Entering Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs are sort of flying having been unbeaten in league play since Antonio Conte‘s arrival. With the team dead last in the table coming to town Tottenham should win easily. It is that attitude, that could get Spurs in trouble, as Norwich can be trouble for Tottenham Hotspur if they do not play smart. Here are five reasons Tottenham needs to take Norwich seriously and bring their “A” game or at least their “A” effort.
Norwich is easy for Tottenham to overlook
They did not start Saturday there but entering Sunday Norwich is dead last in the table. That placement seems appropriate given they have the worst goal differential in the league at -20 a full seven goals worse than Newcastle.
Norwich did lose their entire midfield engine from their triumphant Championship campaign, so some difficulties were to be expected. Emiliano Buendia was sold to Aston Villa and of course, Oliver Skipp is now playing in the midfield for our Lilywhites.
That loss of their two main central midfielders has been difficult to overcome, particularly early in the season, when the Canaries lost six straight to start the campaign. However, since that horrific start, things have gotten better, which is the second of our five reasons Norwich is dangerous.
Norwich is on better form than Tottenham
After that terrible start, things have settled down for Norwich and the team seems to have found their footing. Tottenham fans are excited about a little three-match unbeaten streak, Norwich can do Spurs one better as they are riding a four-match unbeaten run in league play.
In the last five Premier League games Norwich has eight points compared to seven for Spurs during that same span.
After drawing two straight to end the pointless start, Norwich lost two straight and then have been on this little run. With wins over Brentford and Southampton, to go along with draws against Wolves and Newcastle; the Canaries seem to have found their foundation and are not just going to lay down because they are coming to north London.
Norwich is a team with some budding confidence, just another reason for Spurs to be on their game.
Norwich is finally scoring some goals
Although Norwich has yet to score more than two goals in a Premier League game this season, the Caranies did explode for six goals against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.
After scoring only two goals through their first eight matches, Norwich has finally started finding the back of the net. Having scored six goals in their last eight matches, the Canaries are finally singing a little on offense.
The biggest reason for the sudden success has been due to a hot streak from Norwich’s star, Teemu Pukki. After scoring two in their first five matches, Pukki went five straight without scoring and now has scored three in the last four for Norwich.
An excellent finisher who only needs one or two chances to make you pay, Pukki provides a different test than Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo did and Eric Dier better be ready.
Norwich is better defensively than you might think
Despite having the worst goal differential in the league, Norwich has not conceded the most goals, as both Watford (29) and Newcastle (30) have conceded more than the Canaries 28. And as strange as this may sound Newcastle has a decent defense.
The reality is, Manchester City and Chelsea are responsible for 12 of those 28 goals. Those games occurred and you cannot take them away but the 16 goals against in 12 matches is not a terrible return.
Norwich has been good enough defensively to hold six opponents to 1 goal or less including three shutouts. Tim Krul‘s three shutouts for Norwich are as many as Lukasz Fabianski or Jordan Pickford have for West Ham and Everton, and one more than David de Gea‘s two shutouts for Manchester United.
Norwich is going to be organized defensively and Spurs are going to have to work to break them down but they can do it.
Tottenham still have a lot to prove
The fact that the last-place team in the league -Norwich – has a longer unbeaten run than do Spurs, tells us all we really need to know about Tottenham at this point. Still benefiting from their 3-0 start, Spurs have nothing to rest on at this point in the season.
We saw the outstanding effort from the club on Thursday against Brentford, that same effort from all XI players needs to be demonstrated against Norwich.
Yes, Tottenham is improving under Conte and Norwich is at the bottom of the table, however, Spurs are nowhere near good enough simply to show up and win. The stupid Spursy label is never too far away because it is a game like Sunday, a game Spurs should win and need to win that they let slip away.
Regardless of who the opponent is at this point, Tottenham has a lot to prove to themselves, Conte, and all of us, which alone should be a reason not to overlook Norwich. Now we know why Spurs should not overlook their Sunday opponent, the question is will the team.