December 26, (THEWILL) – In another high-scoring Boxing Day match, Norwich City were thrashed 5-0 at Carrow Road by a rampaging Arsenal team.
The Gunners continued their superb recent form with an opening goal in the sixth minute by Bukayo Saka, dominating possession and fiercely pushing on the rare moments Norwich got a boot to the ball.
After a sluggish first ten minutes in what was plainly their first game in 12 days, Norwich settled into the game. By successfully engaging their opponents higher up the pitch, the Canaries were able to restrict rather than completely cut off Arsenal’s chances, although creating very few of their own.
Tierney extended Arsenal’s advantage just as Norwich threatened to see out the first half with a nagging flurry of fouls that hampered Arsenal’s rhythm. Arsenal moved from right to left after winning back the ball in an identical move to Saka’s opening goal. Martin Odegaard was once again the player with the assist.
Dean Smith was trapped in a bleak thousand-yard stare through the December mist as his men shuffled down the tunnel at the break two goal down.
Despite Smith’s existential gloom, his team had their greatest spell of the game following the interval. The Canaries continued to wallow in front of the posts despite limiting Arsenal to nothing more than a rightfully disallowed Gabriel Martinelli goal in the opening 20 minutes of the second half.
Norwich had a slew of yellow shirts between Saka and their goal three-quarters of the way through the game, after being caught out in transition for Arsenal’s first two goals. Despite this, Arsenal’s exuberant 20-year-old saw a weakness in the Canaries’ defence and fizzed in his second and the Gunners’ third goal.
Arsenal turned the screw on the top division’s worst team in the final moments as the ‘oles’ resonated around Carrow Road in the second half with Emile Smith Rowe scoring in stoppage time to make it five.
Arsenal’s win keeps them in the top four and six points ahead of Tottenham in sixth, although Antonio Conte’s side do have three games in hand. At the moment, it appears that the fourth spot is Arsenal’s to lose.
Norwich is still in last place, three points from safety but this 5-nil bashing has severely damaged their goal difference.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
