All things considered, Brentford will be delighted with their start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, having won three, drawn three and lost four of their 10 matches to collect 12 points, which has left them in 12th position in the table, just three points off ninth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
As predicted, the Bees have been a good watch this season, and they also have a EFL Cup quarter-final contest with Chelsea to look forward to in December, having beaten Stoke City 2-1 in the last round on October 27.
Thomas Frank’s side are currently on a three-game losing run in the Premier League, though, having been beaten by Chelsea, Leicester City and Burnley since overcoming West Ham United at the start of October.
Last weekend, Brentford found themselves three goals behind in the first half against Burnley and could only manage a late consolation from Saman Ghoddos on what was a tough afternoon for the newly-promoted side.
The Bees will view this match as the ideal opportunity to return to winning ways, but they have not actually beaten Norwich since December 2017, losing three of their last five meetings, including a 1-0 defeat when the pair last locked horns at Carrow Road towards the end of last season.
Norwich are not in a terminal position in the Premier League, as there is still an awful lot of football to be played, but there is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough start to the season for the club.
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A record of zero wins, two draws and eight defeats from 10 matches has brought them just two points and left them bottom of the table, already eight points from the safety of 17th position. What’s more, they have scored just three times and conceded 25, which are both the worst records in the division.
The Canaries picked up back-to-back draws against Burnley and Brighton either side of the October international break but then conceded seven at Chelsea before losing at home to Leeds United last weekend, with Rodrigo’s 60th-minute effort proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Norwich have not been able to secure back-to-back seasons of top-flight football since 2012-13 and 2013-14, having dropped straight back into the Championship following their last two promotions, and it is difficult to imagine that pattern being broken this term
