Watford 0-3 Norwich (Sargent 51′, 74′, Kucka o.g 90+2′)
Josh Sargent and VAR combined to heap huge pressure on Watford manager Claudio Ranieri as well as boosting Norwich’s hopes of relegation escapology.
Sargent’s second half double, with both goals checked by technology, plus Juraj Kucka’s late own goal enabled the Canaries to clamber out of the bottom three for the first time this season.
Watford replaced them – and as a friend of the Pozzo family the Italian knows exactly what these owners do to under-performing managers at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets ended with 10 men when Emmanuel Dennis’ lunge on Max Aarons earned him a second booking and a suspension for the rearranged clash with relegation rivals Burnley on February 5.
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The less said about the first 45 minutes, featuring too many fouls and not nearly enough quality, the better and Sargent livened things up with a bizarre 51st-minute opener.
New Hornets recruit Samir went to ground in his own box as Teemu Pukki challenged and, using the studs on his trailing leg, the USA forward flicked the Finn’s cross over keeper Daniel Bachmann and off the bottom of the crossbar.
Cue technology, first to confirm the ball had crossed the line and then to check whether Pukki had fouled Samir. He hadn’t – the ex-Udinese man had gone down looking for referee Mike Dean to whistle.
Partial floodlight failure on the hour mark halted the game for a while before it was decided to carry on anyway – and within two minutes VAR helped Sargent again.
Watford (4-3-3)
- Daniel Bachmann – 6
- Kiko Femenia – 6
- Christian Kabasele – 7
- Samir – 5
- Hassane Kamara – 6
- Moussa Sissoko – 6
- Edo Kayembe – 5
- Tom Cleverley – 5
- Emmanuel Dennis – 4
- Joao Pedro – 6
- Josh King – 5
Subs:
- Cucho Hernandez – 6
- Juraj Kucka – 4
- Ken Sema – N/A
Norwich (4-4-2)
- Angus Gunn – 7
- Max Aarons – 7
- Grant Hanley – 7
- Ben Gibson – 7
- Brandon Williams – 7
- Josh Sargent – 9
- Jacob Sorensen – 6
- Pierre Lees-Melou – 7
- Milot Rashica – 7
- Adam Idah – 7
- Teemu Pukki –
Subs:
- Kenny McLean – 6
- Sam Byram – N/A
- Przemyslaw Płacheta – N/A
Milot Rashica was marginally onside before Sargent climbed above Samir to head his cross past Bachmann and add to his debut Premier League strike.
Watford saw a raised flag rule out a potential lifeline from Moussa Sissoko, with Norwich then wrapping up victory at the other end. Adam Idah’s cross early on in 15 minutes of added time because of the lights was poked past his own keeper by substitute Kucka.
Analysis: Norwich fans will talk about Sargent’s scorpion kick for years to come
By Oliver Young-Myles
Even if the goals don’t prove to be of crucial significance come the end of the season, Norwich fans will still talk of Sargent’s first for the club for years to come. There didn’t appear to be any imminent threat to Daniel Bachmann’s goal as Samir shepherded a loose ball behind for a goal kick, but Teemu Pukki was rewarded for his persistence when plenty of others would have given up.
Pukki hunted the Brazilian down, nicked the ball off his toes on the goal-line and pulled the ball towards Sargent in the six-yard-box. Typically of Norwich’s season, Pukki’s pass and Sargent’s run did not align as either would have hoped; untypically for Norwich’s season, it didn’t matter. As the ball threatened to skid past him, Sargent instinctively flicked the heel of his right boot towards it and somehow managed to achieve the required elevation to lift it up and into the goal via the underside of the crossbar. Olivier Giroud, eat your heart out.
It was a moment of breathtaking brilliance, that was sensationally undersold by Norwich’s official Twitter account. “GO ON JOSH” began the Tweet. “Pukki wins the ball in the Watford area and plays it to Sargent who slices the ball home in off the crossbar!” The social media manager sheepishly issued a correction once the intent of Sargent’s effort became clear, but to be fair to them, nobody else could quite believe he’d pulled it off either.
As first ever Premier League goals go, it will take some beating.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3Iq9eiD
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