The swaggering dominance of Chelsea's 8-0 drubbing of Aston Villa last Sunday was never likely to be replicated against Chris Hughton's organised and hard-running Norwich, especially on their own ground. For all that, however, Chelsea were still much the more accomplished of these sides, and Juan Mata's 15th goal of an impressively productive season deservedly gave the visitors all three points.
Given the continuing and increasingly tedious speculation about the future of Frank Lampard — to wit, will he leave in January or see out the rest of his final season at Stamford Bridge — his being dropped to the bench by the interim manager Rafael Benítez will no doubt be regarded as significant by some.
Whatever the implications, Mikel Jon Obi, back from suspension, replaced Lampard alongside David Luiz in midfield, where the more interesting question was surely whether Luiz could replicate the eye-openingly effective performance he gave when Benítez pushed him – for the first time for Chelsea – into a more creative role against Villa. Chelsea's other change saw Oscar start ahead of Eden Hazard, while Norwich had Grant Holt back to lead the attack and Russell Martin replacing Steven Whittaker at full-back.
The first 20 minutes produced evidence Benítez has given Luiz freedom to get forward, but little in the way of excitement or opportunities at either end of the pitch. With what shots were attempted hopelessly inaccurate – Luiz was twice wildly high, while Alex Tettey's attempted volley actually went out for a throw-in – the Chelsea substitutes were quickly out warming-up, leading to chants of "Super Frank" from the Chelsea supporters, and "Sign him up" from their Norwich counter-parts, a sentiment which elicited a smile from Lampard.
Out in the middle, however, the game, which had been something of a stalemate was beginning to swing the visitors' way as Chelsea's patience in possession began to pay dividends. One lengthy passing sequence ending in Luiz picking out Ashley Cole's run into the City penalty area with a superb diagonal ball which Cole just failed to control.
Their first real chance came soon afterwards, Mata pulling a close-range shot into the side-netting, but the visitors were beginning to find a rhythm now, and Luiz and Mata combined to set up Mikel for a shot from the edge of penalty area driven fiercely a foot over Mark Bunn's bar.
Victor Moses also beginning to make his presence felt on the left, and with Norwich increasingly on the back foot, it was no great surprise to see the visitors take the lead in the 39th minute. It seemed to come as something of a surprise to Bunn though, the City goalkeeper looking a little slow to take off when Mata, surrounded by defenders but unchallenged, turned and drove a left-foot shot from just outside the penalty area beyond his reaching fingertips.
Already subdued, Carrow Road would have got even quieter had Bunn not managed to block Grant Holt's sliced attempted clearance of Oscar's corner early in the second half. Norwich were not entirely without attacking options, though, as Holt demonstrated when he was adjudged fractionally offside as he ran on to a Wes Hoolahan pass before shooting just wide.
Moses should have made the game safe with 20 minutes remaining, bringing down a cross before, with more time than perhaps he realised, thumping a low shot just outside Bunn's right-hand post.
Encouraged, Norwich began to press further up the field, and to some effect on the rain-soaked surface. The occasional corner aside, however, Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill conceded nothing to Holt, and while Benítez sent on Lampard for Mikel, Hughton sought to give his lone striker some support in the shape of Steve Morison.
Bunn did well to block a close-range effort from Hazard, another late substitution, while at the back Chelsea continued to do what they had to.
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