Norwich City Triumphs Over Fulham
Norwich City defeated Premier League outfit Fulham 2-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Motspur Park on Saturday afternoon. The result capped a productive training week in the capital for the Canaries, who also played out a goalless draw with AFC Wimbledon on Wednesday night.
Anis Ben Slimane broke the deadlock after 19 minutes from close range before Harry Darling nodded home the second just after the hour mark. Philippe Clement opted to rest the majority of his frontline options during the week, instead naming a strong XI to face the Cottagers.
Vladan Kovacevic, Ruairi McConville, and Pelle Mattsson were restored to the starting XI, while World Cup returnees Slimane, Jose Cordoba, and captain Kenny McLean all made their first appearances of pre-season.
Key Moments from the Match
Norwich started brightly in the south-west London sun, with Danish duo Oscar Schwartau and Mathias Kvistgaarden at the heart of a swift breakaway before finding Slimane, who fired into the side-netting. Kvistgaarden, who has impressed in recent weeks, played a key role in the opener, pressing high to win possession deep in Fulham territory before teeing up Slimane to slot home.
Matej Jurasek almost doubled the lead after being played through by goalscorer Slimane, but the Czech winger saw his dinked effort batted away by veteran goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The hosts' best chance of the opening period fell to Kevin, who weaved his way into the box before seeing his effort cleared by a City player.
Fulham, under new manager lvaro Arbeloa, made wholesale changes at the break in their first friendly of the summer, with Tom Cairney and Emile Smith Rowe among those introduced. It did little to alter the flow of the contest, however, as Clement's side continued to pose the greater attacking threat.
Looking Ahead for Norwich City
The referee brought an end to proceedings with Norwich still unbeaten in pre-season, as attention now turns to next Saturday's Carrow Road clash with La Liga outfit Osasuna before Cambridge United visits Colney ahead of the Carabao Cup opener against MK Dons. Statement signing Andre Brooks is expected to return to action against the Spanish side, while Ante Crnac is likely to feature for the Under-21s during their trip to Boreham Wood next Friday evening.
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