CAGED CANARY Pukki can’t beat awesome Aaron
NORWICH 0
AARON RAMSDALE showed why he has completed a remarkable rise from League One to a Premier League No.1 by denying Norwich their first away win of the season.
This time six months ago Ramsdale was helping AFC Wimbledon claw their way to survival in the third tier at Kingsmeadow.
But yesterday, the England Under-21 keeper once again caught the eye, producing a stunning second-half save to deny in-form Teemu Pukki.
Canaries boss Daniel Farke said: “It’s a great point – the first away point and the first clean sheet at this level is important.
“I’m a bit disappointed not to win though because we gained momentum in the second half.
“Teemu Pukki had a good chance and was denied by a world-class save from the goalkeeper.
“We were pretty close to all three points and that would have been massive at this s level .” Before kickoff, the Cherries and Norwich were the only teams in the Premier League yet to keep a clean sheet – but defences were f irmly on top in a forgettable first half.
Pukki must have thought he had grabbed the winner after 67 minutes, only to see his piledriver turned behind by the diving Ramsdale.
Bournemouth have now failed to win five of their six home games in all competitions – and Eddie Howe admitted they were far from their best.
Boss Howe said: “I feel for the neutral and I feel for our supporters today.
“We gave everything but it was not to be.
“We had enough ball but did not have our mojo in the final third and put mo m re crosses cro in the f final third as we got g more desperate to win. “That counteracted what we were trying to do. We needed to be a little bit more creative to try and open them up. We made some strange decisions.”
Farke was left to bemoan yet another injury as centre-back Ben Godfrey hobbled off five minutes into the second half.
Godfrey only underwent surgery on a groin problem last week and was rushed back as Norwich’s only fit central defender.
Farke said: “All my four centre-backs are injured.
“And with respect to Manchester City, even they would struggle with Gundogan and Silva at centre-back.
“Ben was worth the risk because he was class.”