Two clubs fighting to avoid the relegation cage now meet with a little more freedom.

A few months ago this fixture looked like it might come with a very different tune. Both Charlton Athletic and Norwich City were glancing nervously at the relegation places. Now the picture is calmer. The Addicks have edged clear of the danger zone and the Canaries have climbed steadily into mid table. Three more points on Saturday would not mathematically secure safety for Charlton, but it would move us very close to the point where thoughts begin to drift towards the proverbial beach.

Since last week's tongue-in-cheek preview, Charlton have certainly played their part in keeping the possibility of a (Tottenham) North -South London derby alive.  The win away at Middlesbrough was a super-significant result and the point at Oxford precious. However a week is a long time in football and we have to look forward rather than back.

Norwich arrive in excellent form. At one stage this season it looked as if they might be heading back to League One, where they and Charlton contested fierce promotion battles in the 2009/10 campaign. That season started badly for Norwich before ending in triumph. In some ways this campaign carries echoes of that story. The turnaround has been led by Philippe Clement. Replacing Liam Manning in late November with the club in 23rd place, the Belgian manager has transformed the mood at Carrow Road. They have surged from relegation trouble to become outsiders in the race for the play offs. The gap to the top six remains nine points and time may be running out, but their recent momentum has been striking.

Despite their defeat at Southampton on Wednesday night, Norwich have topped the Championship form table. Thirty points from a possible forty two since the turn of the year tells its own story. Ten wins and four defeats have lifted them comfortably into twelfth place and restored belief around the club. They haven't drawn a game since December 20th - 16 games ago.

Also they have players of international repute capable of shaping games. Captain Kenny McLean of Scottish World Cup goal-scoring fame provides leadership and experience in midfield. Canadian winger Ali Ahmed has made a lively impact since arriving from Vancouver Whitecaps in January, scoring four goals in eleven appearances, including one last weekend against free-falling Preston North End. His goals have compensated for the departure in February of USA international Jon Sargent and the injury of giant striker Javon Makama who the Canaries picked up in the summer from Lincoln.

History between the sides adds another layer. Across sixty-nine league meetings Charlton hold a historic edge with thirty one wins to Norwich’s twenty. Yet recent encounters have swung the other way. Norwich have won four of the last six, including a 1–0 victory when the sides met on Boxing Day and an FA Cup victory of the same scoreline a couple of years previously.

All of this suggests Saturday could be another tight contest. The difference this time, from December at least, is the atmosphere surrounding it. Instead of two anxious teams fighting to escape the drop, this feels more like a meeting between sides who have steadied themselves and can now play with a little less fear.

The cage door has opened slightly.

Photo by Rhea Spencer-Newell