His opener was a controversial one at Pride Park.
The home fans here must have had their faces burning because of the first goal Norwich scored in a pulsating match at Pride Park. City indeed edged past Derby County 3-2, thanks to a sensational hat-trick from Borja Sainz. While the Spanish winger's performance was a high point of the day, this is also the game that broke into controversy due to an opening goal. While there's drama, dramatic incident, and strong emotional feeling and grip, the thrill in this exciting encounter was marked by Sainz's remarkable backheel that found its way to the back of the net in stoppage time.
Norwich had an early start to the match, yet controversy made it for them before they stepped out onto the field. Sainz opened the scoring in style for Norwich in the third minute of stoppage time as he executed a backheel in the air from Josh Sargent's cross. Controversy surrounded the goal, though, as Sargent's initial attempt seemed to be out of play and then managed to deliver the assist. Replays on television appeared to suggest that the ball had crossed the line by some margin, and the Derby players were distinctly vocal in their protests. Home-side objections were vociferous, but even Oliver Langford refused to change his mind and so allowed the goal to be, with further anger from the crowd of Pride Park.
The anger of the supporters of Derbies was palpable, though it was obvious that the goal signaled the end of a promising defensive streak, as the Rams had witnessed seven and a half successive league matches without dropping a point at home. The jeers that welcomed the teams out in the second half were against the referees but equally an expression of irritation at the see-sawing aspect of deriving solid confirmation from this record only to have it collapse through a contentious issue. A reinstatement of the debate was the turning point—whether to utilize VAR technology in the English Championship just like its counterpart, the Premier League, to avoid such controversial situations affecting the outcome of matches.
Derby refused to give up and managed to find a way back into the game within minutes of the hour mark. Craig Forsyth leveled for Derby from the corner taken by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. Curtis Nelson headed the corner back across the goal. Then, there was a precise finish from eight yards from Forsyth that would send the home crowd into ecstasy to restore hope in the hearts of the Derby supporters. But happiness was short-lived, as Norwich retaliated to restore their lead within mere moments.
Barely five minutes had been on the clock since that opener when Sainz struck again, displaying his clinical finishing ability and sharp instincts. Latching onto a well-timed pass from Kenny McLean, he helped himself between two Derby defenders before unleashing a strong right-footed shot that sent Jacob Widell Zetterstrom in the Derby goal the wrong way. The young goalkeeper didn't stand a chance, and Sainz's second goal underlined his growing confidence and influence in the match.
With the match running into its final minutes, Sainz was running out of chances. But then came his third goal in the 87th minute, when Derby, which pushed till the end with a strong attack to equalize, triggered a Norwich counterattack that was led by Sargent. He found Sainz with a pinpoint cross in the six-yard box, and Sainz had a glimpse of the ball, which finally slipped through Zetterstrom's hands to roll into the net to confirm Sainz's hat-trick and a vital visitors' win.
Derby refused to go down without a fight, however, coming out with a ferocious push-back as substitute Corey Blackett-Taylor pulled one back in the first minute of added time. He timed his run at half the length of the field and gave Gunn no chance, cutting inside from the left wing, thus slotting the ball past Angus Gunn. That was enough to trigger a frenetic finish, as the two sides went in search of additional goals in an exciting close that had the supporters sitting on tenterhooks.
Though the opening goal for Norwich was under much debate, there was no doubt that Sainz's performance marked a turning point in the game. He ensured his team gained the points while also indicating that he could be another one of those players who make it big for Norwich this season. The football match was yet another reminder of how football can be unpredictable, with moments of real brilliance being laid to bed under controversy. As the dust settles on this pulsating encounter, Norwich will be proud of their victory carried by Sainz's hat-trick and the resilience of their team. Derby County will remember a matchful, controversial, and near miss that it should bounce back from to carry with its challenges in the championship.
