Norwich City 0-1 Derby County: Wayne Rooney scores winner after Teemu Pukki penalty miss
- Published
Teemu Pukki has scored just twice at Carrow Road in 2020, having netted 12 times at the Canaries' home ground in 2019
Wayne Rooney's sublime late free-kick punished Teemu Pukki's penalty miss as Derby picked up their first points of the Championship season with victory at Carrow Road.
Rooney curled a fine set-piece beyond Tim Krul from just over 20 yards three minutes from time after Derby had soaked up Norwich pressure for much of the game.
Pukki had the chance to put Norwich ahead early in the second half after George Evans handled Onel Hernandez's shot, but the Finland forward slipped as he took the penalty, which clipped the bar.
Norwich could still have salvaged a point but ex-Canaries keeper David Marshall produced a superb save to thwart Jordan Hugill's close-range header.
Derby boss Phillip Cocu made five changes to the side that lost 4-0 at home to Blackburn seven days earlier - the Rams' third straight defeat - and his switch to a largely defensive formation worked.
They were under the cosh for the first 15 minutes - the same period in which they conceded three times against Rovers - and only Nathan Byrne's goal-saving tackle denied Hernandez a tap-in from Pukki's square ball.
But Norwich began to run out of ideas until Evans' foolishly raised arm appeared to have handed them the lead, only for Pukki to slip up, literally, from the spot.
The miss continued a frustrating 2020 for the striker, who has netted just once in his past 19 games, having followed up a 29-goal Championship campaign with 11 in Norwich's short stay in the top flight.
Derby took heart and, not long after substitute Morgan Whittaker's driving run and shot forced a fine save from Krul, Rooney - who had fluffed two earlier volleyed chances - beat the Dutch keeper with a trademark set-piece.
Norwich, who again left midfielder Todd Cantwell out of their squad amid rumours of a move to Leeds United, might have scored either side of Rooney's winner but Marshall denied Max Aarons' volley and Hugill's late header.
The Canaries - who face a battle to hang on to Aarons, Cantwell and Emi Buendia this transfer window after also agreeing to let defender Ben Godfrey leave for £25m to Everton - have now failed to score in 14 of their past 18 league matches.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"We had a top performance and you ask yourself how did we not win this game? Then we get a sucker punch that causes us to lose the game - it is not explainable but this is how football works sometimes.
"There was one team who tried to win this game. We were totally on the front foot and missed unbelievable chances, including the penalty situation, and their goalkeeper was man of the match and made an unbelievable save from Jordan Hugill.
"It's always the same in football if you don't score the goal, then they get a free-kick in the 87th minute, their only chance in the game and Wayne Rooney is top class, he has proven this so many times during his career.
"Of course it feels surreal to lose this game but we have to be more brutal in front of goal and we have to be fully committed and focused in the key moments of the game. This is what we were lacking today and it is the reason why we lost."
Derby boss Phillip Cocu told BBC Radio Derby:
"I think the main reason for the win is I saw an absolute team performance where everybody gave their best. That's what we need to see every game.
"We had discipline and organisation and we were brave when we got the ball - even if the pass was not perfect, we went for it and we pressed high.
"I'm so pleased with this win. Luck will come your way if you deserve it, and I think today we deserved it.
"It has been an important week for the team's development - we talked about what we expect from each other and this was confirmation that if they step up and deliver, even against a strong team and away from home, they can get the result."