Norwich top Blackburn to secure Premier League promotion

Norwich City ­­regained Premier League status on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers, ending their three-year stint in the Championship.

The Canaries needed just a point to secure promotion to the top flight, but goals from Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic gave Carrow Road plenty more to cheer about.

Relegated after the 2015-16 season, Norwich underwent massive structural changes, appointing a managing director to oversee business relations, creating a sporting director position, and hiring a new head coach.

Their first two years back in the Championship were far from ideal - an eighth-place finish preceded a 14th-place showing last season - but the club's smart recruitment and progressive coaching paid dividends in 2018-19.

Head coach Daniel Farke preached an uptempo brand of football that took the Championship by storm, and with the help of Teemu Pukki, a free transfer from Danish outfit Brondby, promotion to the Premier League became inevitable.

Pukki has scored a league-leading 28 goals in 42 appearances, pairing his prowess in front of goal with his relentlessness off the ball.

Farke also showed faith in the club's youth, installing academy products Max Aarons (19) and Jamal Lewis (21) as Norwich's starting full-backs.

It all came together to produce a stirring campaign.

Norwich can now look forward to June 13, when next season's Premier League fixtures are announced.