The Sky Blues travelled to Carrow Road looking to make it unbeaten in three following their impressive win over Cardiff City who travelled to St. Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium on Wednesday, against a depleted Norwich City side who head into the clash with an injury-stricken squad.
Tim Krul, Teemu Pukki and Emiliano Buendia topped the list for the home side who are looking to extend their unbeaten run to 10.
Ben Wilson makes his first start for Sky Blues since December 3rd, 2019 following the injury sustained by Marko Marosi against Cardiff earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Fankaty Dabo makes his 50th appearance in Sky Blue.
Coventry got the game underway but it was the home side that began to dictate the play in the early exchanges, though it was the Sky Blues that mustered up the first half-chance of the game.
It was birthday boy Leo Ostigard that sent his volley flying over the bar from a well-worked freekick routine from just inside Norwich’s half.
For all of the home side’s possession in the opening minutes, it was the Sky Blues who continued to create the chances.
The latest coming from a pin-point cross from Ryan Giles deep into the hosts half which found the head of Callum O’Hare. City’s number 11 looked to deftly guide it to the back post but sent it wide of McGovern’s goal.
The first corner of the contest came from the visitors too, following a promising move which saw the ball moved out wide to Fankaty Dabo. The full-back looked to get his cross in but saw it deflected for a corner kick.
The set-piece amounted to nothing as Ostigard could only send his header well wide.
Minutes later Dabo found himself on the by-line in Norwich’s six-yard box. The Sky Blue man picked Jamie Allen out with the pull-back but the midfielder got under the lofted pass and headed over the bar.
The home-side finally crafted out their first chance of the game and it took a precise, chipped through-ball to carve open the Sky Blue defence.
Marko Stiepermann was the man one-on-one with Ben Wilson, but the City ‘keeper was off his line quickly to thwart the German.
Wilson was soon thrust into action again as he produced a superb double save from Mario Vrancic, followed up by a parried shot from Max Aarons.
Wilson was in the headlines once again, this time for conceding a penalty after referee Keith Stroud judged the ‘keeper to have got more man than ball as he came out to collect a lofted through-ball.
Vrancic stood up to take the spot-kick and dispatched it straight down the middle, to the left of the diving Wilson.
The Sky Blues responded well from the Canary onslaught that led to the opening goal of the afternoon, culminating in Dom Hyam not managing to make the most from a mistake McGovern in the Norwich goal.
What looked like an easy take for the Northern Irishman turned into a near miss as Hyam failed to capitalise on the spilt cross and could only earn a corner for City.
City were finding a lot of joy down Norwich’s left through Dabo who had the beating of Sorensen. The Chelsea academy graduate delivered a dangerous ball into the hosts box, but a slight flick from Grant Hanley took the cross away from the unmarked Ben Sheaf who was stealing in at the back post.
City were peppering the Norwich box, this time via Giles on the left. The 20-year-old delivered a wicked cross across the face of the box, but O’Hare’s header deflected off Hanley and away from danger.
The half-time whistle came with City, arguably, the stronger team despite heading into the break a goal down.
HALF-TIME: Norwich City 1 – 0 Sky Blues
City seemed to have started the second half in the same manner they ended the first with successive half-chances.
The first, Sheaf did well to set Giles free on the left who had the whole Norwich half in front of him. The Wolverhampton-loanee guided a cross to Bakayoko in the hosts box but the ball was headed away.
Giles then found himself with the beating of Max Aarons once again minutes later, as his delivery, once again to Bakayoko, this time reached its target. However, the striker couldn’t get his headed effort on target.
City were posing a threat, but on the stroke of the hour mark Mark Robins decided a triple change was necessary in an attempt to break down Norwich’s robust defence as Hamer, Shipley and Walker replaced Sheaf, Allen and Bakayoko.
Giles found more joy down the left as he pulled the ball back to O’Hare on the edge of the box. The midfielder struck a vicious shot goalward that McGovern could only palm out for a corner.
The 76th minute signaled the return of Wesley Jobello following a 13-month long stint in the medical room following an ACL injury sustained in training. Max Biamou also entered the fray with Dabo and Kelly making way as City made the change to 3-5-2.
The Sky Blues were inches away from levelling the scores following a disguised Hamer freekick from 25 yards.
The Brazilian set-up to test McGovern but cutely chipped the ball over the wall, however, everyone in the box failed to get a touch on the delivery.
Consequently, the ball skipped through and ricocheted off McGovern’s left-hand post and then put behind for a corner.
With the clock entering added time, the Sky Blues deservedly found the equaliser through substitute Max Biamou.
Giles delivered a wicked, low cross across the face of the box and got took out by a sliding challenge from Aarons, though, referee Stroud played on superbly.
The delivery was aimed towards Walker who was inches away from drawing the scores level, but the defender got there just before.
Norwich’s clearance deflected off the City number 19 and fell kindly for Biamou who smashed the ball home from 5 yards.
The full-time whistle blew minutes after the equaliser as the Sky Blues travel back to the Midlands with a hard-fought point from the league leaders, making it three unbeaten.
FULL-TIME: Norwich City 1 - 1 Sky Blues
Goals: Vrancic 27’ (p), Biamou 90’
Yellows: Sorensen, Aarons
Sky Blues XI: Ben Wilson (GK), Fankaty Dabo (Max Biamou 76’), Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean, Dom Hyam, Ryan Giles, Liam Kelly (C) (Wesley Jobello 76’), Ben Sheaf (Gustavo Hamer 62’), Jamie Allen (Jordan Shipley 62’), Callum O’Hare, Amadou Bakayoko (Tyler Walker 62’)
Unused Subs: Lee Camp (GK), Jordon Thompson, Will Bapaga, Blaine Rowe
Norwich City XI: Michael McGovern (GK), Max Aarons, Grant Hanley (C), Mario Vrancic, Przemyslaw Placheta, Marco Stiepermann, Jacob Sorensen, Oliver Skipp, Josh Martin (Christoph Zimmerman 84’), Alex Tettey, Ben Gibson
Unused Subs: Daniel Barden (GK), Reece McAlear, Andrew Omobamidele, Tyrese Omotoye, Tom Dickson-Peters