Norwich City vs Sunderland LIVE

12 Mar 2023

Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Norwich City vs Sunderland from Carrow Road. Tony Mowbray's Black Cats arrive in Norfolk looking to halt a three-game losing streak - their worst run since returning to the Championship.

Sunderland's 5-1 reverse at home to Stoke City last weekend came hard on the heels of defeat at Coventry City and Rotherham United. Add in the 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City in the previous game, and Sunderland have picked up just one point from their last four games. They face a tough test against David Wagner's Norwich side, who have started to find some form in recent weeks.

The Canaries go into the game on the back of a five-game unbeaten run, and four of those games ended in victories. They have won their last three games, at Millwall last weekend and then at home against Cardiff City and Birmingham City before that.

James Hunter is on hand to bring you all the latest as it happens today.

Key Events

HT ratings12:51

32mins Booking12:36

18mins Chance!12:25

12:51KEY EVENT

HT ratings

Patterson 7

Hume 7

Ballard 7

Batth 7

O'Nien 7

Neil 8

Michut 7

Roberts 7

Ba 7

Clarke 8

Gelhardt 7

12:50KEY EVENT

HT. Norwich City 0-1 Sunderland

So far, so good for Sunderland.

Ba's goal - his first in English football - divides the teams at the break, but Sunderland could have been at least 2-0 up with Gelhardt missing a gilt-edged chance just minutes later.

Norwich have had a couple of dangerous moments too, but nothing that Patterson couldn't handle.

12:47James Hunter

Into added time

Two minutes to be played

12:37James Hunter

33mins Save!

Long-range shot from McLean takes a slight deflection, but Patterson saves

12:36KEY EVENT

32mins Booking

Pukki booked for a foul on Gelhardt

12:34James Hunter

Another sold-out away following

Tremendous support

Around 1,800 #safc fans have made the 500-mile round trip to Norwich for a noon KO televised game today pic.twitter.com/v7DyxAtRlu

— James Hunter (@JHunterChron) March 12, 2023

12:26James Hunter

23mins Shot!

Gelhardt shoots across the face of goal and wide of the right-hand post

12:25KEY EVENT

18mins Chance!

Clarke chips the ball into the box from the left and Batth gets on the end of it, but he steers his header well wide of the right-hand post. Another chance for 2-0

12:23KEY EVENT

17mins Massive chance for Gelhardt

Neil heads the ball into the path of the unmarked Gelhardt inside the box in a central position, he controls but then shoots straight at Gunn, with the ball hitting the keeper and deflecting wide. Anywhere else and it would have been 2-0

12:20KEY EVENT

15mins Norwich City 0-1 Sunderland. GGGGGOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!!

Roberts out on the right flank plays the ball inside for Gelhardt, he feeds it on to Ba 20 yards out and he steps inside Hanley and fires a low shot beyond Gunn into the bottom right-hand corner

12:17KEY EVENT

14mins Save!

Pukki cuts the ball back for Nunez, but his shot is weak and Patterson saves

12:14James Hunter

12mins Chance!

Sara's inswinging free-kick from the right corner of the box finds Pukki, but he glances his header over the bar. Patterson had it covered in any case

12:12KEY EVENT

10mins Save!

Raking crossfield pass finds Aarons inside the box on the right, he controls and tries to beat Patterson at his near post with a powerful shot but the keeper turns it round the post

12:08James Hunter

7mins Save!

Clarke gets away down the left, turns inside Aarons and hits a low shot trying to catch Gunn out at his near post but the keeper parries and then holds it at the second attempt

12:07James Hunter

6mins Shot!

Pukki tries a shot from 25 yards out, but his effort flies high over the bar

12:06James Hunter

4mins Shot!

Ba plays the ball round the corner for Gelhardt inside the box on the left, he gets away from Hanley and hits a low shot but Gunn makes a comfortable save

12:02KEY EVENT

⏱️ We are off and running

Norwich kick off, Sunderland are attacking the Barclay End in the first half

12:01James Hunter

Minute's applause

Minute's applause pre-kick-off in memory of former Norwich City chairman Robert Chase, who died recently

11:57James Hunter

Not long now

The teams emerge from the tunnel...

11:28KEY EVENT

Team news in full

Three changes for Sunderland today, and a couple of fresh injuries

Full details here

11:01KEY EVENT

Norwich City team

And here's how Norwich line up

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) March 12, 2023

11:00KEY EVENT

The teams are in...

Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, O'Nien, Michut, Neil, Roberts, Ba, Clarke, Gelhardt

Subs: Bass, Lihadji, Bennette, Gooch, Ekwah, Anderson, Taylor

10:41James Hunter

Morning all

Here we are then, Carrow Road. Sunderland need to end their four-game winless streak - and, at the very least, halt their three-game losing run!

Team news coming up at 11am.

James Hunter

Back at Carrow Road

Alex Pritchard returns to his old stomping ground today, five years after he left Norwich City for Huddersfield

Sunderland's Alex Pritchard (left) celebrates with Amad Diallo (Image: PA)

James Hunter

Cirkin's lingering dizzy spells a worry

Dennis Cirkin's battle with the lingering effects of his concussion are a worry admits Tony Mowbray - and he insists Sunderland will not try to rush the defender back into action. Cirkin suffered concussion after being knocked unconscious as the left-back headed Sunderland's equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Millwall on February 4.

Sunderland followed the FA's concussion protocols which lay out the procedures that must be followed before a player can return to action, and ten days after he was concussed he was cleared to make his comeback in the Black Cats' 3-0 win at QPR, making a brief appearance as a substitute at Loftus Road. He made another substitute appearance a few days later against Bristol City, and then started the defeat at Rotherham United on February 21 but was substituted after an hour.

The 20-year-old has not been involved since, with Mowbray explaining that Cirkin has been experiencing dizzy spells which have necessitated further scans, although they have come back clear. Cirkin is still getting dizzy spells and that has meant he cannot be involved in full training, although he is able to take part in individual sessions.

But the fact that, five weeks after suffering the injury, he is still not fully recovered is a concern. "I'm not a medical person - I ask my medical department the same questions you're asking me," said Mowbray.

"It's over a month since the Millwall game, but Dennis saying he is still getting dizzy spells. He's had a scan and it looks pretty clear but if he's telling us he has dizzy spells then he has dizzy spells, and the medical department at the moment don't want him to have contact training.

"He is training on his own, running and shooting balls, but not contact training. That's where Dennis is, and it means he is unavailable for selection at this moment.

"I don't feel I, as head coach, can go 'Dennis, you're not actually injured you've just got a bit of dizziness, you can play'. I wouldn't do that. There's a protocol in place and if it's concussion, he won't be playing.

"Until he joins back in full training and wins some headers and tackles and gets knocked over on his backside, he won't be involved. He needs to do that first, and I'm being governed by the medical department."

Full story here

James Hunter

Ekwah's next step

Pierre Ekwah needs to prove he is ready for the cut-and-thrust of Championship football before he is drafted into Sunderland's starting line-up, according to Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats boss is a big admirer of the midfielder, who was signed from West Ham in January, and is convinced the 21-year-old has the talent to be a big hit on Wearside.

But Ekwah had not played a minute of senior football when he arrived at Sunderland, and needs time to get to grips with the far more demanding first-team environment after spending years playing U23 and U21 football at first Chelsea and then with the Hammers. At 6ft 2in, Ekwah will add physical presence in midfield and that led to questions as to why he was not introduced in last weekend's 5-1 mauling at the hands of Stoke City at the Stadium of Light.

"There's never an agenda with me - it's about the footballer, the guy," said Mowbray, who has so far used Ekwah in just a handful of league games from the bench. "Pierre has played, I don't know, 60-plus games at U18, U21 and U23 levels.

"If he's 21 now, and he's only ever played youth football so he needs to adapt. I tell him that every day, and I spoke to him again yesterday [Friday].

"He is a lovely footballer and our fans will really appreciate the talent he has in his left foot and how calm he is with the ball. But he's not playing U21s football, he's on the pitch with the first team and it's not too easy, he can't stroll about and play at a pace where he will just get passed by, so we can't have that where I'm getting angry, annoyed, shouting at him.

"I want him to show me in training every day that he can compete and tackle and run and win challenges and come out with the ball in 50-50s, and show me he is not playing boys' football anymore. When he does that, his talent will get him in this team because he is a wonderful talent."

Full story here

James Hunter

No-go Gardiner

Tony Mowbray has seemingly ruled out fast-tracking in-form teenager Harry Gardiner into Sunderland's first-team despite the Black Cats' striker crisis. Mowbray was Eppleton on Monday night to watch the 19-year-old score twice - he was initially credited with a hat-trick, before his third goal was given as an own-goal - for Sunderland U21s in a 4-1 Premier League 2 victory against Stoke City.

And that meant Gardiner has now been on target in each of his last four outings for the U21s, scoring five goals in that spell, and he has scored a total of six goals in ten games this season. With Ross Stewart's season-ending injury and Ellis Simms having been recalled by Everton from his loan spell at the beginning of January, Mowbray down to the bare bones in terms of attacking options at first-team level with on-loan Leeds United youngster Joe Gelhardt - who at 20 is just a year older than Gardiner - the only first specialist striker he can call upon.

That has led to the question being asked this week as to whether Gardiner should be given a chance in the first team, particularly as Mowbray has already involved 15-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg from the bench in three FA Cup ties this season. But Mowbray is wary of throwing Gardiner in at the deep end, saying: "I think Harry has only trained once or twice with us, if that.

"We train at the same time on the same site, I don't get the opportunity to go and watch the U18s or the U21s training on a regular basis, so it would be like me just bringing up a young kid because he has scored a couple of goals, putting him in the team and then if he doesn't get a kick, if he gets bashed about and it looks like a boy against men, everyone will wonder 'what's he [Mowbray] doing?'. You have to get a feel for it."

Full story here

James Hunter

Injury latest

Lynden Gooch is in contention for Sunderland's trip to Norwich City and will be in the squad that travels to Norfolk. Gooch has been out of action since mid-January due to a hip flexor problem but was back out on the pitches at the Academy of Light last week, initially taking part in non-contact training before stepping that up to full training.

And the 27-year-old could play some part in the game at Carrow Road, although he is more likely to be included on the bench than thrust straight into the starting XI after so long out. Full-back Niall Huggins is also back in training and closing in on a first-team return after recovering from the ankle injury which was the latest in a series of problems that have restricted him to just two appearances this season, although Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray says Huggins will need to play for the U21s before he ready to be considered for a senior comeback.

Mowbray also said an unnamed key player had limped out of training on Friday with a muscle injury which will need to be monitored, but it could mean he has another injury doubt to contend with this weekend. "I think Lynden will probably be in the travelling squad," said Mowbray.

"But we did have a player, a pretty important player for us, drop out of training today with a muscle problem which isn't good, and we'll have to look at that. As for Niall, he probably needs to play in an U21 fixture or something to give him the confidence that he can cope with it again and play some football rather than chuck him into the scenario of first-team football - we have done that in the past and he seems to have broken down on the back of those decisions."

Full story here

James Hunter

Norwich City vs Sunderland prediction

How will it pan out today?

James Hunter

Welcome

Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Norwich City vs Sunderland from Carrow Road. Tony Mowbray's Black Cats arrive in Norfolk looking to halt a three-game losing streak - their worst run since returning to the Championship.

Sunderland's 5-1 reverse at home to Stoke City last weekend came hard on the heels of defeat at Coventry City and Rotherham United. Add in the 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City in the previous game, and Sunderland have picked up just one point from their last four games. They face a tough test against David Wagner's Norwich side, who have started to find some form in recent weeks.

The Canaries go into the game on the back of a five-game unbeaten run, and four of those games ended in victories. They have won their last three games, at Millwall last weekend and then at home against Cardiff City and Birmingham City before that.

James Hunter is on hand to bring you all the latest as it happens today.

Read more
Similar news
This week's most popular news