WELBECK’S WONDER PUTS NORWICH ON BRINK
IT’S not where Danny Welbeck imagined he’d be in his late 20s — experiencing only his second start of the season in a Watford team scrapping for survival. But there were echoes of his prodigious best as he scored a superb overhead kick to secure three points that could prove decisive in what looks like a fight for survival with Aston Villa. It was right up there with the 35-yarder he scored against Stoke as a 17-year-old for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United but, more significantly, it opened up a four-point lead on Villa ahead of crucial visits to Newcastle and West Ham for Nigel Pearson’s side.
The breakthrough had looked unlikely at 1-1 when Ismaila Sarr burst past Kenny McLean down Watford’s right on 55 minutes. His low cross was spooled into the air by Max Aarons’ attempt to clear it. Welbeck had time to position himself and strike the ball spectacularly. Injuries have devastated the 29-year-old’s attempts to rebuild his career since August. Yet there was a reminder of what he brings when he came off the bench during the desperate defeat at Chelsea last Saturday — albeit he looked isolated on the left. Pearson will hope Welbeck’s first goal for the club can kick-start survival efforts because his own demands were not really heeded beforehand. ‘No, this does not give us breathing space,’ said the boss after watching his team win from a losing position for the first time this season. ‘Danny deserved the goal. He’s been very patient and worked exceptionally hard to get back to match fitness. ‘He’s got a lot of quality. But we do not have any opportunity not to stay focused.’ The goal which briefly put Norwich ahead did not exactly scream Watford intent. Onel Hernandez strode past Kiko Femenia for the second time in the game’s first exchanges and set up Emiliano Buendia to score. Pearson’s men were level inside six minutes when Craig Dawson leapt unchallenged to meet Etienne Capoue’s free-kick, but this was a scrappy spectacle. Norwich, who will be relegated if they lose to West Ham on Saturday, could have equalised at the death, but Adam Idah failed to connect as he slid towards Josip Drmic’s pass.