Right then, I’ll be off. It was a game that showed, more than anything, why these sides are both struggling to stay in this division. I still wouldn’t be surprised if neither does, but the win at least gives Watford a healthy chance of survival. Here are those all-important remaining fixtures again. Bye!
Watford
Newcastle (h) 11 July
West Ham (a) 17 July
Manchester City (h) 21 July
Arsenal (a) 26 July
Norwich
West Ham (h) 11 July
Chelsea (a) 14 July
Burnley (h) 18 July
Manchester City (a) 26 July
Norwich are 10 points and a whole load of goal difference from safety, and their race is basically run. There was encouragement to be had here, and they’d have had a point as well if Idah had converted that late chance, but that won’t really help them. Watford are suddenly on 31 points and might conceivably survive with 34. They still haven’t played at all well since the restart, but another drab, slightly fortunate victory over Newcastle on Saturday would lighten the mood considerably. I really think that Deeney is causing more problems than solutions at the moment, but he does appear to be undroppable.
Danny Welbeck, a member of a winning team for the first time this season, is pleased:
It’s a very important goal, means a lot to me, means a lot to the whole club, and puts us on our way now. We’re going to give it our all. Luck sometimes goes your way with the ball, it’s a bit of a deflection, and once it goes up I know what I’m trying to do. I’ve done it a few times in training. It’s a great goal, I’m very happy with that one.
Final score: Watford 2-1 Norwich
90+5 mins: It’s all over! Watford get the three points they so badly needed, but not the genuinely encouraging performance that ideally would have earned it. Norwich lose a sixth successive league game and will be relegated if the run extends to seven at home to West Ham on Saturday.
Updated
90+4 mins: Buendia fouls Doucoure, and is booked. He’s been pretty bright tonight, as has Lewis on the left.
90+3 mins: Sarr tries to waste a bit more time on the right flank by winning a free-kick, but the referee doesn’t buy his transparent dive.
90+1 mins: Deeney wastes a bit of time by the corner flag. He’s got four more to use up.
88 mins: Watford are not finishing the game well, but Norwich don’t look inclined to punish them. Aarons crosses badly from the right, and after it’s cleared Godfrey brings down Cleverley and is booked.
87 mins: Watford’s second change involves Etienne Capoue going off, and Nathaniel Chalobah coming on.
85 mins: What a chance for Norwich! Lewis finds space on the left, Drmic flicks it on and Idah turns it wide of a gaping goal!
Updated
83 mins: Norwich take off Hernandez, who started the game so brightly but has done nothing much since half-time, and Pukki, and bring on Drmic and Martin.
82 mins: Idah inadvertently catches Femenia in the face with a boot, and there’s a delay while physios deal with the blood now dripping from the Spaniard’s nose.
80 mins: You basically need to support Watford, and therefore be have all your critical faculties overrided with tension, to find the experience of watching this game at all diverting.
78 mins: Lewis wins a free-kick, which Buendia curls onto the head of Vrancic. It’s a tough chance, which he heads wide of the near post. “Welbeck’s goal was one of those where you see the ball falling, and you see the player squaring it up, and you instantly think ‘I know what he’s going to try to do but there’s no way he’s actually going to score here,’ but instead it’s the one time out of a hundred where it loops in perfectly,” writes Matt Burtz. “Brilliant goal.”
75 mins: Another change for Norwich, Adam Idah replacing Stiepermann.
74 mins: Sarr wins a free-kick on the left. Capoue’s delivery isn’t great but the clearance falls to Masina, whose shot with his unfavoured right foot is considerably worse. Goal kick.
73 mins: Sarr has moved over to the left to have a go at Aarons, with Welbeck switching to the right.
71 mins: Norwich have looked brighter since they fell behind. I suppose they are more used to losing. Vrancic lifts the ball over Watford’s defence, but it runs beyond Pukki. Bright idea though.
68 mins: Lewis beats Femenia a couple of times, but then Cleverley comes back to help out and he gets outnumbered. The players have some drinks.
66 mins: Another ball into the box, this time from Capoue, though this is very much aimed at Deeney’s forehead, and he nods down to Cleverley, who controls and shoots straight at Krul from 18 yards.
65 mins: Lewis bumps Sarr to the ground. Not a booking, which is just as well as he’s already had one of those, but he does need to be careful. From the free-kick Cleverley lifts a hopeful ball into the penalty area, and Norwich clear.
62 mins: It’s Welbeck’s first Premier League goal for 23 months, an illustration if the poor chap’s injury woes.
1 - Danny Welbeck's first Watford goal in the @premierleague is his first in the competition since Aug 2018, when he netted for Arsenal against West Ham - against no other side has he netted more often than the four he has versus the Canaries in the top-flight. Acrobat. #CRYCHE pic.twitter.com/DZ8dHLa3VN
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 7, 2020
61 mins: A fabulous finish that from Welbeck, though. It’s been a pretty drab game but there have been two very nice goals.
Danny Welbeck scores an overhead kick into top corner. The sort of goal that makes any game the World Cup Final.#WATNOR
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) July 7, 2020
59 mins: Watford make a like-for-like switch, bringing Tom Cleverley on for Will Hughes.
58 min: Vrancic’s shot deflects back to him off a defender and this time he passes to Pukki, who spins but has the ball stolen off his toe at the vital moment.
GOAL! Watford 2-1 Norwich (Welbeck, 56 mins)
They’ve only actually scored! Sarr outmuscles McLean much too easily on the right and runs towards the area before passing infield. It’s not a good ball, but Aarons fluffs a clearance which spins off his boot and into the air, and Welbeck scores with an overhead from the penalty spot!
Updated
55 mins: A first substitution as Tettey, who was booked in the first half, comes off and McLean comes on.
54 mins: Chance! And another chance! Norwich attack really well, Lewis passes infield to Hernandez, whose shot is blocked, and then the ball rolls to Aarons, whose shot is saved!
52 mins: The problem with Watford (well, one of them) is they almost never have a central passing option when they start an attack, because Deeney has often dropped deep and even if he hasn’t never runs beyond the defence. So they’re forced down the wings, and then to fling hopeful balls into the area. They simply won’t flourish as long as this situation persists, which will either involve dropping Deeney or playing two centre-forwards.
49 mins: Watford win a free kick and Hughes lifts a hopeful ball into the area, but it’s not a great one. Sarr gets it on the right and lifts a hopeful ball into the area, but it’s not a great one either.
47 mins: The first effort of the second half comes from the forehead of Pukki, and goes nowhere near goal.
46 mins: Norwich finally deign us with their presence, and Watford get the second half started.
In fact only Watford’s players are out. Norwich’s don’t seem so keen.
The players are back out. Do or die for Watford. Do and still die for Norwich. Which is it to be?
Watford have looked the better side overall, but their main attacking tactic of flinging balls of variable quality into the penalty area and hoping for the best seems to me insufficient to beat any but the worst, most morale-strapped teams (and possibly not even that). They are playing percentages football, with their few creative players - Hughes, Capoue, Sarr - offering little creativity. I continue to believe that Troy Deeney is best deployed with a faster forward running off and beyond him, but Nigel Pearson has other ideas.
Half time: Watford 1-1 Norwich
45+3 mins: That’s all for now. A draw suits neither of these teams, but can either of them muster the wit, invention or simple luck required to claim victory?
45+2 mins: Deeney lifts the ball into the box, and though Doucoure wins the header he generates neither power nor accuracy.
45+1 mins: There will be two minutes of stoppage time, give or take.
45 mins: Hughes’s attempt to dribble through Vrancic and Pukki is laughably poor - he just runs into the nearest red shirt, and Norwich have the ball back.
43 mins: Close! This time Sarr’s cross is decent, and Welbeck and Foucoure compete with each other for the header. Welbeck wins it, but heads high.
42 mins: Dawson and Krul jump for Capoue’s free kick. Krul fumbles, the referee blows his whistle, a bit charitably.
Updated
41 mins: Femenia might not be coping very well with Hernandez, but he is combining very well with Sarr when Watford attack down the right. Deeney must be absolutely desperate for either one of them to sharpen up their crossing, and Krul gathers Femenia’s latest effort.
38 mins: Watford match Norwich’s numbers by pulling everyone back, which means that when Masina gets the chance to go forward he has nobody to pass to, has to dribble about hopefully, and then gives it away.
37 mins: Norwich are getting plenty of people forward when the chance comes to attack, and finally they work the ball to Pukki. His movement has been pretty good so far but that shot is not, and rolls emphatically wide.
Updated
36 mins: A prolonged period of mediocrity.
33 mins: Save! Hughes curls in a corner from the right and Welbeck wins the header, but he hits Krul rather than net.
Updated
31 mins: Norwich have their best spell of possession, but it ends when Buendia’s ball to Lewis, in space on the left, rolls behind.
30 mins: Overall Watford, as the table suggests, seem to be slightly less rubbish than Norwich. Sarr has got clear on the right a couple of times, but only one cross has been at all threatening.
27 mins: Capoue is brought down on the halfway line and Norwich break, only for Buendia to himself be brought down. The referee decides that two wrongs make a right.
26 mins: And then the ball bounces off Stiepermann’s toe - it seems a little generous to call it a pass - towards Pukki, but Foster just about manages to get there first.
25 mins: It’s 17C and drizzly in Hertfordshire, so it’s more of a tactical interlude than a drinks break, but the players take it all the same.
23 mins: Watford’s corner comes to nothing, and as Norwich threaten to break Hughes grabs a fistful of Stiepermann shirt and gets a booking.
23 mins: Ooof! Sarr goes down the right, gets to the byline and sends in a low cross that looks potentially Deeney-bound until Godfrey intervenes.
22 mins: Stiepermann gets the ball 25 yards from goal. Pukki wants it to his left, Buendia wants it to his right, but he instead chips a cross towards nobody at all.
21 mins: Femenia dwells on the ball a little too long and Hernandez steals it off him, but then doesn’t do anything with it.
19 mins: Watford are hogging possession, but are yet to work out what to do with it.
17 mins: Buendia times a lovely chipped pass into the path of Hernandez, running from left to right beyond the home defence, but he’s not allowed to turn back to deliver a cross.
15 mins: Norwich twice try to boot the ball clear in the left-back position, but first Welbeck and then Deeney close down, and eventually they miscue into touch. The wind seems to have gone out of their sails, understandably I suppose.
12 mins: Now Stiepermann fouls Capoue. It’s the gentlest of pushes, but the Frenchman makes enough of it to earn a set piece.
11 mins: Another yellow card for Norwich, this time Tettey bringing down Welbeck.
GOAL! Watford 1-1 Norwich (Dawson, 10 mins)
A quick equaliser for the home side! Capoue curls the free-kick towards the back post, Dawson easily outmuscles Lewis and Dawson makes pretty dodgy connection with his header, but it’ll do!
Updated
9 mins: Another key full-back/winger match-up shifts in one direction, as Lewis pulls back Sarr and gets an early booking.
7 mins: Hernandez v Femenia looks to be the key battle here, and one the Norwich man is so far comfortably winning. Watford’s last win after falling behind was in January 2019.
GOAL! Watford 0-1 Norwich (Buendia, 5 mins)
Femenia is outdone by Hernandez again, and he cuts inside, runs to the edge of the box and passes to Buendia, who cuts onto his left foot and curls past Foster!
Updated
3 mins: Save! Buendia curls a shot goalwards, and it looked to be heading into the top corner but Foster had plenty of time to make the save.
2 mins: Watford fling in a long throw, without reward, and then a Norwich break ends when Femenia brings down Hernandez, just outside the box.
1 min: Peeeeeeep!
Watford have a left-back on loan at Osasuna called Pervis Estupiñan. I wonder if he and Marco Stiepermann are distantly related. Ho hum.
The teams come out. It might be too late for Norwich but this is a massive game for Watford, perhaps the biggest of their season, and the pressure could hardly be higher. Will they buckle or flourish?
The two managers have a chat with Sky, starting with Nigel Pearson, who is asked what Danny Welbeck offers to the team:
I thought he did really well when he went on the other night. He’s a player of calibre. Unfortunately he’s been missing with injuries, he’s had an unfortunate time with that, but we feel he’s in a really good place physically and mentally. He gives us some pace, some added drive, and he’s really important for us.
The players understand the necessity for us to start picking points up. A game like tonight is important for both sides, but in our current run of form we need to do everything that we can to win this game, and the way that we’ll do that is to show commitment, to show game understanding, and to have that drive to go and make things happen.
Meanwhile Daniel Farke is, if not raising the white flag, at least motioning with a pale hankie:
A win would be definitely nice, but in our situation it’s important to concentrate on a good performance. We know we are underdogs at this level for each and every game. We’re in a difficult situation, it’s pretty likely that we’ll go down, but nevertheless we want to fight in every game for a good result and for good performances.
An illustration of the two teams’ goalscoring woes. Norwich’s top scorer, Teemu Pukki, has scored as many league goals as Watford’s two highest scorers (Deeney and Sarr) combined, and he hasn’t scored since January.
0 - @WatfordFC (15) and @NorwichCityFC (16) have failed to score in more games than any other @premierleague sides this season, with Norwich drawing a blank in a league-high 11 away games, while no side has failed more at home than the Hornets (6). Understand? #WATNOR pic.twitter.com/KO98wCddOq
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 7, 2020
A reminder of the teams’ remaining fixtures might be handy, so here goes. Both still have to play West Ham and Manchester City:
Watford
Newcastle (h) 11 July
West Ham (a) 17 July
Manchester City (h) 21 July
Arsenal (a) 26 July
Norwich
West Ham (h) 11 July
Chelsea (a) 14 July
Burnley (h) 18 July
Manchester City (a) 26 July
Three changes for Norwich, who bring Teemu Pukki back into the starting line-up after a three-game absence, along with Mario Vrancic and Marco Stiepermann, while McLean, Duda and Drmic drop out. Watford bring Adam Masina and Danny Welbeck in, and take Mariappa and Chalobah out.
The teams!
The team sheets have been handed in, and these were the names upon them:
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Dawson, Masina, Capoue, Hughes, Sarr, Doucoure, Welbeck, Deeney. Subs: Gomes, Mariappa, Cleverley, Chalobah, Cathcart, Joao Pedro, Gray, Pussetto, Pereyra.
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Godfrey, Klose, Lewis, Vrancic, Tettey, Emi, Stiepermann, Hernandez, Pukki. Subs: Rupp, Trybull, Drmic, McLean, Duda, McGovern, Idah, Thomas, Martin.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) July 7, 2020
Two changes from Saturday night...
⬅️ Mariappa & Chalobah
➡️ Masina & Welbeck#WATNOR pic.twitter.com/YhAsQYVhnr
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) July 7, 2020
▪ Three changes to Saturday's game
▪ McLean, Duda and Drmic make way
▪ Vrancic, Stiepermann and Pukki come in
Hello world!
Norwich first hit the bottom of the Premier League in November, and it was Watford who put them there. The hours after their 2-0 win at Carrow Road, the Canaries’ sixth defeat in seven, were also the first time since August that Watford had not occupied 20th place themselves. A season of struggle looked inevitable for both of them at the time, and so it has proved (while Southampton, who back then sat 19th, have forged a different path). At the moment the only question about these two teams’ imminent future is whether only one of them will go down, or both.
Watford’s form since the restart has been wretched, and has seen them miss several passable opportunities to claim a desperately-needed victory. There aren’t very many left, and anything but a win here might leave their morale, such as it is, terminally damaged. Some kind of rejuvenation of their forward line seems to be required: they simply aren’t creating chances, and it is telling that their two goals since the restart have both been scored by centre-backs - and one of them plays for Southampton.
As for Norwich, they need to win four of their five remaining games to have the remotest chance of staying up and must be eyeing Watford’s recent scoring issues with jealousy, not having scored at all in their four league games since the restart. To make matters worse, Todd Cantwell, one of few bright spots this season who did manage to find the net against Manchester United in the FA Cup, misses this game with a hamstring injury.
In short, this promises to be desperate stuff, but also desperately important. Welcome!
