Manchester United made hard work of their 19th straight home win during a 2-0 success over Norwich in the Premier League.
Goals from Anderson and Welbeck kill off visitors' threat
Manchester United made hard work of their 19th straight home win during a 2-0 success over Norwich in the Premier League.
After an uneventful first half, Norwich began to create openings but were wasteful in front of goal with Steve Morison and Anthony Pilkington missing clear-cut chances.
United were more than willing to make them pay, though, and it was moments after Pilkington's miss that Brazilian midfielder Anderson nodded the champions into the lead.
The brave Canaries did not crumble, however, and struck the woodwork as United's defence looked vulnerable in the closing stages.
After committing men forward, Norwich were caught out on the counter-attack as substitute Danny Welbeck tucked away a swift move with three minutes remaining.
Attention to detail clearly plays a huge part and Norwich boss Paul Lambert had done his homework.
The Canaries did attack when they could and they were the better team for the first 20 minutes, although their best work was done around their own penalty area - and it did not involve the ball.
Correctly assuming their opponents would dominate possession for long spells, the Canaries remained rock solid in retaining two banks of four, which United found impossible to penetrate.
Return
Returning striker Wayne Rooney unleashed a long-range effort, which Canaries goalkeeper John Ruddy dealt with easily and Marc Tierney was on hand to clear a near-post flick by Darren Fletcher from Nani's corner.
Other than that, the hosts were repeatedly frustrated, the absence of rested Ashley Young denying them a slippery customer on both flanks on a day when Nani was not at his best.
Had Elliott Bennett been able to pick out Morison after surging to the byline, the Norwich striker would have had a tap-in.
Instead, Bennett drilled his cross straight at Phil Jones and the hosts breathed a sigh of relief. United survived two more gilt-edged Norwich chances immediately after the break too.
Jones has already caught the eye this season but the 19-year-old needed to show maturity way beyond his years after Morison had given Jonny Evans the slip.
Knowing Pilkington was completely on his own behind him, the teenager held his ground, denying an early cross, before lunging in on Morison and coming away with the ball.
It was a textbook piece of defending, and further evidence of why Ferguson felt so comfortable leaving Rio Ferdinand on the bench.
A minute later though, Jones was beaten by Pilkington, who stepped inside the former Blackburn man only for his shot to strike Evans, allowing goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard to make the save.
Wes Hoolahan was not that far away with a dipping long-range effort as Norwich, who had scored in 11 of their last 12 away games, pushed forward with relish.
Fortune
United's good fortunate was seemingly inexhaustible. When Pilkington seized on Antonio Valencia's miscontrol, the striker was left with only Lindegaard to beat.
He steadied himself, just as Lambert would have wished, but amazingly rolled his shot wide of the far post, to the disbelief of the visiting contingent at that end of the ground.
Having passed up so many chances, Norwich must have feared what was about to follow.
Substitute Ryan Giggs floated over a corner, which was met by Jones and flicked on by Rooney, to Anderson, who powered home a header from close range.
Still, Norwich refused to let their heads drop and came agonisingly close to a leveller as Pilkington's shot deflected off Anderson, onto the post and back into the grateful arms of Lindegaard, who had been helpless.
Welbeck then slid in but failed by inches to touch home Jones' cross.
Norwich continued to threaten but after Morison's goalbound effort was turned away by Ferdinand, Welbeck sealed the win with his third goal in a week before Rooney chipped narrowly over.
