Norwich City midfielder Jonny Howson has admitted that having the pressure lifted off him and his teammates helped them beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

The Canaries' 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion secured their Premier League safety last week and they earned back-to-back victories by beating City 3-2, thanks to strikes from Anthony Pilkington, Grant Holt and Howson himself.

"There was maybe a little bit of freedom and we were a bit more relaxed," Howson told the club's official website.

"You always go into every game doing the things you would do normally, that's no different, but I think going into this game there was nothing really to play for.

"You're not just turning up and thinking 'oh, we'll do what we want', you still do the right things, but it wasn't the be-all or end-all, the result today."

Norwich finished 11th in the Premier League following their win over City.