Time to sign off. I’ll leave you with Nick Ames’ report from Carrow Road, where the ghosts of relegation are looming. Happy Halloween!
Some big developing news from elsewhere, with reports that Nuno Espírito Santo is on the brink at Spurs:
“Second half shenanigans notwithstanding, was trying to work out pre-game whether Leeds have finally been sussed, or the bubble has actually burst” tweets VoiceoftheMysterons. Well, they won today but still don’t look up to the standards of last season. Getting Kalvin Phillips back up to speed will undoubtedly help.
Well, that was four minutes of action packed into 90, wasn’t it?
Full time: Norwich 1-2 Leeds
One last chance for Krul to launch a free-kick upfield ... but he plays it short. And that’s that, a mixture of boos and half-hearted applause greeting the final whistle.
94 mins: Raphinha fires a low shot on goal, but Krul is right behind it this time.
93 mins: Pukki fires in a cross that deflects into the path of Rashica, who swings and misses. It’s all a bit desperate, and a cheap foul relieves the pressure.
92 mins: Hit and hope time is approaching for Norwich. Raphinha, the best player on the pitch by some distance, is down with cramp.
90 mins: Five added minutes.
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89 mins: A cross from deep drops towards substitute Placheta, waiting 12 yards out. He swings a leg, and scuffs the ball out for a goal kick. Not how he dreamt it.
88 mins: Raphinha threatens to cause more carnage cutting in from the right, but this time Omobamidele prods the ball away with a well-timed challenge.
Updated
87 mins: An attacking change for Norwich, Przemyslaw Placheta on for Grant Hanley. For Leeds, Rodrigo is replaced by Tyler Roberts.
85 mins: Rodrigo’s shot is charged down and Krul collects. There’s a weird lack of intensity out there – Leeds are happy to hold on, and Norwich look weary.
84 mins: Tzolis cuts in from the right but misplaces his pass, to the frustration of the Carrow Road faithful.
83 mins: Kabak is penalised for a tangle with Raphinha that leaves both players on the deck. Leeds waste the free kick, and Dallas has to race back to take the ball away from Tzolis.
81 mins: Norwich are vexed with Stuart Dallas, who takes his sweet time with a throw-in. Normann loses his cool and grabs a fistful of Dallas’ shirt. The referee steps in and tells everyone to behave themselves.
80 mins: If it stays like this, it’ll be a real shame for Omobamidele. He was made to look a bit silly by Raphinha for Leeds’ opener, but redeemed himself immediately – only for Kabak and Krul to rather let him down.
78 mins: Taylor’s booking arm will be getting tired – Drameh is the latest to see yellow after a clumsy challenge.
77 mins: In the midst of that, it looks like Anthony Taylor booked someone on the Norwich bench for dissent.
76 mins: Josh Sargent, who has darted and harried to little effect today, is replaced by Adam Idah. For Leeds, Adam Forshaw is on for Dan James, who looks surprised.
Updated
75 mins: A half-chance for Raphinha, set up by some nice trickery from Harrison. The Brazilian fires his snap shot wide under pressure.
Next up on Spooky Sunday, it’s Aston Villa v West Ham. Join Rob Smyth for that one:
73 mins: Rashica strikes it low, banking on the players in the ball jumping over the ball. They do not.
72 mins: Harrison plays a careless pass straight to Pukki, who runs at the Leeds defence and is brought down a yard outside the area. A great opportunity for the hosts, with Normann and Rashica standing over the ball ...
70 mins: Shackleton was hurt in that challenge on Rashica and is being replaced by Cody Drameh – although for some reason, the referee makes the clearly hobbling Shackleton wait to come off.
68 mins: Dowell’s delivery is dreadful, and it’s his last involvement as Greek winger Christos Tzolis replaces him.
66 mins: The lively Rashica is brought down by Shackleton, who is booked. Just before that, Pukki blasted a dangerous ball across goal, but nobody was waiting in the area.
64 mins: Just when you thought this couldn’t get any more entertaining, Raphinha clatters into Marcelo Bielsa on the touchline and sends his own manager crashing to the ground. No harm done, and the replays are a treat.
62 mins: I’ll be honest, I didn’t see this game serving up three goals in four minutes. Norwich have another chance, Rashica’s corner finding Kenny McLean, who heads straight at Meslier.
Here’s the Raphinha goal:
Raphinha has his goal!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 31, 2021
📺 Watch Norwich City vs Leeds United live on Sky Sports pic.twitter.com/qYVm15GGTE
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Kabak tried to carry the ball forward, but Struijk stripped him of it in midfield. Rodrigo has a shot from 25 yards, and it goes through Tim Krul and nestles in the far corner!
GOAL! Norwich 1-2 Leeds (Rodrigo 60')
Oh, Norwich. Leeds are back ahead, and it’s not pretty viewing for the home fans.
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Norwich have a long, long run of failing to get anything from top-flight games where they’ve gone behind. What now?
GOAL! Norwich 1-1 Leeds (Omobamidele 58')
They’ve only gone and done it, Andrew Omobamidele powering a header in off the bar!
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Meslier and Shackleton get mixed up, and concede a cheap corner ... can Norwich hit back?
Daniel James controls a clearance with a superb first touch and sweeps the ball right to Raphinha. He cuts inside, sits Omobamidele down and fires a shot back across goal that clips Kabak’s heel and rolls past Krul! What a goal!
GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Leeds (Raphinha 56')
Leeds break away, and this deeply average game has a quite brilliant goal!
Updated
55 mins: Rashica finds space down the left but his cross is collected by Meslier. The only threat to the keeper was Liam Cooper, who thought about swinging a leg at the near post.
53 mins: James is denied by Kabak, who shuffles across to clear a through-ball. Leeds should really be causing this Norwich back line a few more problems.
51 mins: The early edge has returned in the second half, the needle-o-meter creeping up further as Phillips tackles Sargent to deny a Norwich breakaway.
50 mins: Rashica strikes it low and Meslier does well not just to save, but to hang onto it with yellow shirts surrounding him.
48 mins: Normann picks out Pukki, who tumbles under pressure from Cooper. It’s a soft one, but Norwich have a promising free kick 20 yards out.
46 mins: McLean races forward to close down Meslier, who clears and goes down under the challenge. McLean gets booked, but I’m not sure there was much contact.
Peep!
The second half is under way.
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Half-time reading
Michael Butler chats to Ian Woan in the latest in his excellent series of interviews with 90s Premier League legends:
“What a strangely anaemic game,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Beforehand, you’d have put money on any other scoreline rather than 0-0. Now you wouldn’t want to bet on any other scoreline. Both teams look not only toothless, but gumless as well.”
I do think there’s a goal in here somewhere, and Leeds look like they have another gear or two. If Norwich can find a spark of magic, or a lucky break, that would open the game up. Or it could end 0-0. Stick around, folks.
Updated
Half time: Norwich 0-0 Leeds
It’s goalless at the break.
45 mins: From the corner, the ball ricochets to Normann, 25 yards out. His low shot pings through a crowd of players, and just wide of the far post!
44 mins: Harrison hauls down the lively Aarons, and is booked. Dowell’s free kick from deep is headed clear by Llorente. Rashica picks it up and drills a low shot that Meslier tips behind – although it was probably sneaking wide anyway ...
Updated
43 mins: Omobamidele’s poor clearance is picked up by Rodrigo, who fires a shot straight at Krul. I think that’s the first shot on target since Hanley’s early clearance.
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42 mins: Raphinha is keeping Andrew Omobamidele busy down the right, cutting inside here but seeing his shot blocked by the centre-back.
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41 mins: Leeds are the side pushing forward as half-time approaches, but nothing is clicking in the final third – it’s like an ice-cold knife through butter.
39 mins: The Norwich captain, Grant Hanley, is struggling with a groin problem. He would be a big miss, having made a couple of key interventions already.
38 mins: Kabak wins the ball from James down by his own goalline, then concedes an unnecessary free kick by throwing his arm across the winger. Llorente gets a head to the cross, but it’s never on target.
36 mins: Leeds get a few bodies upfield, and Raphinha crosses with his left. James nods it towards Rodrigo, who can’t turn and get a shot away under pressure from Hanley.
35 mins: After a frenetic start, this game is drifting a little towards half time – with both teams perhaps anxious about the implications of conceding first.
33 mins: Dan James almost motors onto a through ball, but Krul is out quickly to smother it. The winger may have been offside, anyway.
31 mins: Harrison collects a pass from Raphinha and lays it off for the No 10 – unfortunately it’s Norwich’s No 10, Kieran Dowell. As the hosts try to break, Rodrigo is booked for applying his boot to the back of Normann’s leg.
29 mins: Raphinha twists and turns his way to the byline, but his cross in to Rodrigo is cleared.
28 mins: Leeds’ setup is predictably fluid, with wing-back Stuart Dallas and left winger Dan James changing places, and Jack Harrison currently further forward than Rodrigo.
26 mins: Norwich haven’t been ahead for a single Premier League minute so far this season, and they’ll need to sharpen up their shooting if that’s going to change. Mathias Normann is the latest player to drag his shot well wide.
24 mins: Hanley swings a long diagonal towards Max Aarons, who gets beyond James but sees his shot closed down.
22 mins: As demonstrated by that passage of play, the pitch is still slippery after a biblical downpour before kick-off.
21 mins: More aggressive intent from the hosts, with Kenny McLean charging forward. When he slips, Max Aarons picks up the baton and darts into the area. He slips too, and clatters into Llorente. Both players need a dab of the magic sponge after that.
19 mins: Dowell swings in a cross from the right that skims over the head of Rashica. Moments later, Rashica fires in a cross of his own, but it’s over the head of Pukki, who was well marshalled by white shirts.
17 mins: But when Leeds play out beyond that high press, they look dangerous – particularly Raphinha, who almost picks out Rodrigo with a prodded through ball.
16 mins: It’s been a very high-tempo start, with Pukki and Sargent pressing the Leeds defence at every opportunity.
14 mins: Norwich have the chance to swing a cross in from another free kick – but Dowell goes for goal, lashing the ball high into the stand. On the bench, Daniel Farke looks crestfallen.
12 mins: Oof, a decent chance for the hosts! From a quick free-kick, Rashica swings in a cross that James half-clears. Pukki fires towards the far corner on the turn, but it flies wide.
10 mins: A break in play as Mathias Normann goes down after a hefty challenge from Raphinha. Pukki thinks he’s won a corner off Liam Cooper but a goal-kick is awarded, much to the Finn’s chagrin.
Updated
7 mins: Hanley clears off the line! Leeds slice through that buttery Norwich back-line, and Dan James goes round Krul. From a tight angle, his shot is on target but Grant Hanley clears at the near post! Suspicions that James was offside, but I think Omobamidele was playing him on.
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6 mins: Meslier comes dangerously close to handling outside his area, before Leeds break downfield through Raphinha, deployed on the right wing. He plays a one-two with Harrison, but Kabak makes a good challenge to stop him getting a shot away.
3 mins: Kabak fails to connect with the header, but as Dan James tries to break away, there are big appeals for handball from the Norwich fans! Neither Anthony Taylor nor the VAR, Darren England, are swayed.
2 mins: As promised by Farke, Norwich have started aggressively. Centre-back Kabak drives upfield and wins a dubious corner ...
Peep!
Away we go. Norwich in yellow and green, Leeds in all-white.
It’s also Women’s FA Cup semi-final day, and Chelsea are 2-0 up at Manchester City in the first game. Join Rob Smyth for updates from that one:
“Norwich, the positives: their kit, Josh Sargent’s hair. The negatives: everything related to winning in the Premier League,” says Mary Waltz.
Here’s Daniel Farke: “Of course we’re not happy with just two points from nine games, but we have to concentrate on this game. We are respectful [of Leeds] but also highly motivated to win points today.
“It’s crunch time, when you have to deliver. We had a tough fixture list and as a promoted team it’s difficult. Today we want to go for it and win the points. We also want to get back to being more defensively solid – [but] play without fear and go for it.”
Norwich managed clean sheets against Burnley and Brighton, but their goal difference is -21 – only Sheffield Wednesday in 1999-00 can “match” that in the Premier League era.
Previously ...
This is the first top-flight meeting between these sides since 1995. Two years before, they met at Carrow Road in the Premier League’s first season. Chris Sutton scored a hat-trick to keep the Canaries’ surprise title push alive:
#XmasRewind Day 19 is Chris Sutton’s hat-trick against Leeds in a 4-2 victory in 1993. Remembered by @Canaryb1rd #ncfc #otbc pic.twitter.com/hmqDeENRTk
— Rewind Norwich City (@RewindNorwich) December 19, 2017
The two teams’ recent ups and downs mean this is Leeds’ first trip here since August 2018, when they won 3-0. Both Farke and Bielsa were in the dugouts that day, a rare modern example of football not moving far too fast.
Both managers have gone with fairly attacking line-ups – a Halloween thriller is guaranteed*.
🚨 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 31, 2021
▪️ Three changes to starting XI
▪️ Giannoulis, Lees-Melou and Gibson make way
▪️ Rashica, Dowell and Omobamidele come in#NCFC | #NORLEE pic.twitter.com/kic4tetBqY
🚨 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀!
— Leeds United (@LUFC) October 31, 2021
One change, Phillips returns and replaces Klich in midfield pic.twitter.com/5dnoJEE23W
*Halloween thriller not guaranteed
Team news
Norwich (3-4-3): Krul; Kabak, Hanley, Omobamidele; Aarons, Normann, McLean, Rashica; Dowell, Pukki, Sargent.
Subs: Rupp, Gilmour, Placheta, Tzolis, Lees-Melou, Williams, Gunn, Giannoulis, Idah.
Leeds (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Shackleton, Cooper, Llorente, Dallas; Struijk, Phillips; Raphinha, James, Harrison; Rodrigo.
Subs: Forshaw, Roberts, Klaesson, Gelhardt, Hjelde, Cresswell, Drameh, Summerville, Klich.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
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Preamble
Never mind relegated by Christmas – Norwich could be down before Bonfire Night. After two points from nine games, the Canaries are firmly odds-on to head straight back to the Championship. That may be a little premature, but there are a few reasons for optimism after a historically bad start to a Premier League campaign. Norwich are at risk of becoming the team everyone wants to face in order to iron out their own issues.
Take today’s opponents, Leeds, who arrive here in the bottom three after an awkward, injury-hit start. Last season’s impressive mid-table finish was fired by 10 away wins – as many as Chelsea and Liverpool – but they have drawn a blank on the road so far this season. Win as expected today and the tension will be eased; lose and the gap to Norwich will improbably be down to just two points.
With Patrick Bamford still unavailable, much will depend on whether Raphinha is fit enough to start – the Brazilian’s three league goals this season eclipse Norwich’s entire output of two – both scored by Teemu Pukki. Daniel Farke needs that to change in their upcoming fixtures – Brentford (A), Southampton (H), Wolves (H), Newcastle (A). If Norwich are to rise from the dead, it starts on Halloween.
Kick off is at 2pm GMT.
