Ante Crnac analysis after opening Norwich City goal at Stoke

It is a moment that has been long overdue since the youngster's £8.5m move to Carrow Road from Rakow Czestochowa in the summer. There have been flashes of promise, but Crnac's spell in England needed a spark to fully ignite it. 

Oscar Schwartau's shot cannoned off Josh Sargent's face kindly into his path—it felt like the slice of luck Crnac was owed to lash in the opener in Staffordshire. Relief was visibly etched onto his face as he wheeled away in celebration, and the hope is that it will now help him unlock another gear in his Championship performances. 

It was a moment that required Crnac to utilise instinct, eliminating any need for hesitation or an extra touch that has seen him overcomplicate attacking opportunities in recent matches. 

The technique to push the ball into the turf to add pace was another snapshot into the quality the young Croat possesses. Behind the strike was every ounce of frustration that has followed him in recent outings. His team mates' keenness to congratulate him shows this has been a moment long in the making. 

Crnac has now become the first City player other than Borja Sainz to score on the Canaries' travels, but it is a moment that could have broader implications for the attacker's spell at the club. 

By common consensus, Crnac is a player waiting to be unlocked. At only 20, his early performance have offered encouragement even if lacking in goal contributions and productivity. 

There is a technical base that has been important to City's development under Johannes Hoff Thorup and a physical profile that makes him an effective out ball on the right as well as a key part of their pressing game. 

But Crnac has also been raw and rough around the edges. Despite that goal, elements of that were still on display during Saturday's 1-1 draw against Narcis Pelach's Stoke. 

That is to be expected given his age and Crnac's move to a second foreign country in 12 months. The Croatian under-21 international experienced an equally slow start, scoring his first goal for Rakow after six matches. 

Ante Crnac opened his Canaries account in their 1-1 draw with Stoke. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Adapting to life in a new country, culture and club is challenging. Alongside those off-pitch tests will be a requirement to quickly understand and thrive in a physical division that is played at a high intensity. 

It's a process that can be time-consuming, especially for a player in the early stages of their career. Crnac doesn't turn 21 until December. The Championship is unique in its relentlessness, diversity of opposition and physical demands. That process demands patience.

Many players have undertaken this period of transition, and Thorup and City aim to shorten it as much as possible. 

Crnac is visibly going through that process. He comes from a league that allows players an extra touch or yard of space, and those habits are still within his game. The raw materials suggest it will come with time and further exposure

Equally, Crnac is playing out on the right, having spent the last campaign in Poland operating centrally. His physique provides Norwich with an exit route out of an opposition's high press, but he is becoming more present and effective in spells of possession. 

The data shows that this clash at Stoke was Crnac's most involved Championship match. His touches in the attacking third and progressive passes were season-highs. He saw more of the ball than both Sainz and Josh Sargent. 

There is also evidence of a relationship building with young right back Kellen Fisher - throughout this game, the pair combined regularly in an attacking sense, although both produced mixed results in crossing situations. 

Ultimately, so much of the analysis surrounding his performances has been conducted through the lens of an initial £8.5m price tag. 

The size of that fee is not an element that Crnac can control. It was agreed between the clubs but it is now an added ingredient for him to overcome during his spell at Norwich. Commentary from the Polish end over the break about 'surprise' of the sum makes it no easier for the youngster. 

Similar conversations were had around Sargent following his initial move to the club from Werder Bremen, but after three years of development, he is now guaranteed to be a player who leaves Carrow Road for a significant profit. It can flip quickly. 

Ante Crnac is still adapting to life in the Championship after his summer move from Poland. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd) With Crnac's profile and ability, it won't take much for the conversation to shift in the same way it has with the USA international. In a side that produces opportunities regularly and in a front three containing Sainz and Sargent, the prospect of the Croat adding to that is mouthwatering. 

The hope is this moment on a largely forgettable afternoon for the Canaries can spark lift-off for his spell in England. 

VERDICT: There are still some signs of the rough round-the-edges elements within his game that Norwich needs to iron out - but the first goal could be a significant moment in his adaptation to life in England. Forming a nice relationship with Kellen Fisher down the right. 

RATING: 7 out of 10