Manchester City v Norwich: Canaries to find net in losing effort
Published:Over nine months have passed since Manchester City last dropped a Premier League point at the Etihad Stadium, leaving Norwich in no doubt as to the size of the task facing them…
Match odds
Manchester City are 1/6 to at least briefly extend their lead at the top of the table with three points against Norwich and it’s easy to see why given that the hosts have won 14 successive domestic encounters in front of their fans.
By contrast, Norwich have prevailed in just one of their last 36 Premier League away games and taken a mere point from five clashes with top-half rivals, which is why the draw is a 6/1 prospect and the travelling triumph a gargantuan 14/1.
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The title favourites’ 1-1 draw at Anfield last weekend marked only the second time in their first 13 fixtures that they were restricted to under 2.5 goals, but normal service is overwhelmingly expected to be resumed at 4/11, with over 3.5 at evens.
Whoever is picked out in the attacking positions will view this as a huge opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place in Wednesday’s make-or-break Champions League collision with Bayern Munich.
However, their biggest worry ahead of that match should be a home defensive record that isn’t befitting of one of the best teams in Europe right now. Roberto Mancini’s men have conceded in each of their last four Eastlands outings.
They have kept just four Premier League clean sheets and with Norwich firing only two blanks, and scoring more often on the road than three of last season’s top-half sides, both teams to score and Manchester City to win appeals at 7/4.
Mario Balotelli has struck first in three of their last five home games and is the standout option to do so again at 5/2.
