Sporting a green and yellow striped tie, Ed Balls made a winning start to his chairmanship of Norwich City as Aston Villa's bid to hang on of the top flight's traditionally safe seats took another turn for the worse.
The Birmingham side have been outside what is now the Premier League for only season since 1975 but this latest defeat leaves them without a win in 18 matches and adrift at the foot of the division.
Goals by Jonny Howson and Dieumerci Mbokani gave Norwich only a second win in seven matches to put a little daylight between themselves and the bottom three. Former shadow chancellor Balls would have approved of a clean sheet, only the second Alex Neil's side have achieved.
Dieumerci Mbokani scores Norwich's second
Villa won praise for their willingness to battle for the cause in securing a fourth draw in seven matches against West Ham on Saturday and there was more evidence of a determined spirit in their opening forays here.
Kieran Richardson, brought back on the left of midfield in one of four changes by manager Remi Garde, drew an early save from Declan Rudd. Indeed, Villa should probably have gone ahead after 15 minutes when Jordan Veretout's free kick from the right offered striker Jordan Ayew a free header.
It was a clear chance for the Ghanaian but Rudd was able to palm the ball away and the expression on Ayew's face as he turned away indicated that he knew he had squandered a real opportunity.
Troubling times for Villa manager Remi Garde
Richardson was recalled for the injured Carlos Sanchez, while Scott Sinclair replaced Rudy Gestede, relegated to the bench as Garde opted for one up front. The interesting changes were at the back, where captain Micah Richards returned from injury to partner Ciaran Clark as the central pairing, with Joleon Lescott among the substitutes and Jores Okore not included at all.
Yet it was a defensive lapse that allowed Norwich to go ahead in the 25th minute as left-back Leandro Bacuna managed to beat Dieumerci Mbokani to the ball as Nathan Redmond chipped a cross in the direction of the Norwich striker but headed it straight to Jonny Howson - unmarked on the right - who volleyed home left-footed from 10 yards.
Given their desperate plight, it was the kind of error that must have made Garde despair yet they were almost punished again for a similar lack of attentiveness seven minutes before half-time as Graham Dorrans was allowed the freedom to run unchallenged into the box on the end of Redmond's short corner. It was just as well for Villa that the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder shot wide of the right-hand post.
Villa's confidence became thinner as the match progressed. Apart from Ayew's header, they had not created a chance of note and there was an air of frustration in the lunge that Veretout launched at Alexander Tettey, quite unnecessarily given that the Norwich player was well inside his own half. Veretout was rightly booked.
Ed Balls has been appointed as chairman of his beloved Norwich City
Garde's half-time words at least prompted a vigorous response at the start of the second period, yet quality was lacking. Ayew's claim for a penalty against Sebastien Bassong as they tussled for the ball in the Norwich box was optimistic to say the least.
At the other end, Howson missed a chance to claim a second goal, first to reach the loose ball as Brad Guzan fumbled a shot by the lively Redmond but sending his follow-up attempt wide of the goal. It said much about this Villa side that Norwich could have been three goals to the good without playing at their best.
Clark rescued Villa with a superb recovery tackle on Mbokani after losing the ball in a dangerous central position and Garde's team enjoyed plenty of possession. Gestede and Adama Traore were sent on to help Ayew, with Richardson dropping back to replace Bacuna at left-back, but still there was little direct threat to Rudd's goal. Adama, surging in from the right flank, was blocked off by Robbie Brady and while Richards managed to win the ball in the air from the resulting corner he was adjudged to have fouled Mbokani in doing so.
Jack Grealish, yet to win back Garde's full trust after his off-the-field indiscretions, replaced Veretout for the closing minutes. If he was to make himself popular with the Frenchman, now was his chance.
It was to no avail. As Norwich broke away from a spell of sustained Villa pressure, the defensive weaknesses in Garde's team were exposed again with three minutes left of normal time as Wes Hoolahan's cross from the left found Mbokani unmarked to head home Norwich's second, at which point Villa's discipline deserted them. Ayew and Ashley Westwood were both booked in late scuffles, with Norwich's Russell Martin also booked for his part in a prolonged shoving match following a challenge that knocked Redmond over the touchline.
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