- Norwich have failed to win any of their last two home fixtures in Premier League 2, drawing 1-1 with Southampton and losing 4-1 at the hands of Tottenham.
- Stoke’s away form is a little better than their overall form, with the Potters winning three, drawing three and losing two of their eight Premier League 2 away fixtures.
- Norwich City U21 have conceded 15 goals in their seven Premier League 2 home games.
Bottom meets bottom in Premier League 2 clash
Two of the worst-performing teams in Premier League 2 will meet at Carrow Road on Friday when Norwich City U21 take on Stoke City U21. The Canaries have taken just 13 points from 15 matches, placing them at the bottom of the table, while the Potters have collected 19 from 14 fixtures and are 15th in the standings.
Norwich boss Alan Neilson’s approach to the game has been to be compact and organised, setting up his side in a 4-4-1-1 or narrow midfield. His side aim to keep things tight and organised, countering when the opportunity arises, but they’ve been poor at home in the league, winning just one, drawing two and losing four of their seven matches at Carrow Road.
Stoke’s Darren Potter has taken a different approach to his opposite number after taking charge in November 2024, encouraging his team to play a more attacking game with a 4-2-3-1 and get bodies up high to win the ball back quickly, using vertical passing to transition from defence to attack quickly.
Potters have been more positive under Potter
The Stoke coach’s tweaks have led to some improvements, particularly away from home, although the last three games have gone badly, with Potter’s young team losing 6-1 to Manchester City Academy before being beaten 2-1 at Ipswich.
Norwich’s recent form is no better, with the Canaries winning none, drawing two and losing three of their last five, suffering a 2-1 defeat at Leicester, a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton and a 4-1 drubbing at the Tottenham Hotspur Academy.
With Norwich and Stoke both near the bottom of the league table, this game represents an intriguing match-up of contrasting academy philosophies. Both teams look open at the back, with Norwich conceding 15 goals in seven home games and Stoke averaging 1.62 goals conceded per away game in the Premier League 2. But Stoke have averaged 1.50 goals scored per away match, so it should be an open contest with both teams looking to hurt each other with their strengths.
Stoke’s superior away form should prevail
Stoke, who are a touch favoured to take the three points at 183/100 compared to Norwich at 21/20, should win this game because of their better away record, but the odds on Over 2.5 goals at 9/25 are far too low for a game featuring two teams prone to defensive mistakes and an open style of football.
Both Norwich and Stoke have some talented young players in their ranks and Norwich have found their best finisher in recent weeks with Elliot Myles having scored two of their goals in their last five games. The Canaries will be looking for a similar goal from their midfield, but Myles offers a clinical edge that could be a difference-maker. Meanwhile, Tyler Martin has scored two of Stoke’s six goals in their last five matches and looks their most reliable scorer of late. With that in mind, both teams to score at 7/20 offers a lot of value in this Premier League 2 encounter, with a high-scoring draw or a narrow Stoke win a likely outcome.
