Norwich City defender Michael Turner never doubted himself despite a difficult start to his Canaries career following his summer move from Sunderland.

The 29-year-old looked well below the requisite standard in the Premier League following his displays against Fulham and Liverpool earlier this season, prompting manager Chris Hughton to take him out of the firing line.

Turner was brought back into the fold against Arsenal and hasn't looked back since, playing a starring role in the 1-0 win against the Gunners.

He admitted that his confidence took a knock after being dropped but knew his true ability would shine through after the settling in period.

'At the start of the season for me it was a difficult one to take but it was something that I had to deal with and learn from,' said Turner, who has forged a promising pairing with Sebastien Bassong at the heart of the Canaries' backline. 'But you never doubt yourself and I'm really pleased with how it's been going.

'You just have to get your head down and work hard. You've just got to do what you do best in training and when you get the chance in a game.'

Turner was at his imperious best again against Chelsea as the former Hull man barely gave an in-form Fernando Torres the sniff of an opportunity all afternoon.

Turner has shown no ill-effects from the shoulder injury picked up against Manchester United since his return and he admitted to being satisfied with his own form in recent weeks.

'I'm very pleased with how I'm playing at the moment,' he said. 'I picked up a bit of an injury a couple of weeks ago but I'm feeling good now and it's great to be back in the side.

'I just want to keep producing consistent performances and hopefully we can get back to winning ways soon enough.'

When the fixture list came out in the summer it was clear City had as tough a festive period as you could hope for with the visit of the Champions League winners being followed by the Premier League champions.

Manchester City know only three points against the Canaries will realistically keep their hopes of retaining the title alive after cross-city rivals Manchester United opened up a seven-point gap on Boxing Day.

Today's visitors will look to the likes of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez to drag them back into contention – world class players Norwich know only too well about following last season's fixtures.

'They've got some world class players so they will be looking to bounce back against us,' said Turner. 'It's always good to judge yourself against the best players. They have got some of the best players in Europe in their team so it's going to be a real test for us.

'But we're coming off the back of a loss as well with a point to prove.'