Watford 2-1 Norwich: Danny Welbeck scores superb overhead kick as Watford beat fellow strugglers

It’s not where Danny Welbeck ever imagined he would be in his late ‘20s – experiencing only his second start of the season in a less-than-average Watford team scrapping for survival.

But there were echoes of his prodigious best as he dispatched the immaculate overhead kick which secured the three points which could prove decisive in what looks increasingly like a fight for survival with Aston Villa.

It was right up there with the 35-yarder he despatched past Stoke’s Thomas Sorensen for Sir Alex Ferguson as a 17-year-old. Though immeasurably more significant, of course. 

Danny Welbeck celebrates after he scored a spectacular overhead kick against Norwich

Welbeck’s brilliant strike at Vicarage Road was his first Premier League goal for Watford

Significant not only because it opens out a four point lead on Villa, ahead of visits to Newcastle and West Ham which are crucial for Nigel Pearson’s side. 

But because the breakthrough was looking so unlikely with the score locked at 1-1, when Ismaila Sarr burst down the right on 55 minutes. His low cross was spooled into the air by Max Aarons’ attempted to clear it. Welbeck had time to position himself and strike the ball immaculately.

Injuries – hamstring trouble after recovering from a broken ankle – have devastated the 29-year-old’s attempts to rebuild his career here. This was only his second start since last October. 

There was a reminder of what he brings when he arrived from the bench during the desperate defeat at Chelsea last Saturday but then, as now, he had looked isolated on the left.

Pearson will have to hope that the goal can kick-start a survival mission because his own demands that his players appreciate that their ‘mandate is clear’ – as he put it in his programme notes – was falling on deaf ears for nearly an hour.

Craig Dawson celebrates with captain Troy Deeney after heading in Watford’s equaliser

Dawson managed to pull Watford level just six minutes after Norwich had opened the scoring

The ghostly nature of a stadium which would have been bouncing for a night like this just does not help. Watford strolled out into the sound of silence, hardly a jump of intention as they did so.

Troy Deeney’s motivation was visible, no question. Even in the 87th minute he was running across to substitute Nathaniel Chalobah to demand a contribution. But the goal which briefly put Norwich ahead did not scream Watford intent. 

The excellent Onel Hernandez strode past Kilo Fermenia for the second time in the game’s first exchanges and Emiliano Buendia cut back past Adam Masina to score left-footed.

Emiliano Buendia is delighted after his brilliant goal put Norwich in the ascendancy 

Buendia scored a fine goal as he put Norwich ahead after good work from Onel Hernandez

They were level inside six minutes when Craig Dawson leapt unchallenged to meet Etienne Capoue’s free kick but this was a shapeless, scrappy spectacle in the persistent drizzle. It was Norwich, a club who have accepted their fate, who won the midfield, through Mario Vrancic, Hernandez and Aarons, who has dazzled at times this season.

The going would have been even tougher for Pearson’s players if Daniel Farke had a goal threat. Teemu Pukki, restored to the side, has simply never re-discovered what he brought last autumn. He’s not scored since the defeat at Tottenham in January since when Norwich have picked up four points and lost seven in nine.

Substitute Adam Idah missed a great opportunity to equalise for Norwich in the closing stages

There were occasional flickers of menace from Watford. In the first half, there were headers from Welbeck, which Tim Krul saved sharply with his feet, and Doucoure, which flew just over the bar after build-up involving Deeney. But nothing more.

It was Ben Foster making a sharp save with his feet, from Aarons, at the start of the second half and Adam Idah could have found an equaliser for Norwich at the death, sliding onto sub Josep Drmic’s ball and failing to get a connection.

They’ve dressed one of the lower seating sections here with a banner of Graham Taylor words, which the locals can recite by heart. 

‘Leave your mark at the club not just by what you achieve but how you achieve it.’ Pearson – who is not out of the woods by any means on the basis of this – could do worse than acquaint his players with more of the great man’s wisdom.

Alexander Tettey attempts to push forward for Norwich while Abdoulaye Doucoure tracks him

Marco Stiepermann controls the ball for Norwich while being pursued by Will Hughes