Norwich City Vs Birmingham — Blues Hold On at Carrow Road to Win 2-1 and Extend Unbeaten Run
Birmingham secured a 2-1 victory at Carrow Road, with early strikes settling a match in which Norwich dominated possession and staged a strong second-half response. The result moves Birmingham to seventh in the Championship and extends their unbeaten run to eight league games.
Norwich City Vs Birmingham: key moments at Carrow Road
The encounter at Carrow Road featured a crowd of 26, 537 and opened with an almost immediate flashpoint: after 24 seconds August Priske's flick-on released Carlos Vicente, forcing a sharp save from Vladan Kovacevic. Vicente then finished from Bright Osayi-Samuel's pass to put Birmingham ahead after five minutes, racing down the right and sliding the ball past the exposed Norwich goalkeeper.
That early blow became a two-goal cushion on 14 minutes when Priske chested and then squared for Marvin Ducksch, who side-footed home for his ninth goal of the season. Those opening 14 minutes established a lead that proved decisive despite a fierce Norwich revival.
Carlos Vicente and Marvin Ducksch give Birmingham early grip
Vicente, a Spanish winger signed last month from Deportivo Alaves, and Ducksch combined to give Chris Davies' side a vice-like grasp on the contest. Jonathan Panzo later had a gilt-edged chance to make it 3-0 when he turned Demarai Gray's cross wide of the near post, and August Priske produced an acrobatic overhead attempt that Vladan Kovacevic kept out.
James Beadle and Vladan Kovacevic shape the second half
Norwich were transformed after the interval, with James Beadle producing a string of crucial saves to preserve Birmingham's lead. Beadle denied Mohamed Toure and Kellen Fisher in quick succession, and Toure rattled the outside of the post. Later in the closing stages Beadle twice kept out Anis Ben Slimane and Mathias Kvistgaarden as Norwich piled forward.
Norwich finally reduced the deficit on 67 minutes when Ben Chrisene's cross was half cleared and skipper Kenny McLean lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net. Birmingham then defended resolutely to see out the win.
Philippe Clement critiques first 20 minutes and calls for VAR help
Norwich head coach Philippe Clement acknowledged a stark contrast between halves, saying the first 20 minutes were not what the team had shown in recent months — lacking tempo on the ball, not on the front foot, and conceding too much space defensively. He described the second half as perhaps his best at the club, citing passion, quality on the ball and a wealth of chances, and noted Norwich had 62% possession and more attempts than Birmingham but still lost the points because of the early period.
Clement also criticized officiating visibility, noting referees cannot see everything and lamenting the lack of VAR assistance for the league.
Context: form, squad notes and column observations
Before this fixture Norwich had been in strong form, winning five of their previous six league games under Clement and climbing well clear of the relegation zone. A column by Joe Pateman framed Birmingham as the toughest test of an encouraging February for Norwich, and contrasted Birmingham's momentum — one defeat in their last 10 outings — with Norwich's own run of results.
Pateman highlighted Norwich's recent string of wins over Blackburn and Oxford in the league and a cup victory over West Brom, noting eight goals scored and just one conceded across three matches. He pointed to the manager's track record of producing prolific forwards, citing Isaac Kiese Thelin at Waasland-Beveren, Mbwana Samatta's 32 goals in a title-winning season at Genk, Bas Dost at Club Brugge, Cyriel Dessers winning the Golden Boot at Rangers, and Wissam Ben Yedder's 32-goal season at Monaco as examples of that pattern.
Mathias Kvistgaarden was singled out as a forward who fits Clement's template — compact, aggressive, sharp in tight spaces, and effective in pressing and link play — and was pictured receiving a hug from Clement after a recent FA Cup win over West Brom. The column noted Jovon Makama had already reached double figures before injury, and Mohamed Toure has scored five goals in 128 minutes, bringing pace and power that have troubled defenders. A further line in the column about Toure was truncated in the provided material and is unclear in the provided context.
What makes this notable is the timing of Birmingham's goals in the opening 14 minutes, which gave them the cushion to absorb Norwich's 62% possession and late pressure. The broader implication is that early game control can decisively shape outcomes even when the opponent dominates most statistical measures.
League picture and other results
The victory lifted Birmingham four places to seventh in the table, leaving them two points outside the Championship play-off positions as the season progresses. Other matchday headlines included Wrexham beating Ipswich in an eight-goal thriller and key wins for Pompey and Birmingham elsewhere in the rounds mentioned.
Match details, player performances and managerial remarks from Carrow Road underline a fixture that will be referenced in both teams' forthcoming schedules as they push toward their respective objectives.
