3/1 To Win
Sam Winnall was the Derby County hero at the weekend, as he came off the bench to strike seven minutes from time to secure a thrilling 2-1 win against Norwich City.
It was an ideal away performance from Gary Rowett’s side, as they soaked up pressure from the hosts before striking at key moments to come away with the three points.
The result pushed the Rams to within a point of the top-six with a game in hand, and with that in mind, here are five impressive stats from the weekend victory…
Carrow Road Success… At Last
There are plenty of parallels between Derby’s last two victories at the home of the Canaries, despite them coming over nine years apart.
In both games, the Rams took the lead at Carrow Road in the first half before Norwich equalised in the second period, with an on-loan striker stepping off the bench to grab the win in the last 10 minutes.
On that day in October 2008, the role of Winnall was played by Nathan Ellington, who struck five minutes from the end to make the score 2-1 for Paul Jewell’s team.
Impact Off The Bench
Winnall grabbed the headlines, but another substitute striker also made a telling impact for Rowett’s side on Saturday.
Chris Martin replaced Matej Vydra at half-time to partner David Nugent up front, and the Scotland international made four key passes in his 45 minutes on the pitch.
Only two players in the Sky Bet Championship made more this weekend, Ollie Watkins of Brentford and Norwich’s Wes Hoolahan (5), who both played the full 90 minutes, illustrating the impact that Martin made throughout the second half.
Playing Out From The Back
Norwich had no time to respond after Nugent’s clinical finish in first half stoppage time, but an unlikely source deserved credit for starting the move that gave the Rams the lead.
Richard Keogh had more touches of the ball (68) than any other Derby player throughout the 90 minutes, and his pass between the lines to Nugent was absolutely sublime.
The Republic of Ireland international has now recorded two assists in the league this season, more than any other Championship centre-back, highlighting his role in getting Rowett’s side to play out from defence.
Near-Perfect Ledley
Joe Ledley’s arrival at Pride Park has coincided with an uplift in form for Derby, with Rowett’s side unbeaten since he made his debut against Brentford in late September.
He delivered another near-flawless display in possession on Saturday, completing 34 out of his 36 passes, giving him a figure of 94% accuracy over the course of the 90 minutes.
Coupled with his showing against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, this means that Ledley has now misplaced just five of his last 101 passes, as the Wales midfielder continues to build a strong partnership with Tom Huddlestone in the middle of the park.
Three On The Bounce
The weekend win made it three wins in a row for Derby for the first time since Rowett took charge in March.
The last time the Rams put such a run together was in December 2016, a sequence that eventually ended at seven games under Steve McClaren.
Rowett will be hoping that his side can continue to emulate that run in their bid to push into the top-six, starting with Tuesday’s meeting with Leeds United at Elland Road.
