Premier League Fantasy Football Tips for Norwich by @CoysFPL.
In this team preview series, Dan previews all 20 Premier League teams ahead of the 2021/22 season. This includes season expectations, expected lineups, best player picks, under the radar gems, and players to avoid.
Find all our other Premier League 2021/22 Team Previews here which will be continually updated as the season draws closer!
Norwich 2020/21 Season Summary – Fantasy Football Tips
Norwich won the Championship at the first time of asking and in impressive style. They were officially promoted with six games to spare.
The Canaries have the fifth best points tally since the rebranding of the Championship in 2004.
Their defence was far more impressive than their previous promotion campaign, conceding 21 goals fewer and boasting the second best defensive record in the league.
Daniel Farke has implemented a more pragmatic approach after their humiliating Premier League season.
It’s fair to say that Norwich come in better equipped for the Premier League than they were last time out. Attacking wise, only Brentford scored more than their 75 goals across the season.
Norwich 2021/22 Season Expectations – Fantasy Football Tips
Even with Emiliano Buendía last season, Norwich weren’t as prolific in front of goal as they were in their last promotion campaign.
The Argentine could be huge loss given that he was involved in 32 of Norwich’s 75 goals, and created nearly twice as many chances as anyone in the Championship.
They have also replaced him with Milot Rashica and Pierre Lees-Melou, but I don’t think they’ll offer as much as he did.
That being said, I firmly believe that their defensive game is far more important. If they stay solid at the back, they should have enough to avoid the drop.
Norwich Expected Lineup
Tim Krul will be the starting goalkeeper, despite Angus Gunn returning to the club.
Max Aarons and Dimitris Giannoulis should retain their respective full-back spots. Meanwhile, Ben Gibson is set to partner Grant Hanley when both are fit.
However, Hanley is being treated for an injury that will keep him out for the first month or so, meaning teenager Andrew Omobamidele will be given stand-in responsibility.
Chelsea loanee Billy Gilmour is a shoe-in at central midfield. The Scotsman will be partnered by either Kenny McLean or versatile French newcomer Pierre Lees-Melou.
The latter can alternatively play as a number ten, and it seems most likely he’ll start there. McLean will take Kieran Dowell‘s spot in the team.
Todd Cantwell and Milot Rashica will occupy the wide roles without any uncertainty, assuming the former stays at Carrow Road.
Finnish forward Teemu Pukki will lead the line.
Norwich Best Players – Fantasy Football Tips
Teemu Pukki
The Finnish veteran enjoyed another successful season in the Championship last season. He registered 26 goals and four assists in 41 appearances.
This contributed to 40% of Norwich’s goals which is a substantial amount. He is also the Canaries’ penalty taker, and scored five penalties last season.
In Norwich’s last Premier League campaign, Pukki managed a respectable 11 goals and three assists but just didn’t get the supply.
It is slightly worrying that key creator Buendía has departed the club. The playmaker assisted 17 goals in total, and made eight of Pukki’s goals.
Buendía also completed 37 more key passes than anyone in the Championship despite missing seven games. Despite this potentially heavy loss, I think Pukki will reach double figures in the goal charts once again.
Norwich Under the Radar Players – Fantasy Football Tips
Pierre Lees-Melou
Versatile French midfielder Lees-Melou already has two goals in pre-season and should play in a promising attacking position.
Across the last two Ligue 1 seasons, he has recorded nine goals and eight assists in less than than 50 starts. He played most of those games as part of a midfield two.
Despite only playing 26 games as an attacking midfielder in his entire career, Lees-Melou scored an impressive seven times.
The Frenchman likes a shot from outside the box, given that over half of his shots have been from that range in the last three seasons.
Now he’s expected to play in a more advanced position, so he should also add more shots in the box to his game.
Max Aarons
The exciting young right back offers the most attacking threat from the back four. He only managed two goals and two assists in 45 Championship starts last season.
Among Norwich defenders, Aarons had the second most shots (0.6: only 0.1 less than Giannoulis), and made the most key passes per game (1.4).
Todd Cantwell
Cantwell had a slightly disappointing season compared to his last Premier League outing. He finished with six goals and six assists in 30 starts: making him the third most involved player in the squad.
That goal tally equaled that of his Premier League one, albeit last season’s came at a slower rate.
Cantwell had the third most shots in the box (1.1) and completed the second most key passes per game (1.6) in the Norwich ranks.
Milot Rashica
The Kosovo international was relegated Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen’s star man across the last couple of seasons.
Despite having a very disappointing campaign last time out, Rashica should offer a lot to Norwich going forward.
He managed 17 goals and 10 assists in under 50 starts in the two seasons before last.
This is despite Rashica only scoring three times from 14 starts and 24 appearances last season. Yet he still had the most shots per game in the Werder squad (1.8).
That was particularly impressive given ten of his 24 appearances came off the bench.
As well as that, his 37 goal involvements across the last three campaigns have come at a very impressive rate. The Kosovan averages one every 143 minutes.
To put that into perspective, that would have put him well among the top twenty players in the Premier League last season for goal or assist rate.
It’s difficult to tell how he’ll adjust into the Premier League though. I’m not suggesting in any way that he’ll be in that top 20 list this season, although I still think he’s one to consider.
Norwich Players to Avoid – Fantasy Football Tips
Billy Gilmour might be a fantastic player but he isn’t a viable Fantasy option.
Premier League Fantasy Football 2021/22 Tips – Team Previews and Best Players
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First Billy Gilmore is called a “shoo-in”, and then he’s the only player to avoid?