With Norwich City making the trip to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth this weekend, we’ve taken a look back to an important game early on in the 2015-16 Premier League season.
Goals from Cameron Jerome, Wes Hoolahan and Matt Jarvis saw the Canaries take all three points at Carrow Road in this comfortable fixture, the Cherries only able to find a consolation goal.
Norwich City 3-1 AFC Bournemouth
12 September, 2015
Premier League
Carrow Road
What was on the line?
Relatively little, considering it was the fifth league game of the season, but every point was crucial in contributing to the Canaries survival hopes in the Premier League. Having just earnt promotion through the play-off final, City were eager to consolidate their topflight season early on.
For Bournemouth, they too were looking for points wherever possible, having just earnt promotion themselves as Championship title-winners. Their first ever season in the Premier League, both Bournemouth and Eddie Howe had something to prove.
How did the game unfold?
Starting the game off in the best way possible, the Canaries took the lead through Jerome in the 35th minute. Hoolahan, as usual, provided the assist, cutting in from the right and squaring it to the forward to compete for a tap-in towards an open goal.
Hoolahan turned from provider to scorer just seven minutes into the second-half, charging up the field before firing his shot from the edge of the 18-yard box, beating Artur Boruc to the bottom corner.
Another short 15 minutes later and a City debutant marked his first outing for the Canaries with a goal. Recently signed from West Ham, Jarvis introduced himself to Carrow Road in fashion, cutting inside the box and curling one into the top corner to add City’s third.
With the game shut out from any form of comeback from Bournemouth, the best Howe’s side could do was bag a consolation goal, current captain Steve Cook tarnishing the clean sheet in the 81st minute.
Norwich City XI: Ruddy, Bassong, Brady, Martin, Tettey, Wisdom, Hoolahan (Dorrans, 73), Howson, Jarvis (Olsson, 73), Redmond, Jerome (Mbokani, 82)
Subs not used: Rudd, Bennett, O’Neil, Lafferty
What happened next?
The 2015-16 season wasn’t one of great prosperity for City, going on to be relegated from the topflight in 19th place with 34 points. The Canaries would go on to remain in the Championship for three seasons, before winning the title under Daniel Farke and being promoted back to the Premier League ahead of 2019/20.
Bournemouth finished 16th in that same campaign, going on to take part in five seasons of topflight drama, before being relegated with the Canaries last season back to the Championship.