By Hardik Vyas
(Reuters) – Norwich City clinched promotion to the Premier League with five games to spare on Saturday after rivals Brentford and Swansea City failed to win their Championship matches, guaranteeing Daniel Farke’s leaders one of the automatic promotion places.
Norwich sealed an immediate return to the top flight — which has been worth at least 160 million pounds ($221.3 million) in previous seasons — having finished bottom of the Premier League in the 2019-20 campaign.
Brentford played out a 0-0 draw with visitors Millwall, while Swansea fought back from two goals down to claim a point in a 2-2 home draw against basement side Wycombe Wanderers.
Norwich have enjoyed an outstanding season and sit at the top of the second-tier standings with 90 points from 41 matches.
While most sides relegated from the top flight make wholesale changes in the following campaign, Norwich trusted Farke and the core squad that took them up in 2018-19.
After picking up four points from their opening four games, Norwich made steady progress to move top of the table with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in November and never looked back.
Their Finand striker Teemu Pukki has rediscovered his form to shoulder the scoring burden this season, recording 25 goals and three assists in 37 league appearances.
Meanwhile, centre back Ben Gibson, who joined on loan from Burnley at the start of the season, alongside Grant Hanley has provided Farke’s side with much-needed solidity in defence.
Norwich have matched the 27 wins achieved in their title-winning second division campaign of two years ago, and will aim to cross 100 points for the first time in the club’s history.
Only second-placed Watford, currently eight points behind, can deny Farke’s side the second-tier title.
Unbeaten in 13 matches, the Canaries could take another step towards the title when they host Bournemouth later on Saturday.
($1 = 0.7230 pounds)
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ken Ferris)
