Manchester City visited Carrow Road to face Norwich City on Saturday afternoon looking for a win that would take them to the top of the Premier League.
A disappointing start to the game from the visitors increased expectations for the hosts, who looked the better of the two sides in the early stages.
However, the visitors managed to take control to dominate for long periods of the second half but a lack of clear opportunities forced Manuel Pellegrini's side to settle for a 0-0 draw.
Read below to find out how events unfolded at Carrow Road.
Good afternoon everyone. It's a big day in the Premier League for the teams at both the top and bottom of the table. I'll be bringing you live text coverage of Manchester City's trip to face Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Man City have been in tremendous form over the past couple of months but their confidence took a big hot on Monday night when they lost 1-0 to title rivals Chelsea. How will Manuel Pellegrini's side respond today? Norwich fans may be fearing a wounded animal.
Norwich desperately need points, but so does every other team in the bottom half of the table. It's a difficult ask for Chris Hughton's side. A positive result today, though, can give Norwich a big boost at a crucial stage of the season.
NORWICH: Ruddy; Martin, Yobo, Bassong, Olsson; Redmond, Tettey, Johnson, Pilkington; Fer; Hooper
SUBSTITUTES: Bunn, Whittaker, van Wolfswinkel, Hoolahan, Garrido, Becchio, Josh Murphy
MAN CITY: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Navas, Milner, Toure, Silva, Jovetic, Negredo
SUBSTITUTES: Pantilimon, Richards, Rodwell, Lopes, Kolarov, Dzeko, Lescott
Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov drop out of the Man City team following that defeat to Chelsea on Monday night. Gael Clichy comes in at left-back, while James Milner is selected in midfield as Pellegrini looks to find another way to deal with Fernandinho's absence. Martin Demichelis drops back into defence as Matija Nastasic misses out. Stevan Jovetic joins Alvaro Negredo in attack.
Ryan Bennett, Robert Snodgrass and Jonas Gutierrez all sit out this match due to injury as Norwich make four changes. Leroy Fer makes his return to the team to replace Johan Elmander. Joseph Yobo makes his debut for the club in the centre of defence.
Norwich fans won't thank me for reminding them what happened when these two teams met earlier in the season. Man City were at their brilliant best but, in truth, they didn't need to be. The visiting defence had a nightmare at the Etihad Stadium in a 7-0 thrashing which saw the Canaries heavily criticised after the game. Hughton cannot afford for a similar display today.
Pellegrini will be desperate for City to bounce back from a crushing defeat to a rival with a big display at Carrow Road. As I write this post, Arsenal are currently losing 5-1 to Liverpool at Anfield. The league leaders are heading for a heavy defeat. Man City must take advantage.
Is it a good, or bad time to play Manchester City? The title contenders certainly showed a weakness on the road earlier in the season but have improved over the past couple of months. That loss to Chelsea hit the hard, Norwich could be set to see the backlash.
Norwich have one just once in their previous nine league games. Much has been said about how difficult their run-in is, with Hughton's side being asked to face Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in their final four games. The club's supporters may feel that they need to be safe before then.
Hughton was confident of Norwich's chances ahead of this match, telling reporters: "So we won't go into the game thinking that we can't win. You have to be confident and believe in what you are doing and I think there's that belief in my players."
It's been a year since City went two league games without winnings. That is a daunting statistic for Norwich, who may consider 'parking the bus' this afternoon. Should they adopt that approach? I'm not so sure. City have so many attacking players, they'll surely find a way through.
PREDICTION: It's time for me to have a guess at what the outcome will be at Carrow Road. Norwich face a tough battle today playing against a Man City side that are desperate to get back to winning ways and I think Pellegrini's men will have too much for the hosts. 3-0 to the visitors.
It could be a very big day for Stevan Jovetic. He certainly has the quality to succeed in the Premier League but he's struggled with injuries during his short time in England. An impressive display today could be the turning point in his City career. Aguero's injury troubles means that Jovetic has a great opportunity to impress Pellegrini.
It's finished at Anfield and Arsenal have lost 5-1 to Liverpool. What a remarkable result! City can now go top of the league with a victory today, while a win for Chelsea over Newcastle could see the Gunners slip to third.
Remember, you can follow live text coverage of all of the Premier League games this afternoon by just clicking on the match in the table to the right of the page. A crucial afternoon has got underway in incredible fashion. The drama will surely keep on coming.
The players are just about to head back inside for the final team-talk before the action begins at Carrow Road. Norwich's supporters have been made to suffer too often this season but they'll certainly respond if the hosts can start well this afternoon.
Yobo makes his debut for the home side today. Premier League supporters will know all about the defender from his time at Everton and it could prove to be a good signing for Hughton. Yobo has plenty of experience and he may be able to calm things down at the back alongside Sebastien Bassong.
Norwich could find themselves in the bottom three in just a couple of hours. It's a huge afternoon for the Canaries. A morale-boosting result could send them on a good run but a heavy defeat would pile the pressure on Hughton.
The action is just a few moments away at Carrow Road and the atmosphere is building nicely now. City can put a disappointing week behind them with a big victory this afternoon. Pellegrini can only hope his side are not lacking in confidence.
The players are out on the pitch now to a great reception from the home supporters. Can Norwich produce a shock result today? Stick with me on what has already been an incredible afternoon of Premier League football.
Here we go then. Everything is in place at Carrow Road. City will get the game underway.
It's been a good start for Norwich, who go on the attack to win a corner. The opportunity is wasted when Johnson fails to beat the first man with his delivery.
Norwich remain on the front foot in the early stages and Kompany is forced into action to clear another cross into the City box. The home crowd respond to the promising start positively.
Lucky moment for Yobo, who makes a mess of his clearance when Clichy whips the ball into the box. Silva collects the loose ball but the Norwich defender manages to do enough on the ground to keep the Spaniard from unleashing a shot.
Lovely touch from Redmond to collect a long ball on the left and he quickly finds Johnson in space but his cross is very poor. Bright start from both sides.
First sign of the Jovetic and Negredo combination in attack for City as the two link well to create some space. The latter attempts to find Navas on the left wing but Norwich recover impressively to clear the danger.
Redmond really is an exciting player to watch and he delights the home supporters by knocking the ball through Kompany's legs before winning a corner for his side. However, the delivery is poor once again and the visitors are barely threatened. Hughton knows his side need to use those opportunities better.
Milner has looked lively in central midfield already and he's at the heart of the move when Silva wins a corner from Yobo. Navas jogs over to deliver the cross but his ball is too deep for any of his teammates to make an impact in the box.
The set-pieces have been really poor in the opening stages. It's disappointing the fans, too and they've shown their frustration already.
It's certainly not the City we're used to seeing this season. Pellegrini's side have been uncharacteristically sloppy in possession and they're yet to to find their rhythm in Norfolk. Norwich have a good opportunity if the match continues in this way.
SHOT! Big chance for Norwich. Hooper collects a loose ball on the edge of the box and slides in a pass to Redmond, who has plenty of space in the box but he fires a shot wide of the target.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Norwich think they have the lead, but they're denied by the assistant referee. Yobo rises highest from a corner to force Hart into a great save. Hooper is in space to tap in from close range but he was in an off-side position. Correct decision.
The home crowd are delighted with what they are seeing from Norwich this afternoon. Hughton's side are playing at an impressive high-tempo but he knows that they must score while they are on top. Man City will surely improve as this game progresses.
It's time for City to enjoy a spell of pressure as the visitors win a couple of corners. Norwich remain strong at the back and make two clearances to keep the threat out.
Milner is slightly fortunate not to receive a caution for a late challenge on Fer in midfield. Jonathan Moss decides just to have a quiet word with the England international.
Norwich are looking confident in possession, particularly when Redmond collects the ball on the wing. Man City are trying to forced the hosts to play a more narrow game but they're struggling at the moment.
Bassong rises well to clear a cross from Navas but the visitors manage to keep the move alive. Zabaleta finds Toure, who wastes the opportunity to create a chance when he chips the ball out of play.
There's a break in play when Toure goes down following a clash of heads. The midfielder is slightly shocked by the challenge but he should be fine to continue.
Redmond is dangerous, but he's certainly not the finished article. Clichy has no answer for the winger as he watches the youngster pass him with apparent ease but Redmond loses his head in space and slices a cross into the stands.
Zabaleta comes forward and exchanges passes with a couple of teammates before bursting into the box. The defender has plenty of space but he fails to test Ruddy from a tight angle in the area. Much better from the visitors.
Man City have increased the tempo of their play in the past couple of minutes. The Norwich supporters might be starting to get slightly nervous. Hughton's side must remain positive.
WOODWORK! It's the closest either side have come to the opening goal. Demichelis loses his marker to flick the ball on from a corner and Negredo looks set to break the deadlock before heading against the crossbar. Big chance.
Norwich cannot afford to concede a goal just before the interval. They're starting to drop deeper when Man City are in possession, which will be a concern for Hughton and his staff.
Jovetic is starting to see plenty more of the ball in advanced areas as Man City continue to improve. He links well with Silva, who plays a lovely pass into the box but Ruddy rushes off his line to end the move prematurely.
SHOT! Negredo drops deeper to collect the ball and decides to unleash a shot when he's offered space by the hosts. It's a good strike but Ruddy is able to watch the ball hit the side-netting.
Hughton needs his side to reach half time level. It's all Man City in the closing stages of the first half as the visiting team's creative players begin to play more of a prominent role in this match. Much more promising signs for Pellegrini.
SAVE! Silva collects the ball on the left and clips a ball to the back post, where Jovetic controls on his chest before firing an effort at goal. Ruddy responds superbly to push the ball to safety. Excellent goalkeeping.
Ruddy worries the home supporters just moments after that impressive save when he takes a long time to clear under pressure from Negredo. Two minutes of added time to be played.
Man City launch a couple of crosses into the box but Norwich are equal to the challenge. It looks like the first half will finish goalless.
HALF-TIME: NORWICH 0-0 MAN CITY
It's been a pretty even 45 minutes at Carrow Road. Norwich definitely started the better of the two sides and had a couple of early sights at goal, with Hooper seeing a close-range effort ruled out for off-side. Man City hit back later on in the first half and had the best chance of the game when Negredo headed against the crossbar.
Pellegrini wouldn't have been happy with what he was seeing from his side early on but there were clear signs of improvement before Jonathan Moss blew the half-time whistle. I'd expect the visitors to come out firing after the break. Norwich were positive in the opening stages and they can't afford to invite too much pressure.
I spoke about Jovetic before the game and he's certainly impressed in a fairly quiet opening 45 minutes. He's dropping into spaces between midfield and attack, which has caused Norwich problems. Pellegrini will be encouraged by his display.
City really need to pick up a win today. As it stands, Chelsea will go top of the Premier League. They currently lead Newcastle United 2-0 thanks to a first-half brace from Eden Hazard.
What a point this could be for Norwich. If Hughton's men can hold the visitors to a draw, they'll be full of confidence heading into their next few games. There's a long time left in this one, though.
Both teams are back out in the middle at Carrow Road. Norwich will get the game back underway.
No changes for either side at the break. Who can find the first goal? It could be crucial in a game that has lacked quality in the final third at times.
Silva finds Negredo, who flicks the ball past Yobo but Ruddy is once again quick off his line to prevent the forward from getting through on goal.
Few nervy moments for City as both Hart and Demichelis are forced to make hurried clearances under big pressure from the hosts. That brings a reaction from the Norwich fans. Great support at Carrow Road.
City break forward to win a corner but the trend continues in this game as Navas once again fails to beat the first man to allow Norwich to easily clear the danger.
Kompany is forced to dig Zabaleta out of trouble when his teammate is robbed of the ball by Pilkington, who fails to beat the visiting skipper. Toure has struggled to make an impact this afternoon. Man City certainly miss Fernandinho.
I'm amazed. The corners have been terrible in this game today. Silva and Navas link well to win a set-piece for their side but the latter picks out the first defender again. It's just not good enough.
Jonathan Moss seems eager to keep his cards in his pocket as he chooses to have a word with Zabaleta following a late tackle on Pilkington. That could have been a booking on another afternoon.
CLOSE! The visitors come agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Jovetic meets a deep cross at the back post. He directs the ball towards the far corner of the goal but Olsson responds superbly to make a vital clearance.
CHANCE! Man City are in control now as they click into top gear again to worry the hosts when Milner picks out Jovetic, who heads wide under pressure at the back post.
Great work from Navas to follow his man back into the box and make a clearance when Fer whips an inviting cross in from the right. Pellegrini will be very happy with the winger.
SHOT! Brilliant exchange of passes from Hooper and Martin on the edge of the box but the latter can't complete the move as his half-volley sails over the crossbar. Decent chance for Norwich.
SUBSTITUTION: City make their first change of the game as Dzeko comes off the bench to replace Jovetic.
UPDATE: Chelsea are on their way to victory at Stamford Bridge. Eden Hazard has completed his hat-trick to give the hosts a 3-0 lead over Newcastle. City won't want to miss the chance to go top.
Demichelis flicks a corner towards Dzeko, who sees a shot deflected behind. Silva takes the second set-piece but Bassong beats Kompany in the air to clear the danger for now.
SUBSTITUTION: Hooper went down under a heavy challenge just after the most recent Man City corner and he can't continue. Ricky van Wolfswinkel is his replacement.
Action-packed few minutes as Man City break quickly after being put under pressure. Negredo heads on a Clichy cross and the ball is cleared to Toure, who fires a deflected effort just wide of the target from the edge of the box.
Norwich deserve plenty of praise for how they've defended today. Yobo has certainly made a difference but every yellow shirt has played their part to keep out the visitors, who have stepped up their game once again.
City win a corner. Can you guess what happens? Silva follows Navas by failing to beat the first defender as the visitors waste another great opportunity. Dzeko, Negredo, Kompany and Demichelis all in the box. Poor from Silva.
YELLOW CARD! Milner could have been booked much earlier in the game but he can't avoid a caution on this occasion after fouling Olsson.
SHOT! Silva picks out Dzeko, who turns his marker on the edge of the box before firing a low strike into the side-netting.
SUBSTITUTION: Another change for Man City as Pellegrini sends on Kolarov to replace Negredo.
Negredo was furious with Pellegrini for taking him off there. I must admit that I agree with the Spaniard there. It's a strange decision. I'm sure Kolarov will prove me wrong with a 35-yard screamer.
Kolarov seems to have been told to play on the left wing, with Silva being asked to play in a more central position behind Dzeko.
YELLOW CARD Tettey picks up a yellow card when Man City win a free kick in a dangerous position. The visitors choose to take it short to Silva, who delivers a cross to the back post where Milner fails to direct an effort at goal.
CLOSE! Navas tricks his way past a couple of defenders at pace but he drags his shot wide of the target after bursting into the box. Man City are running out of time. Can Norwich hang on?
YELLOW CARD! Van Wolfswinkel becomes the next man to receive a caution when he hauls down Milner.
Good play from both Silva and Milner on the right but the latter is left frustrated when his inviting delivery is intercepted by Ruddy. Excellent goalkeeping.
Norwich are being penned in their own half of the pitch now as City continue to pile on the pressure. They're defending superbly. Hughton will be delighted with his side but they've still got a few minutes left to survive.
CHANCE! Norwich almost steal the victory. Redmond breaks away at pace before pulling a ball back for his teammates. Pilkington and Van Wolfswinkel are both in the box but neither are able to apply the finishing touch. Hart is then forced to keep out Martin's strike from the edge of the area.
SHOT! Where has this come from? Pilkington knocks on the door again when he shrugs off Zabaleta before firing an effort over the crossbar.
Kolarova frustrates his teammates by attempting a speculative effort from 25 yards. The ball sails over the crossbar. Three minutes of added time to be played.
SUBSTITUTION: It looks like Norwich are going to claim a point. They had an opportunity to snatch the win but they'll certainly be happy with this result. Pilkington makes way for Whittaker.
FULL-TIME: NORWICH 0-0 MAN CITY
It's all over at Carrow Road! Despite dominating for much of the second half, Manchester City have failed to break down a stubborn Norwich defence and they miss the chance to climb to the top of the Premier League. Chris Hughton will be delighted with his players.
Man City lacked a cutting edge today. Has that Chelsea defeat damaged their confidence? Plenty of questions for Pellegrini to answer on a frustrating afternoon.
Thanks for joining me today. No goals at Carrow Road as both sides settle for a point, with Norwich's supporters certainly heading home in a good mood. I hope you've enjoyed the coverage this afternoon. Goodbye.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
