Bottom-of-the-table Norwich City ended their nine-match winless run in the Premier League as Daniel Farke’s side beat fellow strugglers Bournemouth to increase the pressure on Cherries manager Eddie Howe.
Teemu Pukki scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot after Steve Cook was sent off for deliberately handling Ondrej Duda’s goal-bound effort inside the area.
Norwich also ended the match with 10 men following Ben Godfrey’s late challenge on Callum Wilson, with referee Paul Tierney consulting his pitch-side monitor before brandishing the red card.
Both teams went close in a nail-biting finale, Aaron Ramsdale thwarting Teemu Pukki and Emi Buendia before Tim Krul tipped Nathan Ake’s header over the crossbar.
The result lifts Norwich to within three points of Bournemouth, who are now three points adrift of safety after slipping to a fourth successive league defeat.
While Norwich’s football this season has been pleasing on the eye, a lack of clinical edge in front of goal and frailties in defence has been their undoing.
Farke’s side has also tended to save their best for the big occasion, taking points off Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal while losing to fellow strugglers Aston Villa, West Ham, Watford, Burnley and Brighton.
There was little to separate the two strugglers in a cagey opening to proceedings, but the game sprang to life just after the half-hour mark when Pukki was played through on goal by Todd Cantwell.
Pukki’s effort was blocked by Ramsdale before Cook – diving at full stretch in a save Ramsdale would have been proud of – tipped Duda’s looping shot onto the outside of the post, earning the Cherries defender a straight red card.
The Finnish international drilled home his 10th goal of the campaign from the spot, but the hosts should have put the result beyond doubt in the second half.
Ramsdale produced fine saves to deny Pukki and Buendia before referee Paul Tierney showed Godfrey a straight red card – after consulting his pitch-side monitor – following the Norwich defender’s late tackle on Wilson.
Norwich had led in six of their previous nine league games without registering a single victory, but the Canaries held on to claim a priceless three points and a first clean sheet at Carrow Road this season.
Bournemouth has now picked up only four points from a possible 36 in the Premier League – fewer than any other top-flight team in that period.
Their visit to Carrow Road was described before the game as “massive” by Howe, who was forced to deny reports during the week that he had been asked to step down as Cherries boss.
Aside from an early Wilson header that flew straight at Krul, there was little in Bournemouth’s start to encourage Howe and the travelling fans as Norwich forced the visitors back.
Cook’s dismissal 12 minutes before the break left the Cherries with a mountain to climb but, as the hosts grew increasingly nervous, Howe’s charges gradually began to apply pressure on the Norwich goal.
Their best opportunity fell to Wilson, who lost his footing as he attempted to direct Ryan Fraser’s cut-back past Krul from seven yards out.
The Norwich goalkeeper also had to be at full stretch to tip Ake’s powerful header over the bar.
The result does little to ease the pressure on Howe, whose side welcome fellow strugglers Brighton and Aston Villa to the Vitality Stadium in their next two league games.
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Source – BBC
