Despite comfortably winning the Championship title last season, Norwich City remained one of the leading candidates to be relegated. While Aston Villa spent heavily on 12 new faces, the Canaries took a steady approach during the last transfer window.
Sheffield United also repeatedly broke their transfer record, but Norwich decided to keep their cards close to their chest.
Daniel Farke did manage to sign six new players, but they only paid fees for three of those additions. The German decided to solidify his squad by adding key backup players to his team, and in doing so, he rewarded the players that earned them promotion in the first place.
After taking that approach, Norwich were classed as potential strugglers, but their performances from their first three games suggest they have what it takes to compete.
They opened the campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool, but Farke’s men had several chances to make the result much closer.
The Canaries responded well by beating Newcastle United 3-1, while they were unlucky not to secure a point against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, going down 3-2.
Norwich dropped to 16th after West Ham won their first game of the campaign at Watford, but the fans in Norfolk should have no reason to panic just yet.
Todd Cantwell netted his first goal of the season, while star striker Teemu Pukki grabbed his fifth of the campaign.
The Finn has taken the Premier League by storm, and he leads the scoring charts after a flying start to the new season.
Although they have conceded eight goals in their first three games, Norwich are showing they are not willing to sit back and invite pressure.
Last year, Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and Fulham decided to use defensive tactics, and that cost them dear as they dropped down into the Championship.
Norwich’s backline may need strengthening in January, but the likes of Maximilian Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis have all shown plenty of promise in the opening games.
Cantwell, Emiliano Buendia and Patrick Roberts are also expected to shine, and the future looks bright for the Canaries.
If they do manage to avoid the drop, Norwich will find themselves in a great position having spent very little in the summer. After biding his time in the market, Farke now has the chance to assess his squad before trying to then make the key additions he needs in January.
