Matchday three of the Premier League season sees Mark Hughes’ Stoke City make the cross-country trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.
Both clubs have started the season in relatively positive fashion. Norwich are riding off the back of a very impressive 3-1 victory in the North-East over Sunderland, whilst Stoke will be filled with confidence, having battled back from 2-0 down to secure a hard-fought draw with Tottenham, springing them into the points on the Premier League table.
It could be said that the Canaries have opened up their Premier League campaign with a gracious fixture list: Crystal Palace and Sunderland are not of the same quality Stoke have had to face across the opening two weeks in Liverpool and Tottenham.
Though the table is a fickle beast so early in the season, it is necessary to note that Norwich sit in ninth place, with Stoke perched back in 13th. Both teams will aim to make this fixture somewhat of a kick-starter to provide a solid foothold for the season, moving into September.
Key Battle – Sebastian Bassong vs Mame Biram Diouf
The old ‘centre-back versus centre-forward’ battle may carry a rather large cliché, however, in this case it is vital to the outcome of this match.
Sebastian Bassong has been lambasted regularly for his defensive ailments, many calling his qualities into question and suspecting he does not possess the wherewithal to become a solid Premier League defender. Nonetheless, the Cameroon international showcased level-headed, sturdy defensive work against Sunderland. Bassong needs to re-create this form in order to tackle Stoke’s bustling Senegalese forward, Mame Biram Diouf.
Diouf has resurrected his sapling career under the guidance of Mark Hughes. Having endured a fruitless three-year spell at Manchester United involving loans to Molde FK and Blackburn Rovers, he set sail for the Bundesliga and became an unqualified success at Hannover 96, scoring 26 goals in 57 appearances for the Saxony-based outfit. Following his free transfer move to Stoke, Hughes installed faith in Diouf, allowing him to flourish with 12 goals last season.
The rejuvenation of Diouf only spells problems for Bassong in the heart of Norwich’s defence. Diouf provides both strength and pace down the centre of Stoke’s attacking line. Not only this, he can drift out to either flank and play on the wing when needed.
Early season indications point to Alex Neil preferring to utilise a 3-5-2 formation, again proving problems for Bassong. Russell Martin and Steven Whittaker will be entangled in battles against Marco Arnautovic, and possibly new Stoke recruit Xherdan Shaqiri. Bassong will need support from a deep lying Defensive Midfielder in order to be able to successfully neutralize the threat of Diouf.
This match-up will be intriguing to watch unfold. Diouf, on his day, can prove to present an almighty challenge to a defensive line. Bassong must be in top form if he is to rise up to the challenge, and offer a substantial performance.
Team News
Norwich City have no fresh injury or suspension concerns heading into this encounter. Youssuf Mulumbu remains on the sidelines after suffering a broken metatarsal in pre-season, whilst Martin Olsson and Kyle Lafferty have re-joined first team training, and are in contention to make their first appearances of the season.
The Potters similarly have a near-full strength squad for the trip down to East Anglia. Captain Ryan Shawcross is out for two months having undergone an operation on his back, but he is the only regular first-team player missing for Stoke. New signing Xherdan Shaqiri could make his first appearance for the club following his £12m move from Inter Milan.
Norwich City expected starting XI (3-5-2): Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin (c), Bassong, Brady; Redmond, Tettey, Dorrans, Howson; Hoolahan; Jerome.
Stoke City expected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Butland; Johnson, Cameron, Muniesa, Pieters; Whelan (c), van Ginkel; Walters, Shaqiri, Arnautovic; Diouf.
Head-to-Head
Norwich City and Stoke City have only met each other 49 times in competitive action – a very small amount given the time that these two clubs have been established.
Norwich City have won 16 of these meetings and Stoke have claimed the points on 18 occasions.
Both teams perform significantly better against each other when playing at home, if the statistics are to be believed. 12 of Norwich’s 16 wins have come at Carrow Road, while 15 of Stoke’s wins have been provided at the Britannia.
There have been 15 draws throughout the history of this encounter, so there is no outright advantage for either team in terms of history, and therefore much to play for.
[interaction id=”55d6a0e68db5195214257195″]
Previous Meeting – 8th March 2014: Norwich City 1-1 Stoke City
Norwich City lay in 15th at the time of this encounter, hot on the heels of Stoke City, who sat in 12th. This was a vital fixture for the Canaries, who were quickly becoming embroiled in a relegation battle at the foot of the table.
Following a goalless first-half, Bradley Johnson struck to give the home side the lead on 56 minutes.
Norwich’s momentum was then destroyed in the 75th minute, when a rash challenge from Sebastian Bassong gave Stoke a penalty, which Jon Walters duly converted.
Walters himself was then sent-off for the first time in his career. The dismissal came following a reckless knee-high challenge on Norwich midfielder Alex Tettey. The ten men of Stoke battled hard and secured a point, leaving Norwich ruing missed opportunities in front of goal.
Prediction
This game will, no doubt, provide an exciting, fast paced encounter for the neutral observer. Norwich will be looking to continue on from their impressive performance against Sunderland, whilst Stoke will want at capitalize on their unlikely point taken in North London last weekend. Each team will need to start the game fast out of the gate and provide a solid 90 minute performance. A draw seems the most likely outcome.
Prediction – Norwich City 2 Stoke City 2
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
