If Wednesday’s clash between Newcastle United and Norwich City is anything like last season’s match-ups, neutrals are in for a treat.
When Newcastle United and Norwich City both slipped out of the top flight last term, most would have banked on those two to be in the hunt for automatic promotion this time out. Both sides possess huge wage bills in comparison to their second-tier contemporaries and while Alex Neil is no Rafa Benitez, he knows how to weave his way out of the division.
The Magpies will have hoped for a better start, having already lost three times, but they still remain in the play-off spots and will still have aspirations of lifting the Championship trophy at the end of the season. For Norwich, they have had a rather smoother transition, winning six and losing just once.
It will be a fascinating encounter on Wednesday, just as it was when both sides met last season locked in a tussle for survival.
Take a look at five of the more memorable clashes between Newcastle and Norwich.
2nd April 2016 – Norwich 3-2 Newcastle
Newcastle’s Championship fate may not have been sealed at Carrow Road in early April of this year, but it sure felt like it for the travelling Geordies who witnessed the Canaries steal a winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
With both sides stuck in a three-horse race with Sunderland to escape the dreaded drop-zone, the game swung back on forth with Alexsandar Mitrovic cancelling out Tim Klose’s first-half header. Minutes later however, Dieumerci Mbokani smashed home a wondrous effort, before the Magpies were awarded a penalty with five minutes remaining.
Mitrovic duly dispatched it and Benitez’s side looked to be escaping with a point, only for Martin Olsson to pop up in injury-time and rifle a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. They might have played a game more, but it was a result which moved Norwich six points above the Magpies, who sunk to 19th.
18th October 2015 – Newcastle 6-2 Norwich
Last season was a horror show for Newcastle United, especially under the tutelage of Steve McClaren, as they sunk into the second tier for the second time since Mike Ashley seized control of the club. However, it also provided the city with the opportunity to witness their side score six goals in a game for the first time since 2010, with Georginio Wijnaldum netting four in October.
The Dutchman’s four-goal salvo, which included two headers and a long-range strike, stole the show for the Magpies but Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic also weighed in with classy finishes. Dieumerci Mbokani and Nathan Redmond’s first-half efforts for the visitors were long since forgotten by the final whistle.
It was just their first win of a sorry opening to the season, and it looked as though the club might use it as a springboard to elevate their league position in the coming games. The Tyneside following would witness one more home win before the turn of the year.
10th December 2011 – Norwich 4-2 Newcastle
Newcastle’s most successful season since the era of Sir Bobby Robson, where he was ironically dismissed for finishing fifth, arrived during the 11/12 season when Alan Pardew guided the club to just outside the Champions League spots. It was a marvellous effort considering the paper-thin squad he had at his disposal, evidenced by the makeshift defence that was thrown together against Norwich midway through the campaign.
After an 11-match unbeaten start, the club had lost two of their previous three games and had injuries to defenders Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor and Mike Williamson to contend with. Danny Simpson and James Perch were the unlikely centre-half partnership on the day, and were bullied by Grant Holt who helped himself to two headers.
Wes Hoolahan had struck the hosts into the lead before the prolific Demba Ba equalised. However, Holt and Steve Morrison bagged in the second half, before Dan Gosling received his marching orders for a foul on Russell Martin. Ba restored parity with another, but Holt soon nodded home his second of the day to seal all three points.
20th April 2005 – Norwich 2-1 Newcastle
Norwich may have ultimately been relegated at the end of the 04/05 season, but due to the goals of Dean Ashton and the motivational speaking of Delia Smith, they very nearly pulled of a heroic escape.
After losing five consecutive games, the division’s bottom side had beaten Manchester United and drawn away with Crystal Palace to give themselves a fighting chance in their penultimate home game against Newcastle.
The Magpies had endured a month from hell, getting hammered in both the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup and the semi-final of the FA Cup. Their misery was compounded when Ashton nodded home in the dying moments to consign Graeme Souness to his fifth defeat of the month.
Newcastle had looked to have stolen a point when Patrick Kluivert bagged an 89th minute equaliser, cancelling out Youssef Safri’s spectacular 45-yard effort.
25th August 2004 – Newcastle 2-2 Norwich
Sir Bobby Robson had found himself under slight pressure at St. James’ Park following his failure to steer Newcastle into the top four during the 03/04 season, falling behind Liverpool into fifth.
They had begun the following campaign poorly, picking up just a point from their opening two games before welcoming newly-promoted Norwich City to St. James’ Park. It may have been only three games into the season, but this would be the last time he took charge at that ground.
Bellamy and Aaron Hughes had given the hosts the lead only for David Bentley’s 20-yard effort to somehow squirm under the body of Shay Given. The Magpies pressed to see out the victory but were thwarted by the efforts of Robert Green, and were made to pay for their profligacy when Gary Doherty hooked home a late equaliser to a symphony of boos.
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