Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup believes his side could still gatecrash the Championship play-off party after seeing them clinch a dramatic 1-0 win over West Brom at Carrow Road.
Josh Sargent’s well-taken stoppage-time strike took the Canaries to within five points of the play-off positions with seven games remaining and put a dent in the visitors’ hopes of finishing in the top six.
“Even before the match the lads were confident we were still in with a chance,” Thorup said.
“We needed to win this one and now we have we can look forward to a final push. Obviously we need to go on a run and win more games than we have been doing recently but this is a good start.
“We have been on the wrong end of the result in quite a few 50/50 games this season so it was good to be on the right side this time – we all needed this result and I am delighted for the lads.
“We got the goal in the end – and it was good to get a clean sheet too.
“It’s no secret we have been a bit too open recently, and have conceded too many goals, so we changed things a bit to give the lads at the back a bit more protection.
“It worked well, although it does make other aspects of the game a bit more difficult. We certainly weren’t on the front foot as much as we normally are.”
West Brom had created a few chances early on, with Angus Gunn making an excellent save to keep out Torbjorn Heggem’s close-range header and then from Kyle Bartley in the final seconds.
But in between they rarely troubled the Norwich back-line and could have few complaints when the hosts grabbed a winner in the second minute of added time.
A careless loss of possession enabled substitute Marcelino Nunez to thread a ball through to Sargent, who showed great composure to hold off a chasing defender and steer the ball past keeper Joe Wildsmith.
West Brom head coach Tony Mowbray felt his side had been hard done by in the end.
“I wouldn’t say we deserved to win – but I don’t think we deserved to lose it either,” he said.
“To be honest I would have been a bit disappointed with 0-0.
“Norwich were a bit more pragmatic than they normally are but I thought we generally dominated possession and controlled the game – but you have to score a goal. We had our chances and didn’t take them.
“It was a bit cruel to us in the end – a sloppy ball in midfield, a pass through and a good finish.
“But if you don’t take your chances, don’t score a goal, that sort of thing can always happen.
“Having said that, if our performance levels stay like they were today between now and the end of the season then we will get results and achieve what we want to achieve.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
