Can Norwich City finish the season unbeaten?

After suffering a 1-0 defeat at Carrow Road on Wednesday evening, Brentford manager Thomas Frank admitted that he believed Norwich City would remain undefeated for the rest of the Championship campaign.

The Bees travelled to Norfolk knowing that a win would take them to within four points of the league leaders, but Emi Buendía’s stunning solo goal was enough to see the Canaries earn their sixth consecutive victory.

The result means that Daniel Farke’s side move ten points clear at the top of the Championship table with just 12 games left to play.

Speaking after the game, Frank claimed that the Canaries would “100% be promoted” at the end of the season.

“I can’t see them blowing this one. It’s not any mind games, it’s looking at the pure performances they’ve put in this season so far.

“They did it two years ago, with more or less the same team. They tried it before, and they just fine-tuned small bits in their style of play. I think they’re only getting stronger in the run-in, so I can see them going unbeaten until the end of the season.”

Neither manager was unable to play down the magnitude of the clash in their respective pre-match press conferences.

It was clear that it could be season-defining for either team. A close, hard-fought match was predicted by both bosses, but ultimately, the Canaries had little difficulty in seeing off their West London opponents.

Of course, Brentford threatened the hosts more than most Championship sides have this season, after all, they are the top scorers in the division.

Sergi Canós perhaps came closest to opening the scoring early in the first-half, with his powerful long-range effort parried away by Tim Krul. It was Buendía who broke the deadlock, picking up the ball on the far-right side of the pitch and dribbling through the Bees defence before firing a low shot past David Raya.

While the Canaries constantly gain plaudits for their sensational attacking play, this was a showcase of their defensive organisation more than anything else. They shut out the league’s top scorer, Ivan Toney, with relative ease. When they were put under immense pressure at the end of the match, they dug deep and stood tall, earning a hard-fought clean sheet.

Ultimately, this was Norwich at their best. Their ‘pièce de résistance’. A performance that shows they’re ready for another shot at the Premier League and that’s surely what they’ll get.

While Farke has set an 80 point target for his side to qualify for the Play-Offs, their ten-point lead at the summit feels insurmountable at this stage of the season. It looks all but certain that they’ll win their second Championship title in just three years.

Perhaps Frank’s comments about Norwich finishing the season undefeated is a bit far-fetched, but understandable after their sensational performance on Wednesday evening. Now on the back of six consecutive wins, it’s difficult to see anyone stopping the Canaries in their remaining games of the season

Overall, Norwich’s run-in looks remarkably easy, with eight of their last 12 games against sides currently in the bottom half of the table.

However, they will still have to welcome Watford and Bournemouth to Carrow Road in April, with both sides having picked up victories against the Canaries earlier in the season. Their last two opponents, Reading and Barnsley, are in the midst of a tight battle for the Play-Offs, which may boil down to the final day of the season.

Nonetheless, Farke knows his side can’t look too far ahead. He has emphasised that Norwich “can’t win anything with 73 points”, so it’s on them to continue their exceptional run of form, starting with Luton Town’s trip to Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.

The Hatters are currently sat in 13th place, 12 points above the relegation zone and 11 points off the Play-Off places. Nathan Jones’ side look destined for a mid-table finish, but they come into Saturday’s clash on the back of consecutive wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest.

Of course, facing the runaway league leaders is a different prospect, even though the Bedfordshire side beat the Canaries twice in 2020, including a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture at Kenilworth Road back in December.

Question marks remain as to how Jones will set up his side for their trip to Norfolk. Luton haven’t lost away from home when they’ve scored first, winning six and drawing one. In contrast, they haven’t won a single away game when conceding first, losing all nine matches and scoring just once.

Based on that record, it seems logical that the Hatters will look to play on the front foot and score an early goal. But if they push too many men forward in search of breaking the deadlock, Norwich will cut them open on the counter and expose any gaps in their defensive line.

On the other hand, Luton have often played with a low defensive block against strong attacking sides, occasionally adopting a five-man backline. The Canaries have struggled to break down teams that adopt this tactic, with the likes of Middlesbrough and Millwall taking points off them while using the same tactic.

In their current vein of form, minimising Norwich’s chances is going to be incredibly difficult. The Hatters will have to concede that they’re going to be off the ball for the vast majority of the game and that the hosts will regularly get themselves into dangerous attacking positions.

Coming away from Carrow Road with a result may hinge on whether or not the Canaries can take their chances in front of goal.

Teemu Pukki remains one of the top scorers in the division, having found the back of the net 18 times in 30 league games this season. His wastefulness in front of goal has been highlighted, especially after he missed a one-on-one chance against Raya on Wednesday evening.

While it seems unlikely that Norwich will go unbeaten for the rest of the Championship campaign, their place in next season’s Premier League is all but secured.

Luton will face an incredibly tough task to end their six-match winning streak, but other sides have shown it is possible to frustrate the Canaries and walk away with a shock result. The Hatters will hope that they can do the same on Saturday afternoon.

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