WINNER DESERVES AN EMI AWARD!
NORWICH City manager Daniel Farke hailed a finishing masterclass as Emi Buendia’s first goal for the club secured a win over Brentford at Carrow Road.
The Canaries could afford to miss a penalty as they made it three straight wins – and seven in nine league matches overall – to move up to third in the table.
Buendia scored what proved to be the only goal in the 34th minute as he latched on to Timm Klose’s superb through ball and flicked it home with a stylish first-time finish.
It should have been 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when Ollie Watkins’ block on Max Aarons was spotted by referee Oliver Langford, but Jordan Rhodes’ poor spot-kick was comfortably saved by Daniel Bentley.
Asked about Buendia’s huge contribution, Farke said: “In situations like that, when players are chasing a long ball, they usually take a touch.
“But Emi has shown his class by taking it first-time and beating the goalkeeper. It was a goalscoring masterclass. He is a player with great technical ability and you saw it there. But he also works very hard for the team and I am so pleased for him that he now has his first goal.”
Farke was delighted with another three points, adding: “To have come back from the international break and taken nine points from three games is very pleasing, especially when you consider the quality of the opposition.”
Norwich would have paid for their penalty miss had Brentford taken their big chance midway through the second period – but top scorer Neal Maupay fluffed his lines horribly.
Tim Krul did well to keep out shots from substitutes Said Benrahma and Lewis Macleod but the net was gaping when Maupay latched on to the second rebound. But, from just outside the sixyard-box, the French striker lost his footing on the greasy surface and smashed the ball against the crossbar when it looked easier to score. With less than eight minutes remaining Norwich finally worked another chance of their own, but with a clear sight of goal an overlapping Todd Cantwell could only fire weakly at Bentley.
Brentford forced a couple of late corners but the hosts saw out the game with the minimum of fuss.
New Brentford boss Thomas Frank is still waiting for his first point after three games in charge – but is convinced the tide will turn soon.
“The result was very harsh on us – to me it should have been a 1-1 game,” he said. “At the moment things are going for Norwich and we are suffering. At the start of the season it was the other way around, when everything was going for us and Norwich were suffering.
“But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. This is all part of football and you have to deal with it. We will keeping working hard and if we keep playing like we did today, and against Bristol City last week, we will start winning games again soon.”