Derby 2-3 Norwich City: Paddy Davitt Championship marks

Pushed forward by his head coach to accept the acclaim of the travelling support after the final whistle. Some big stops late on and appeared to have Eiran Cashin’s thunderbolt covered as it slammed off his bar in the 83rd minute.

Flung himself to his right to go full-stretch to keep out Kenzo Goudmijn’s free kick, and then superbly foiled Kayden Jackson in stoppage time. Television replays clearly showed he was obstructed by a Derby attacker in his line of sight for the Rams’ stoppage time second.

Brilliant reaction stop to thwart Jerry Yates in the 25th minute, although the effort would not have stood after the assistant’s flag was raised.

Decisive punch clear from Ben Osborn’s inswinging corner. Perfect positioning in the centre of his goal to grab a towering Craig Forsyth header, but no chance with the defender’s close range finish.

So comfortable when pushed into those central midfield areas to connect back to front. Dragged towards the ball in the second minute as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing spun in behind to square for Jackson.

On the overlap in the 28th minute to offer for Ante Crnac but Borja Sainz was unable to get a touch to his drilled cross. Excellent in his own area a minute later to cut out Mendez-Laing’s centre.

Eyecatching defensive work and very confident in possession. Raking diagonal for Sainz to harry his full back brought the first corner. Vital near post clearing header from a Mendez-Laing cross in the closing stages of the first half.

Blocked Goudmijn’s probing effort on the edge of his own six yard box. Had to get his toe interception spot on, when Yates looked to turn in the Norwich area in the 73rd minute.

Put his body on the line alongside Shane Duffy to attack anything that came into the box in that frantic final quarter. Strong win against Yates tight to the touchline sparked the move that brought Sainz’s second.

Headed just over in the ninth minute from Marcelino Nunez’s corner. Good strength to lever Ebou Adams off the ball down the channel. Triggered a flowing move involving Callum Doyle and Nunez to release Crnac.

Bailed out Kenny McLean, who lost the ball carelessly outside his own back to gift Adams a sight of Gunn’s goal.

Produced the skill of the match with a first time cushioned back heel to divert the ball into McLean for a counter. Lovely switch for Crnac to go on the outside of his marker, only to lob up an easy chip for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Picked out Josh Sargent in a McLean-sparked move that saw Fisher raid on the overlap. Coughed up cheap possession in Derby’s late onslaught, but Cordoba did enough to put off Jackson, who tumbled looking for a penalty.

Invited Sainz forward for his second goal. Prominent in Norwich’s most promising passages of play prior to the interval. Picked out Sainz who produced a heavy touch for Sargent haring into the channel.

Good switch to Doyle for Fisher cross. Lost the ball inside his own final third early in the second half, but Cordoba did enough to concede a corner. But then beaten aerially at the far post for Forsyth’s equaliser.

The Chilean's closing down turned a sloppy Derby giveaway into the opening goal when he released Sargent into the right-hand channel, before the American’s retrieval work was excellently finished by Sainz. The undisputed conductor of City’s dead ball work. Bent in a ninth minute corner Cordoba headed over.

Then dropped a deeper one to the back post for Sainz, who sliced wide on his right. But also an assurance to his passing in open play typified by the slide rule diagonal landed at the feet of Sainz, who saw his cross squirm through a Derby defender’s legs and Cashin get a vital touch as Sargent closed in at the far post.

Show of faith from Thorup to retain his place in the line up from Watford, despite the presence of fit-again Anis Ben Slimane. Hailed by his compatriot as a Premier League grade prospect in the build up. Hauled down after a clever shift of feet enticed Forsyth in to make a crunching tackle.

Faded second half but first half was arguably his most productive in a Norwich shirt, in terms of his involvement in some of City’s best attacking work. Jinked past Yates in the sixth minute but slipped as he weighed up a shot. Went on the outside of Ryan Nyambe but the cross lacked penetration.

Good awareness to entice players and then release Fisher to try and pick out Sainz in the 28th minute. Backed up Sainz in the 36th minute after the Spaniard’s initial shot came back to him and reversed the ball back into his path for a chip the back-pedalling Zetterstrom tipped over.

No goals again but an all-action shift and singled out by Thorup, post-match, for selflessly squaring for Sainz to seal the win rather than take on a shot himself. Was begging for Sainz to return the favour with a slip pass for the Spaniard’s earlier second goal.

Heavily involved in the controversial opening goal, when his initial shot appeared to be handled by Cashin before he guided the ball back from over the byline for Sainz to cleverly improvise a back heeled finish.

Four goals in his last two games, after firing blanks at Swansea, and the first Norwich City player to score a hat-trick since Teemu Pukki in a 7-0 demolition of Huddersfield in April 2021.

Could easily have had a couple more on the weight of his chances. Drilled Nunez’s corner wide when unmarked in the 33rd minute. Then saw Zetterstrom tip over his lob. Turned provider with a deflected cross that was arrowing towards Sargent at the back post before the excellent Cashin got a touch.

But alive to the situation with a near post dart and clinical back heel to slot Sargent’s low cut back in first half stoppage time. Another unerringly accurate finish from the edge of the box found the bottom corner, after collecting from McLean, before he checked his run to stay onside and despatch Sargent’s flick underneath the body of Zetterstrom.

Anis Ben Slimane (for Schwartau, 59)                 6

Found Sargent to race clear and centre for Sainz to slot what proved the match-winner. No coincidence his arrival coincided with City looking for more measured in possession, after Derby’s furious post-interval spell up until the hour mark.

Ben Chrisene (for Crnac, 77)                     n/a

Jack Stacey (for Fisher, 78)                       n/a

Amankwah Forson (for Sainz, 88)            n/a

Accepted the invitation to launch from inside his own half, with Derby keeper Zetterstrom stranded upfield attacking a last-gasp home corner, but his long range strike dropped wide.

Grant Hanley (for Doyle, 88)                      n/a