Fulham vs Norwich City
Carabao Cup
Round 4
Wednesday
27th September 2023
Craven Cottage
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the EFL League Cup fixture between Fulham and Norwich City.
Fulham vs Norwich City: Preview
Fulham form analysis
The Cottagers made an encouraging start on their return to the Premier League by twice leading away at Arsenal, eventually settling for a 2-2 draw after goals from Pereira and Palhinha. They followed up with a creditable 1-1 home draw against Tottenham in the League Cup, taking the lead before Richarlison equalized.
However, defensive issues surfaced in a 1-5 home thrashing by Manchester City, with only Ream’s goal to show for their efforts. Fulham did bounce back to beat Luton 1-0 at home thanks to a Vinícius strike. Most recently, they ground out a 0-0 away draw at Crystal Palace.
Overall, Fulham have competed well in most games, showing they can trouble top sides like Arsenal. New signings Pereira and Palhinha have added quality in attack and midfield. However, conceding 5 goals to City highlighted vulnerabilities Marco Silva needs to address.
If Fulham can tighten up defensively and cut out individual errors, they have an excellent chance of Premier League survival this term. But avoiding thrashings like the City defeat is crucial to maintaining confidence and securing safety.
Norwich City form analysis
The Canaries began their League Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 win away at Bristol City courtesy of Placheta’s goal. However, defensive issues surfaced in a 1-2 home loss to Rotherham in the Championship.
Norwich did respond by grinding out a 1-0 home victory over Stoke thanks to Stacey’s winner, showing resilience. But they were comfortably beaten 0-2 by Leicester’s youngsters in the League Cup next. Most recently, Norwich were thrashed 2-6 away at Plymouth in their heaviest league defeat for 36 years.
Overall, it’s been an inconsistent start by Norwich as they target an immediate Premier League return. They’ve struggled defensively, conceding cheap goals, while also lacking attacking spark at times. The hard-fought wins over Bristol City and Stoke demonstrated Norwich’s spirit. But the thrashings by Rotherham and Plymouth exposed clear flaws David Wagner needs to address. If Norwich can tighten up defensively and become more clinical in attack, they can substantially improve their overall performances.
