Norwich City manager Daniel Farke hailed a finishing masterclass as Emi Buendia’s first goal for the club secured a 1-0 win over Brentford at Carrow Road.
The Canaries could afford to miss a penalty as they made it three straight wins – and seven in nine league matches overall – to move up to third in the table.
Buendia scored what proved to be the only goal in the 34th minute as he latched on to Timm Klose’s superb through-ball and flicked it home with a stylish first-time finish.
Farke said: “In situations like that, when players are chasing a long ball, they usually take a touch.
“But Emi has shown his class by taking it first time and beating the goalkeeper. It was a goalscoring masterclass.
“He is a player with great technical ability and you saw it there. But he also works very hard for the team and I am so pleased for him that he now has his first goal.”
Jordan Rhodes should have made it more comfortable but saw a poor penalty saved by Daniel Bentley, but Farke said: “To have come back from the international break and taken nine points from three games is very pleasing, especially when you consider the quality of the opposition.
“Brentford are a good side who pass the ball well and they made it difficult for us but I thought it was another deserved win.
“When you look at the clear chances I thought it was something like 7-1 in our favour. Their chance was a very good one and they probably should have scored but you have to remember that we missed a penalty, and if that had gone in I think it would have been a different game in the second half.”
Norwich would have paid for their penalty miss had Brentford taken their big chance midway through the second period.
Top scorer Neal Maupay was presented with an open goal some six yards out after the ball bounced into his path following a Tim Krul save from substitute Lewis Macleod, but the Frenchman – perhaps hampered by the greasy surface – got under his shot and hit the crossbar.
New Brentford boss Thomas Frank is still waiting for his first point after three games in charge – but is convinced the tide will turn soon.
“I think the result was very harsh on us – to me it should have been a 1-1 game,” he said.
“But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. This is all part of football and you have to deal with it. We will keeping working hard and if we keep playing like we did today, and against Bristol City last week, we will start winning games again soon.
“I thought we started the game really well and created five or six really good counter-attacks but the end product was poor. Then we give away a soft goal from a long ball, which was really disappointing.
“I thought we then controlled possession for the first 30 minutes of the second half and when our big chance came unfortunately we couldn’t take it.
“If I could have chosen anyone to be in that position it would have been Neal Maupay but on this occasion he couldn’t put it away. He has been superb for us this season and he will score a lot more goals, take it from me.”
