Many people would have stuck this fixture as a home banker on the coupon before a ball was kicked this season.
For large periods of that contest, it was difficult to ascertain which side with the Premier League outfit last season and which team were languishing towards in 17th spot in the Championship.
It was only defensive errors that cost City and Kal Naismith will have had an evening to erase from the memory bank after two blunders were the real difference between the points as Nigel Pearson's side left empty-handed.
There were plenty of times last season when individual errors rightly had both the manager and supporters fuming but although it was a familiar tale in that respect, City's overall play, their character and belief meant that on any other given day they could and probably should have left Carrow Road with all three points.
Disregarding the errors for now, Tommy Conway continued his superb form with a bullet header from close range to claw the Robins back into the game on the stroke of half-time. It was Norwich's third that was the real sucker-punch from a corner just after the hour mark.
As Pearson said in his post-match interview, it was totally against the run of play but City continued to battle on until the end and when Antoine Semenyo restored the deficit again, time must have been crawling for Norwich boss Dean Smith until the full-time whistle.
Here's the verdict as City make the long trip back home with plenty of pride but ultimately no points.
We need to talk about Kal
I think we've all worked out now that to take advantage of Naismith's qualities, and there are plenty of them, we'll also have to live with the odd blunder. It just becomes a matter of how many errors can he afford to make.
Before being overly critical, we have to remember the matches where he has delivered for City with that wand of a left foot. Assists against Cardiff and Wycombe are the obvious two but the ex-Luton man has and will continue to remain such a threat for the Robins from those set-piece situations.
On top of that, he's a leader. There's little doubt he has raised the game of both Zak Vyner and Rob Atkinson alongside him and that can't be disregarded. He also puts emphasises on City playing out of the back more often which allows the likes of Alex Scott to get on the ball in midfield.
But, wow. Those two errors really were difficult viewing. The first was bad having failed to deal with a simple pass over the top of the defence as he attempts to clear the ball with his wrong foot.
The second was worse as he somehow played a pass straight into the feet of Aaron Ramsey and once Pukki was clear, there was only going to be one outcome. Against a striker of his calibre and an attacking team of this quality, you will get punished.
But it's not the first time his error has proved costly. He lost possession against Sunderland which Ellis Simms punished and away at Blackpool his pass across the defence in the final moments led to an undeserved equaliser.
There's no way Pearson will drop him unless something radical happens so the thought of taking him out of the side is not up for debate and frankly, it would feel harsh considering his other positive moments. But there are too many mistakes in his game at the moment and it's costing City points.
To give him credit, after his two errors his head could have easily dropped but he dramatically improved and in the second half, as one reporter pointed out, he looked like one of the most comfortable players on the pitch which comes down to his impressive mentality.
He needs to continue showing that because he'll be under the microscope against Burnley on Saturday.
Saying that...
Let's not get fixated on the errors. Once again that was another excellent and entertaining performance against a side who were made to look rather ordinary.
Norwich came into the game on the back of five consecutive victories so confidence in their camp was understandably high. The same was said for City and the contest promised to be an exciting one with two sides who prefer to attack than defend.
It certainly lived up to its billing. It was a relentless and breathless contest which almost made the trip across the country for the travelling faithful all the worthwhile.
City's movement at times was a joy to behold and they moved the ball around the pitch quickly and with purpose. Nahki Wells and Conway linking up superbly with Alex Scott once again proving what a talent he is in the middle.
The youngster dictated the play once again and after commenting on his below-par form after the victory over Blackburn, seems to be getting right back to his best. That's also no coincidence to the fact he is playing in the centre of midfield.
The visitors could have rolled over and had their bellies tickled after the two first-half goals went in but they showed no signs of letting up and that's a credit to them but also to the manager for instilling that belief and culture which is going to put them in such good stead this season.
For long periods in that game, Norwich couldn't get out of their own half. Dan Bentley wasn't even tested until late in the second half when City were pressing and leaving gaps at the back - the captain playing a key part in keeping his side in the game with three notable stops.
They can take heart and confidence heading into Saturday and another opportunity to prove that they can mix it with the league's big boys this season.
A mention to Rob...
Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether it's Rob Atkinson or Franz Beckenbauer making those surging runs forward when he carries the ball. Okay, perhaps a little much with the comparison but there's no doubt he's turning into a top player at this level.
There were so many occasions when he ran at his opponents, carrying the ball 20/30 yards up the pitch. He's so strong, it's difficult to get the ball from him and of course, it led to City's first goal of the afternoon.
He charged forward towards the edge of the area, slipped in Wells who delivered a peach of a delivery onto the head of Conway who was never going to miss.
Not only was his attacking play impressive, Atkinson was faultless from a defensive perspective. There were times when City were caught out down their left side when they lost possession with Jay Dasilva pushing into advanced areas.
Atkinson was left isolated up against Marcelino Nunez but he dealt with him without any problems and he's backing up his reputation as one of the most consistent players on this side.
Travel nightmare
An away trip to Norwich followed by an away trip to Burnley in the space of four days is always going to cause a logistical nightmare. It's a total of 872 miles by car return trip, according to a quick Google Map check, but most importantly it's going to have an effect on the preparations.
Pearson was describing their journey in his post-match press conference in which he detailed: "We flew over today (yesterday) and we'll get the bus back because Norwich airport is shut.
"Then we'll get the second half of the flight on Friday morning to Burnley and get the bus back from there. So that's us."
So they would have returned to Bristol at around 3am this morning, have a day of recovery tomorrow before heading straight back up north on Friday where they will probably have a light training session in the morning.
Their opponents had a short trip to rivals Preston on Tuesday so will certainly have the advantage over City in regards to preparations.
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