewarded for his endeavour with a goal on his Premier League debut.
Norwich City
John Ruddy – 6: Had little to do throughout the contest, but could not be blamed for failing to stop Watmore’s effort from finding the net.
Steven Whittaker – 8: Strong performance from the full-back as he was an attacking outlet throughout the match for his side and was rewarded with a goal. Defensively he stood up well to the test provided by Lens.
Sebastien Bassong – 7: Was booked early in the match for a poor challenge on Lens, but improved as the game wore on as he helped control the threat of Defoe with relative ease.
Russell Martin – 7: Strong presence at the back to deal with Fletcher, who he managed to nullify. Was slightly fortunate to hand his side the lead as the ball deflected off his body into the net.
Robbie Brady – 7: A constant threat for the Canaries down the left and his pinpoint cross led to Martin’s opener. His deliveries into the box caused all sorts of problems for the hosts as the home defence struggled to shut him down.
Graham Dorrans – 6: An easy afternoon for the Scotland international. He did not provide much for his team, but helped them control the middle of the park.
Alex Tettey – 7: The physical presence in the midfield to combat Cattermole and M’Vila. He did his job well as he often won the ball back to present it to his side’s creative players. A solid showing for the defensive-midfielder.
Wes Hoolahan – 8: An excellent performance from the midielder as he pulled the strings for Alex Neil’s men. He constantly put Sunderland on the back foot with the accuracy of his passing, as he always seemed to choose the right option with the ball.
Jonny Howson – 7: Solid enough for the Canaries in the middle of the park and helped support Jerome in the final-third. Saw one effort well saved by Pantilimon.
Nathan Redmond – 8: A constant thorn in the side of the Black Cats with his speed, opening up space for his teammates as a result of his direct play. His movement also caused the home side a number of problems, moving the ball toward goal with ease in the final third. Displayed good vision and finishing skills to net his team’s third goal.
Cameron Jerome – 7: Lead the line well as he caused plenty of problems for the Sunderland defensive duo of Kaboul and Coates. Won free kicks on a regular basis and dominated the physical battle around the 18-yard area. Came close to finding the net with a first-half effort from inside the box.
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Substitutes
Bradley Johnson – 6: Tidy 30 minutes from the midfielder as he helped ensure that his side held out for the three points.
Lewis Grabban – 6: Gave the Black Cats’ defence a few problems in the last 20 minutes of the match. His power and pace almost handed his side a fourth goal.
Gary O’Neil – 5: Did not have much time to make an impact as he arrived in the final minutes of the match.
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