Archer double helps Middlesbrough thrash Norwich to move up to third

Middlesbrough put on a five-star show as they hammered rivals Norwich to move up to third in the Championship. Boro brought a three-game winless run to an end in emphatic fashion, running in four goals in a breathless first half before adding their fifth just after the break.

The Aston Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey got things going for Boro with an early opener before Hayden Hackney added a second. Cameron Archer scored a double late in the first half, either side of Josh Sargent hitting the net for the visitors.

The Championship’s top scorer Chuba Akpom wrapped up the statement victory early in the second half.

Boro are five points behind second-placed Sheffield United having played two games more, but the heavy defeat leaves Norwich in eighth, one point behind sixth-placed Blackburn, who have two games in hand.

Despite the scoreline, Boro manager Michael Carrick felt it wasn’t his side’s best showing. “I’m delighted with the result,” he said. “In a strange way, I actually think we’ve played better in other games, but we had that really clinical feel about us tonight and were ruthless. I was really, really pleased to see that. It wasn’t a nice performance – it was one where the boys showed how much they wanted it and how tuned in they were.

“You could see how confident they were as well, to create the chances and score the goals. Even after the setback of conceding just before half-time, it was great to go and score again and have that mentality. I was really pleased with a lot of things, and with not really being right at our best I didn’t think, it was a terrific win and really important for us.”

Norwich actually started well at the Riverside and created early chances for Teemu Pukki and Sargent. They were made to pay for