Norwich City

Norwich City visit Portsmouth on Saturday (12:30 BST) hunting for their first win of the season.

The Canaries lost to Millwall on the opening weekend of their Championship campaign as they began life under new boss Liam Manning.

Portsmouth, however, beat Oxford United for an opening away win - something that proved a rarity last season - and will be hoping to rebuild the Fratton Park fortress that served them so well last season after a midweek home cup loss to Reading.

• Portsmouth beat Norwich City 5-3 in their last league meeting and will be looking to win successive games against the Canaries for the first time since April 1969 (run of four).

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their last three away league games against Portsmouth (W1 D2) and could remain four unbeaten for the first time in the Football League.

• Portsmouth haven't lost their opening home game in any of the last 11 league campaigns (W6 D5) since a 1-4 loss to Oxford in League Two in 2013-14, although they have kicked off each of the last three league seasons on home soil with a draw.

• Norwich have won their opening away game in just one of the last eight league campaigns (D3 L4), failing to do so in any of the last four seasons since a 1-0 win at Huddersfield in the Championship in 2020-21.

• Across their Championship away games last season, Norwich netted just 19 goals in total – their fewest at this level since 2007-08 (also 19).

English defender Brad Hills, 21, is set to depart Norwich City for Stockport County on a deal potentially worth £2m. (Pinkun), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Norwich City goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw said that the Canaries' new goalkeeping unit will look "to get the best out of each other" this season.

The 27-year-old is one of three new keepers, along with Louie Moulden and new number one Vladan Kovacevic, with the latter making his debut in the Championship defeat by Millwall at the weekend.

However, Grimshaw made a winning debut for the Canaries in their 2-1 victory over Watford in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, and he sees the competition between all three as a positive.

"We are all new here and we are all just going to work together and get the best out of each other," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"All three of us are getting on well and it's good to push each other."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Grimshaw and more on BBC Sounds.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Wilshere has decided to focus on taking his first steps into senior management rather than return to Arsenal.

BBC Sport revealed earlier this month that the former Gunners midfielder was a contender for the vacant under-21s head coach job following the departure of Mehmet Ali, who left to join Brentford.

It is understood Arsenal initially approached Wilshere to discover whether he would be willing to return in a job that would both give him charge of the Under-21s and offer a wider remit within the club's player development strategy.

After considering the role, it is understood Wilshere has informed the club of his decision to exit the process and therefore he is no longer a candidate for the position .

Wilshere is keen to move towards senior management and has informed Arsenal that his current focus is on trying to land a first-team coaching position.

All parties are said to be understanding of the situation with the decision reached entirely amicably.

The former Gunners midfielder left Emirates Stadium last season, where he had been under-18s manager, to work as first-team coach under then-Norwich manager Johannes Thorup.

Wilshere was later promoted to interim head coach after Thorup left the club in April, but departed Carrow Road earlier this summer after Norwich appointed Liam Manning as their new manager.

Wilshere remains a fans' favourite at Arsenal, having come through the ranks to make more than 150 starts for the club.

Wrexham have registered interest in Manchester City defender Callum Doyle but face competition from Coventry City, Leicester City and Norwich City for the 21-year-old Englishman. (Football League World), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

"Anyone who was optimistic before the game on Saturday... if you start writing things off after one game, it's a bad job."

BBC Radio Norfolk's Rob Butler and Chris Goreham reflect on Norwich City's opening day defeat by Millwall and take a look ahead to Tuesday night's cup tie against Watford (19:45 BST).

Listen to the full episode of The Scrimmage and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

England star Lauren Hemp has thanked Norwich City for the honour of carrying out the match ball before kick-off against Millwall on Saturday.

Hemp, who comes from nearby North Walsham, became a double European champion last month when the Lionesses beat Spain on penalties to retain the trophy they first won at Wembley three years ago.

"It was nice to be back there [at Carrow Road]. I try and get back as much as I can to watch Norwich games. They're my team at heart and always keep an eye on their scores and watch as many game as I can when they're on TV," she told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's good to be able to come back and support them. I was treated so well and obviously it's nice walking out and applauding me, and the team as well.

"It was a very special moment and nice that my family got to see that as well."

Asked about the possibility of one day returning home to play for fourth-tier Norwich City Women, where her friend Flo Allen is general manager, the Manchester City forward said: "We'll have to wait and see for that one.

"Hopefully they'll climb up the pyramid and once they're in the WSL, we'll have to see where we're at."

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk, Canary Call presenter

Image source, BBC/Rob Butler

Norwich City face Watford in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday at Vicarage Road (19:45 BST).

The Canaries were beaten 2-1 by Millwall in their Championship opener on Saturday.

Looking ahead to the cup tie, City head coach Liam Manning spoke to the media at the Colney training centre.

Here are some of the key points:

• Midfielder Amankwah Forson has a hamstring injury and will miss the game at Watford

• Manning said he and the players had an "open, honest and frank meeting" following the defeat by Millwall

• Denmark international Mathias Kvistgaarden made his debut as a substitute against Millwall, Manning said he was "really pleased" with his eye-catching cameo appearance

• Manning said Kvistgaarden is pushing for a start against Watford

• On the EFL Cup, Manning said he likes to rotate his squad for knockout competitions. He added that it will be a blend of first-team and fringe players

• "I'll do everything I can to pick a team that can win," said Manning, who added that he will not belittle the tournament by selecting an under-strength side

You can listen to full live coverage of Watford v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

Norwich right-back Kellen Fisher, 21, is attracting the interest of Everton. (Pete O'Rourke, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Norwich City boss Liam Manning says his side must "accelerate" their work following a 2-1 home defeat by Millwall in their opening game of the new season.

Manning moved to his hometown club from Bristol City in the summer following a disappointing 13th-place finish in 2024-25.

The Canaries have made a number of summer signings, six of whom started the game against the Lions but they were beaten by an 83rd-minute Macaulay Langstaff goal.

"It was a real mixed bag. I thought the first 25 minutes were really positive. We got control, we got in good areas, but then the game shifted in their favour a little bit and the second half was not what we wanted in the end," Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"I'm frustrated, hurt, disappointed and annoyed that in our first game here, we couldn't send the fans home happy.

"We also need to step back and reflect on where we are. We know we have a huge amount of work to do, but we must accelerate that and own it."

"The amount of new managers coming into the league this year, I have never seen anything like it".

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by special guests Tommy Smith and Alex Bruce to preview the 2025-26 Championship season.

They discuss a range of topics including assessing chances of sides coming down from the Premier League, who the contenders might be for the top six and take a deep dive of each of the sides promoted from League One.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.

The Liam Manning era at Carrow Road begins with the visit of Millwall to face Norwich City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Alex Neil's Lions eventually finished five places and nine points ahead of the Canaries last season, though missed out on the play-off places on a dramatic final day.

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their last 21 home league games against Millwall since November 1968 (W14 D7), their longest ever run against an opponent.

• Millwall have won two of their last three league games against Norwich City (L1), as many victories as across their prior 15 meetings with the Canaries combined (D3 L10).

• Norwich have won just one of their last eight opening day league fixtures that have come on home soil (D3 L4), though that sole victory did come in their last with a 2-1 win over Hull City in August 2023.

• Millwall lost 3-2 against Watford in their opening league match last season, last losing on MD1 in consecutive campaigns in 2012-13/2013-14.

• Since 25 January (their first win under manager Alex Neil), only promoted sides Burnley (44) and Leeds (41) have earned more points in the Championship than Millwall (35 – W11 D2 L6).

Image source, BBC/Rob Butler

BBC Radio Norfolk presenter Chris Goreham is celebrating 25 years of providing commentary of Norwich City matches.

Goreham was behind the mic for the first time on 29 July, 2000 during a pre-season friendly for the Canaries against Dutch side SC Heerenveen.

He was surprised on-air by City hero Simeon Jackson during the Radio Norfolk Breakfast Show on Friday.

Jackson scored a famous winning goal for City against Derby in April 2011, a goal which went a long way to help secure the Canaries promotion to the Premier League that season.

Goreham's BBC commentary on that last-minute strike is revered by City supporters.

He said, "We've done a five-year commentary deal and I had in my mind that, at the end of that deal, it would be 25 years since the great Roy Waller stopped doing the commentaries.

"But, I had completely not realised that the first I did was Heerenveen in 2000."

You can hear more from Chris Goreham on his 25 years of commentary duty on BBC Sounds here.

Norwich are hoping to beat Leicester and Sheffield United to the permanent signing of England under-21 defender Callum Doyle, 21, who is valued around £10m by Man City and spent last season on loan at Carrow Road. (SportsBoom, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.