PREVIEW: TOWN VS NORWICH CITY

8 September 2020

All the info you need ahead of our Sky Bet Championship opener!

- Town vs Norwich City preview
- The lowdown on Daniel Farke’s side
- Watch the game live on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town’s 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship campaign gets under way on Saturday 12 September 2020 with Norwich City the visitors to the John Smith’s Stadium; 3pm kick-off.

The Terriers will be hoping to get the league season underway with a good result when the Canaries make the trip up to West Yorkshire at the weekend.

As well as going in search of a first win under Head Coach Carlos Corberán, Town will be looking to register a first win on the opening day of the league season for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign.

THE OPPOSITION

Daniel Farke’s Canaries will be hoping for a positive start to their Sky Bet Championship return when they visit the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday.

Following their relegation from the Premier League last season, the Norfolk Club return to the division that they were crowned Champions of in 2018/19.

Their opening fixture in West Yorkshire precedes their home opener against Preston North End, before games against fellow-relegated side Bournemouth, and Derby County before the October international break.

Those games could include league debuts for several of their 11 acquisitions so far this summer, including Oliver Skipp and Ben Gibson who are on loan from Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley respectively.

FORM GUIDE

Town will be hoping to bounce back from Saturday’s Carabao Cup exit to Rochdale with a good start to the league campaign against the Canaries.

Off the back of a positive pre-season, the Terriers were beaten in their competitive opener following Eoghan O’Connell’s 51st minute header at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The visitors will also be looking for their first victory of the campaign on Saturday having also been knocked out in the first round of the Carabao Cup at the weekend.

Despite also going into their tie off the back of an unbeaten pre-season, Daniel Farke’s side were the victim of a late flurry of goals from Luton Town, going down 3-1 to the Hatters at Kenilworth Road.

ONES TO WATCH

Tim Krul
The Dutch international goalkeeper made the Canaries the fourth English side of his career when he made the move from Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the 2018/19 campaign. Krul was instrumental in the Club’s promotion back to the Premier League that season, playing in all 46 of their league games, keeping 13 clean sheets. In 2019/20, he was named the Club’s Player of the Season with particular highlights coming in the Club’s journey to the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals in which he was the hero of the fifth round penalty shootout against Tottenham Hotspur before an impressive display in the following round against Manchester United.

Max Aarons
The right-back has good memories of his last season in the Championship on both individual and collective levels. Having enjoyed a breakthrough campaign from the Canaries youth ranks in 2018/19, Aarons was a key part of the Norwich side that were promoted to the Premier League as Champions and was named EFL Young Player of the Year and in the EFL Team of the Season for 2018/19. As well as featuring in 36 of Norwich’s 38 Premier League games last season, the 20-year-old has also represented England’s Under-21s side since his debut against Turkey in September 2019.

Todd Cantwell
After coming through the youth ranks at the Norfolk Club, Cantwell made his senior debut for the Canaries in an FA Cup match against Chelsea in January 2018. Having had his first taste of senior football, he spent the second half of the 2017/18 campaign continuing his development at Dutch side Fortuna Sittard before returning to the Canaries to play his part in the promotion-winning season of 2018/19. Last season, the attacking midfielder impressed scoring against Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United whilst also representing England’s Under-21s side for the first time.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

In the 43 competitive meetings since 1960, both sides have had their even share of success with each club recording 13 wins in the fixture to go along with 17 draws.

Despite that, Town have had the better of the Canaries in recent years and are unbeaten in the last three against the Norfolk Club, dating back to March 2015.

The last encounter came towards the latter stages of the 2016/17 campaign when second half goals from Elias Kachunga, Aaron Mooy and Nahki Wells secured a 3-0 win for the Terriers at the John Smith’s Stadium.

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Our meeting with Norwich is one of nine games in the opening round of Sky Bet Championship matches to be played in the traditional 3pm slot on Saturday.

Prior to that, the season gets underway with Middlesbrough’s trip to Watford on Friday evening before Birmingham City face Brentford and Wycombe Wanderers host Rotherham United in Saturday’s early games. Here’s this weekend’s full list of fixtures…

Friday 11 September 2020
Watford vs Middlesbrough (7.45pm KO)

Saturday 12 September 2020
Birmingham City vs Brentford (12.30pm KO)
Wycombe Wanderers vs Rotherham United (12.30pm KO)
Barnsley vs Luton Town
AFC Bournemouth vs Blackburn Rovers
Bristol City vs Coventry City
Cardiff City vs Sheffield Wednesday
Derby County vs Reading
Huddersfield Town vs Norwich City
Millwall vs Stoke City
Preston North End vs Swansea City
Queens Park Rangers vs Nottingham Forest

TEAM NEWS

Town Head Coach Carlos Corberán will provide an update on his side ahead of the league opener during his virtual press conference on Friday 11 September 2020.

New signing Pipa could be in line to make his Town debut against the Canaries having joined from Spanish side Espanyol on Monday.

KIT

Town will wear the blue-and-white striped home kit to kick-off the league season – CLICK HERE to buy yours ahead of Saturday’s opener!

HOW TO WATCH

With the game being played behind-closed-doors, Town supporters will be able to watch it live and in full on iFollow HTAFC.

2020/21 Season Card holders will have free access to the game. CLICK HERE to find out more!

Supporters without a Season Card can purchase a Match Pass for just £10! CLICK HERE to get yours!

Match Reports

REPORT: TOWN 0-1 NORWICH CITY

12 September 2020

Single goal defeat for Town on the opening weekend

Huddersfield Town began the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship season with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Norwich City at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Having shared a well-fought battle with the Canaries in the opening league game of the season, substitute Adam Idah’s goal was the difference 10 minutes before time in West Yorkshire.

Carlos Corberán named a starting XI for the league opener that included a Town debut for new signing Pipa after the full-back signed from Espanyol earlier in the week.

Town’s Head Coach also gave a first Sky Bet Championship start to 19-year-old midfielder Ben Jackson off the back of his impressive showing on professional debut last weekend.

Adama Diakhaby was the third and final change from that competitive opener a week ago to the day, making his first start for the Terriers since returning from his loan at Nottingham Forest.

Despite the season’s kick-off coming a month later than normal, the surroundings were just as conventional to an opening day of a league season with glorious blue skies greeting the two teams as they emerged separately from the tunnel at the John Smith’s Stadium.

When referee Geoff Eltringham’s whistle got the game, and the campaign, underway, both sides attempted to kick their respective seasons into gear early on.

Because of that, the teams matched each other well in the opening exchanges, with opportunities present at both ends of the pitch.

The visitors attempted to deal the first blow, as Kenny McLean drove wide of the goal from range before Richard Stearman caused the Norwich defence problems by trying to flick a Josh Koroma shot home, but he couldn’t quite connect with it, as it evaded the goal.

After a lively start from both sides, the battle continued, edging into the middle of the pitch as the teams attempted to craft a way through from deep.

The Canaries nearly did that just after the half-hour mark when Onel Hernández drove through the Town defence before unleashing a shot straight at Ben Hamer.

At the other end, it was Alex Pritchard who had Town’s best chance as the first 45 minutes of the league season ticked towards a close.

After some good awareness from Jackson to win a free-kick on the edge of the Norwich penalty area, Town’s no.10 fired the set-piece over from a central area.

Following the interval, the chances continued to be shared at both ends as the deadlock remained intact.

The Terriers went close first, as Josh Koroma showed some nice footwork before cutting inside from the left and curling a fierce effort just wide of the far post.

Moments later for the Canaries, Christoph Zimmermann rose highest to meet Xavi Quintillà’s corner from the right but couldn’t keep his header down.

Koroma, who was leading the line for Town for the league opener, was continuing to kick on from an impressive performance to start the season against Rochdale last weekend, this time providing an incisive through-ball for Alex Pritchard who couldn’t quite connect with his effort in a way that would trouble Tim Krul in the Norwich goal.

Town’s no.19 was providing impetus for the Terriers going forward, whilst a big block from Stearman at the other end helped to keep it tight at the back.

The defender produced a sliding block to deny the Norwich attacker from tapping in the rebound to Hernández’s shot that Hamer had parried away from the goal.

The deadlock remained on that occasion, but the visitors were the ones to get the opener with just over ten minutes left to play.

Teemu Pukki pounced on a misplaced back-pass from Stearman and intelligently squared for substitute Adam Idah who finished from close range to give the Canaries a late lead.

The visitors held firm in the closing stages however to see the encounter out and take all three points from the John Smith’s Stadium on opening weekend.

Next up for Town is a first away trip of the season with Brentford the opponents at the new Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday 19 September 2020; 3pm kick-off.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3)
Ben Hamer; Harry Toffolo, Richard Stearman (Fraizer Campbell, 81’), Christopher Schindler (c), Pipa; Jonathan Hogg, Ben Jackson (Isaac Mbenza, 57’), Alex Pritchard; Adama Diakhaby (Jaden Brown, 71’), Josh Koroma, Juninho Bacuna

Unused subs
Joel Pereira; Romoney Crichlow, Aaron Rowe, Rarmani Edmonds-Green

NORWICH CITY (4-2-3-1)
Tim Krul; Xavi Quintillà, Ben Godfrey, Christoph Zimmerman, Max Aarons; Oliver Skipp, Kenny McLean; Onel Hernández (Przemysław Płacheta, 76’), Todd Cantwell (Lukas Rupp, 89’), Kieran Dowell (Adam Idah, 75’); Teemu Pukki

Unused subs
Michael McGovern; Alex Tettey, Ben Gibson

REFEREE
Geoff Eltringham