NOW NORWICH NEED AN EVEN BIGGER MIRACLE!
TWO defeats in six days and whatever little hope Norwich City had of extending their Premier League stay is vanishing, much like their forward line did from Daniel Farke’s starting eleven. The Norwich manager dropped his top two goalscorers, Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell, for the visit of Everton, along with his top assister, the impressive Emi Buendia. Why? The visit of Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday might have something to do with it but, ultimately, it did not help them one iota here. ‘An even bigger miracle,’ Farke said after being asked what his side, who are now six points from safety with seven Premier League games to go, need to survive. ‘After each time we lose the situation is not easier. We are not naive. We will keep going. As long as we have a chance we’ll keep going.’ For Everton, this victory, courtesy of a spirited second half and a Michael Keane header, lifted them to 10th. ‘We need to have a goal,’ manager Carlo Ancelotti said of targeting Europa League football. ‘The teams above us are not so far, but we have to run fast.’ Everton’s players, wearing pink, got off to a slow start. They allowed Norwich too much space at the back and the hosts came closest inside the opening 20 minutes when Onel Hernandez cut inside and shot from 18 yards. The attempt deflected off Seamus Coleman, but the post saved Jordan Pickford. ‘Close them down,’ came a shout from the Everton coaching staff. Hernandez was the most dangerous player of the first half. Shortly before the break, he zig-zagged his way into the box before failing to find a proper connection with his shot. Coleman, man of the match against Liverpool days earlier, had been kept busy by the Cuban. Goalless at half-time, Ancelotti decided to turn to Gylfi Sigurdsson, taking off the disappointing Tom Davies, and there seemed more of an urgency to their play. In the 55th minute, Everton won a corner, and Lucas Digne swung in a cross. Keane (right) rose highest among Norwich’s mannequins, directing a glancing header towards the far corner. With no man on the post and poor zonal marking, Everton had a lead they would never lose. Norwich tried in vain to get back into it as Pukki and Buendia were introduced with 20 minutes to save their side. But Everton were able to keep their first away league clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season. It really would be a miracle for Norwich now.
NORWICH (4-2-3-1): Krul 6; Aarons 6, Godfrey 5.5, Klose 5.5, Lewis 6 (Cantwell 87mins); McLean 5.5, Tettey 5.5 (Vrancic 79); Rupp 5 (Buendia 71, 6), Duda 5.5 (Pukki 71, 6), Hernandez 6.5 (Idah 80); Drmic 5. Subs not used: McGovern, Leitner, Stiepermann, Trybull . Manager: Daniel Farke 5. EVERTON (4-4-2): Pickford 6; Coleman 6.5, KEANE 7.5, Holgate 7, Digne 7; Iwobi 6.5 (Gordon 90), Davies 5 (Sigurdsson 45, 6.5), Gomes 6, Bernard 6.5 (Baines 87); Calvert-Lewin 6, Richarlison 6 (Kean 80). Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Virginia, Martina, Branthwaite, Baningime. Scorer: Keane 55. Booked: Kean. Manager: Carlo Ancelotti 6.5. Referee: Andrew Madley 6.