'Amazing' feeling quickly changed for City striker after Farke exit

Swiftly after Pukki had completed a positive post-match interview, he was being told that Farke’s time as head coach was over and that three members of the backroom team he had worked with for over three years were also departing.

Yet after the full-time celebrations of a 2-1 win with the 1,700 away fans - ending a run of 20-top flight games without a win for the Canaries, spanning two different seasons – it was all about relief for the striker.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “It has been quite a while from the last one so a win in the Premier League after that run of games feels really good.”

The win in west London was earned after Pukki had converted a penalty in the 29th minute, to add to a Mathias Normann strike for a 2-0 lead at the break.

Pukki fired just wide early in the second half but City had to cling on for the 2-1 win under an aerial bombardment from the Bees, to the relief of the Finland star.

It was his 70th goal in Canaries colours, with all 138 appearances being during Farke’s time in charge, having joined on a free transfer from Brondby in the summer of 2018 – moving him to eighth among the club’s all-time top goal-scorers, tied with John Deehan.

“It is big,” he added. “We’ve been missing the feeling to get the three points and now we’ve got it, we need to build from here.”

The penalty took Pukki’s tally to the season to six in 16 games for club and country, three of which have been in the Premier League.

Finally getting a victory cut the gap to safety to five points and temporarily lifted City off the bottom of the table, only for Newcastle to move back to 19th on goal difference after a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Saturday evening.

“I think we need to forget those first 10 games and start from here,” Pukki said. “There are 27 league games left and now it starts for us.

“We’ve got the first win and we need to start getting more results like this.”

It wouldn’t be long until Pukki found out the big news though and the Finn later joined his team-mates in posting a fond farewell on Instagram.

“Great journey with you, Boss,” he wrote, with a photo of him and Farke smiling and shaking hands. “Thank you for everything and all the best for the future.”

Pukki had come off in the 78th minute due to cramp during the hard-fought encounter.

“First half it was good football from us, we did quite well and deserved to be in the lead,” he said. “Then the second half they made it hard for us but we fought until the end and I thought we deserved it.

“It was not the football we want to play but it gave us the win. They made it hard for us to go through that fight and get the points.

“There were a lot of happy faces in the locker room and it’s good to go from here now.”

While the City players realign and get ready to try and impress a new head coach, as the search for top-flight momentum continues after the international break, it is already becoming clear that Normann will be a key player.

Having finally scored the goal he had come so close to with several attempts since signing, the Norway midfielder also sent Pukki through to win the penalty – and was leading the passionate celebrations after the final whistle.

“He has been good overall this season, I would say, and he is that kind of creative player who can make the difference,” Pukki said of his new team-mate.

“A great goal from him and also the assist was pretty good, so I think that’s a good sign that our new players are starting to show up – and also all of us, we all need to step up.

“We haven’t been good enough either so we need to be better if we want to compete at this level.”

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