Norwich City may have reached the Championship summit after 12 games, but Max Aarons is sure the Canaries have more potential to fulfil as confidence returns after Premier League relegation.
The right-back won the decisive penalty which Teemu Pukki converted as City won 1-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday, to stretch an unbeaten run to eight games and claim top spot in the table.
“Early on this season there have been games when we weren’t at our best and we managed to get points,” said Aarons. “This team is still learning, is still a young team, still developing.
“To be sat top of the table again is a great feeling, we still feel like we’ve got a few gears to go up but delighted to be back top of the league and it shows something good is happening.”
The 20-year-old took a knock to the head during the 1-0 home win over Swansea prior to the international break, with concussion protocols forcing him to pull out of England Under-21 despite finishing that game.
He returned at the Riverside to maintain his record as the only Canaries outfield played to completed every minute in the league so far this season.
“We knew coming back into this league that points don’t come easy and you’ve got to battle every single game,” he continued, having played a key part in the title triumph of 2018-19.
“We know that we’ve got enough quality to go back up this season and it’s just about that fight and that spirit every single week which gives us the platform to show our quality.
“It was a battle first half, we weren’t at our best and probably weren’t at our best for the whole game, we were missing that final piece, but we knew we’d get that one chance or that one bit of quality and we’ll finish them off.”
It was also a third successive clean sheet for Daniel Farke’s side, despite having seven players out injured, including Todd Cantwell and Xavi Quintilla.
Aarons added: “You can see it on the pitch, the signs of when we went up two years ago and we want to reach that level again, if not better it.
“So to be up there and know we have the quality in all positions, and we’ve still got injuries as well, it’s crazy!
“So there’s a lot more to come, I think.”
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