AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten start in the Championship when they host Norwich City at Vitality Stadium on Sunday (4pm kick-off).
Jason Tindall’s team followed up their opening-day win over Blackburn Rovers with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last Saturday.
Daniel Farke’s Canaries triumphed 1-0 at Huddersfield in their Championship curtain-raiser before twice coming from behind to force a 2-2 draw against Preston at Carrow Road last week.
Ahead of the clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Paddy Davitt who covers the fortunes of Norwich for the Eastern Daily Press and The Pink Un.
NORWICH CITY IN PROFILE
Manager: Daniel Farke (appointed May 2017)
Club captain: Grant Hanley
Last game: Norwich 2-2 Preston North End (Championship)
Top goalscorer 2019/20: Teemu Pukki (11 in all competitions)
Premier League finishing position 2019/20: 20th
afcb.co.uk: Briefly summarise Norwich’s first two games in the Championship?
They are two unbeaten, like Bournemouth, but it's been more about character and resolve than free-flowing football at present.
It's understandable given the turnover to the squad, the disappointment of relegation to shed and the abbreviated pre-season not helped by the international window.
Norwich ground out a 1-0 win at Huddersfield on the opening day and came from behind twice to get a decent home point against a well-drilled Preston.
But they have many more gears to find with the talent in this squad.
afcb.co.uk: Daniel Farke looks to have good options in central defence – who would you pick against the Cherries?
Ben Gibson was a player they pursued most of the summer. But given his relative lack of football at Burnley in recent seasons, they have eased him in.
This could be the game to pair him with England under-21 international Ben Godfrey. City looked vulnerable against Preston in terms of their direct approach.
afcb.co.uk: What is your assessment of Norwich’s transfer business so far?
Overall, they have delivered on the key point made by those inside the club which was to refresh the squad and shed some of the negativity that surrounds a club relegated from the Premier League.
They have a lot of very young talent which is firmly for the future but with the likes of Gibson and Jordan Hugill (pictured above) coming in from West Ham, it's an acknowledgement they needed some streetwise, Championship operators.
Plus, what looks an astute loan signing in holding midfielder Ollie Skipp from Tottenham.
afcb.co.uk: Max Aarons (pictured below) has been linked with Bayern Munich and Barcelona – give us your opinion of him?
He is one of the best young English players in any position in the country.
It has been a phenomenal rise in the past two seasons after Daniel Farke identified him in the club’s development set-up.
Now England under-21s’ regular and the mere fact a club the size of Barcelona are aware of the 20-year-old, let alone interested, underlines how big a talent he is. A modern day raiding full-back in every sense.
afcb.co.uk: Are any players either injured or suspended against the Cherries?
Kieran Dowell underwent ankle ligament surgery in the week and is expected to be out a minimum of 12 weeks. Sam Byram (hamstring) is out until January 2021.
afcb.co.uk: Who is Norwich’s dangerman?
Teemu Pukki (pictured below).
He ripped up the Championship, scoring 29 goals two seasons ago when they lifted the title.
He got off the mark against Preston, to follow on from his assist on the opening day.
Farke has labelled him one of the best in this league.
He is so crucial to what Norwich want to do in general play as much as inside the opposition penalty area.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
I'll go for a 2-1 win to Norwich.
You can follow Paddy on Twitter – @paddyjdavitt
Officials: James Linington (referee), Daniel Leach (assistant), Sam Lewis (assistant, Andy Davies (fourth official).
