Norwich City 0-2 Aston Villa: Visitors up to ninth after easing past struggling Canaries in the Premier League
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Updated 14/12/2021 at 22:34 GMT
Premier League, Carrow Road - Norwich City 0-2 Aston Villa (Ramsey 34', Watkins 87')
Jacob Ramsey
Image credit: Getty Images
Aston Villa have risen to ninth in the Premier League thanks to an industrious 2-0 win against Norwich, Jacob Ramsey providing the undisputed highlight of the game with a fantastic solo goal.
Villa looked by far the more dangerous side in the first half, Matty Cash and Matt Targett marauding up the flanks with impunity. John McGinn almost scored a long-range screamer with seven minutes gone only for Tim Krul to leap into action, while Ollie Watkins had a couple of half chances early on.
While Norwich had plenty of the ball, they did very little with it other than when Przemyslaw Placheta teed up Kenny McLean for a volley at the far post which was nimbly blocked by Cash. Villa, by contrast, looked consistently threatening on the break and constricted Norwich in possession, forcing them to retreat further and further towards their own goal.
It took a moment of genius from Ramsey to give the visitors the lead, with the 20-year-old latching onto a short pass from Watkins, bursting forward, shifting the ball onto his left foot and lashing a shot into the back of the net. McGinn almost made it 2-0 direct from a corner just before half time, but Krul made a desperate save.
Norwich did their best to battle their way back into it after the break, but struggled to build momentum in a second half punctuated by choppy fouls and a succession of bookings. Watkins made things safe with three minutes to go, tapping in at the far post after a smart cross from substitute Carney Chukwuemeka.
TALKING POINT - A GOOD NIGHT FOR VILLA’S ACADEMY
Having found the net for Villa for the first time in a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal back in October, unleashing a thunderbolt from outside the box, Ramsey is making a habit of scoring outstanding goals. His opener here had a little bit of everything: the intelligence to read Watkins’ pass, the pace to get past his man, the technique to roll the ball from one foot to the other and the composure to beat Krul with an angled finish.
He wasn’t the only academy graduate who impressed, however. Chukwuemeka did brilliantly to set up the second goal, bringing down a lofted pass from Cash with a deft touch, bursting past Billy Gilmour and delivering a killer final ball which Watkins couldn’t help but turn home.
MAN OF THE MATCH - MATTY CASH
He may only have got a pre-assist assist for the second goal, but Cash was Villa’s demolition man at Carrow Road. Their near-total dominance on the right flank helped to set the tone in the first half, Cash and McGinn combining to beat the beleaguered Brandon Williams time and again.
Cash’s runs put Norwich on the back foot and drew their central players out of position, giving Villa width on the counter-attack and opening things up elsewhere. Likewise, he showed excellent vision with his ball up to Chukwuemeka who, in turn, killed the game.
PLAYER RATINGS
Norwich: Krul 6, Aarons 5, Kabak 5, Gibson 5, Williams 4, Sorensen 5, Gilmour 4, McLean 5, Placheta 7, Pukki 5, Cantwell 4.
Subs: Byram 4, Idah 5, Dowell 5
Aston Villa: Martinez 7, Cash 8, Konsa 7, Mings 7, Targett 7, McGinn 7, Douglas Luiz 6, Ramsey 8, Buendia 6, Watkins 7, Young 6.
Subs: Ings 6, Chukwuemeka 8, Tuanzebe N/A
KEY MOMENTS
34’ GOAL! That is absolute magic from Ramsey, who picks up a short pass from Watkins, dances forward, moves the ball onto his left foot and belts a shot into the back of the net. Villa deservedly lead.
40’ SO CLOSE! McGinn almost scores direct from a corner, but Krul pulls off a desperate save.
87’ GOAL! Cash picks out Chukwuemeka, who brings the ball down, goes past Gilmour and sets up Watkins for a tap-in at the far post. Not bad, that. Not bad at all.
KEY STATS
- Ramsey was making his 50th senior appearance in all competitions, with 43 accrued for Villa and seven on loan with Doncaster Rovers during the 2019-20 season.
- As per Opta, Dean Smith has become the third manager to sit in the dugout for and against Aston Villa in a single Premier League campaign after Ron Atkinson in 1994-95 and Stuart Gray in 2001-02.
- Villa recorded 17 shots in total with six on target, their best numbers under Steven Gerrard.
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