Manchester United completed a club record 19th successive
home league win - but few have been as unconvincing
as this bloodless triumph over plucky Norwich.
The visitors carved out virtually all the best chances,
with Anthony Pilkington hitting a post and rolling a
shot wide after finding himself clean through.
Norwich were made to pay when Anderson powered home
a close-range header midway through the second period
before Danny Welbeck scored his third goal in a week,
sliding in to finish off Park Ji-sung's cut-back.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spent a good proportion
of the build-up extolling the virtues of his Norwich
counterpart Paul Lambert, and explaining why Scots are
such a significant presence in the top flight.
Attention to detail clearly plays a huge part and Lambert
had done his homework.
Norwich did attack when they could and they were the
better team for the first 20 minutes, although their
best work was done around their own penalty area - and
it did not involve the ball.
Correctly assuming their opponents would dominate possession
for long spells, the Canaries remained rock-solid in
retaining two banks of four, which United found impossible
to penetrate.
Returning striker Wayne Rooney unleashed a long-range
effort, which Canaries goalkeeper John Ruddy dealt with
easily and Marc Tierney was on hand to clear a near-post
flick by Darren Fletcher from Nani's corner.
Other than that, the hosts were repeatedly frustrated,
the unexplained absence of Ashley Young denying them
a slippery customer on both flanks on a day when Nani
was not at his best.
Certainly Norwich would not have expected to reach
the interval in such comfort, the entertainment value
so low that watching comedian - and Canaries supporter
- Stephen Fry seemed to nod off in the directors' box.
Fry would have had plenty to cheer about if Elliott
Bennett had been able to pick out Steve Morison after
surging to the byline, the Norwich striker would have
had a tap-in.
Instead, Bennett drilled his cross straight at Phil
Jones and the hosts breathed a sigh of relief.
United survived two more gilt-edged Norwich chances
immediately after the break too.
Jones has already caught the eye this season but the
19-year-old needed to show maturity way beyond his years
after Morison had given Evans the slip. Knowing Pilkington
was completely on his own behind him, the teenager held
his ground, denying an early cross, before lunging in
on Morison and coming away with the ball.
It was a textbook piece of defending, and a further
evidence of why Ferguson felt so comfortable leaving
Rio Ferdinand on the bench.
A minute later though, Jones was beaten by Pilkington,
who stepped inside the former Blackburn man only for
his shot to strike Evans, allowing goalkeeper Anders
Lindegaard to make the save.
Wes Hoolahan was not that far away with a dipping long-range
effort as Norwich, who had scored in 11 of their last
12 away games, pushed forward with relish.
United's good fortunate was seemingly inexhaustible.
When Pilkington seized on Antonio Valencia's miscontrol,
the striker was left with only Lindegaard to beat.
He steadied himself, just as Lambert would have wished,
but amazingly rolled his shot wide of the far post,
to the disbelief of the visiting contingent at that
end of the ground.
Having passed up so many chances, Norwich must have
feared what was about to follow.
Substitute Ryan Giggs floated over a corner, which
was met by Jones and flicked on by Rooney, to Anderson,
who powered home a header from close range.
Still, Norwich refused to let their heads drop and
came agonisingly close to a leveller as Pilkington's
shot deflected off Anderson, onto the post and back
into the grateful arms of Lindegaard, who had been helpless.
Danny Welbeck then slid in but failed by inches to
touch home Jones' cross.
Norwich continued to threaten but after Morison's goalbound
effort was turned away by Ferdinand, Welbeck sealed
the win with his third goal in a week before Rooney
chipped narrowly over.
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