Premier League Round 2 – Manchester City vs Norwich: Betting Preview

If a battering from Liverpool in their first game back in the Premier League wasn’t bad enough already, Norwich must now visit reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens are out for blood as they seek to bounce back from a disappointing opening-day defeat. Only three points will do on Saturday afternoon. Anything less will be a disaster, especially if their main title rivals win again this weekend.

Norwich, meanwhile, had a brutal return to the English top-flight last weekend. Just avoiding defeat in Manchester will be an immense challenge for the Championship titleholders, who could not have asked for a tougher start to their 2021/22 campaign in the Premier League.

Let’s have a look at the form of both sides and the stats from their previous encounters to come up with a reasonable betting prediction.

Stats and analysis

Manchester City boast a mixed record from their last 10 Premier League fixtures. Goals have never been a problem, with Pep Guardiola’s side scoring 22 goals for an average of 2.2 goals per game. In defense, they have conceded a goal 12 times, an average of 1.2 goals per game, and kept 4 clean sheets.

Norwich, on the other hand, have endured worse stats across their last 10 Premier League fixtures from this season and the 2019/20 campaign. The Canaries hit the target 0.1 times on average per game, scoring just 1 goal along the way. They conceded 26 goals, an average of 2.6 per game, as they failed to register even a single clean sheet in any of those matches.

Stats and facts for Manchester City and Norwich.

Fun stats Manchester City

Fun stats Norwich

Form Guides

Results have been dismal for Manchester City in recent weeks and they will border on desperation for a quick turnaround. Combining their last 3 results from the old and the new season, Pep Guardiola’s men first achieved a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League final and went on to a 1-0 defeat against Leicester in the Community Shield. Their latest game produced a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham in the Premier League.

Norwich, on the other hand, have fared better recently results-wise albeit in the Championship mostly. Combining results from the old and the new season, Daniel Farke’s men first achieved a 4-1 win against Reading and went on to a 2-2 draw with Barnsley. Their latest game produced a 3-0 defeat against Liverpool.

Manchester City vs Norwich Fixture History

The last time the two club squared up against each other, which was back on 26 July 2020, Manchester City ran away with a 5-0 victory.

The Citizens enter the match against Norwich with a 6-2-2 record in their previous 10 encounters in the Premier League.

Man of the Moment

Manchester City will hope Ferran Torres can find the back of the net once again. He is on 3 goals in the club’s 6 appearances and Pep Guardiola needs him to shine. With Emiliano Buendia gone, Norwich will have to rely on quantity rather than quality to find the back of the net at the Etihad.