Norwich City Vs Watford
Norwich City Vs Watford Saturday 18 September, 2021 – 15:00 (BST)
English Premier League
Pick: Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 15 September 2021)
Preview: With four goals between them after the opening four rounds of this season’s Premier League campaign, we could be in for an attritional affair in Norfolk when bottom of the table Norwich City play host to 15th-placed Watford at Carrow Road.
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Table of Contents
Norwich City – Familiar tale of woe thus far?
The last time this club were in the Premier League, in 2019/20, they finished comfortably bottom of the table after one of the worst displays across a full season in recent memory. Four games into the current term and the Canaries are back in their customary position, propping up the league in 20th following an admittedly tough early schedule that has seen them face Arsenal, Leicester, Liverpool and Man City.
Daniel Farke’s men are still looking for their first point of the campaign. Their solitary goal so far coming in the 2-1 loss to Leicester City at Carrow Road. Meanwhile, last week’s 1-0 scoreline at Emirates Stadium to Arsenal condemned the team from Norfolk to a fourteenth consecutive defeat in the competition, having lost their final ten encounters towards the end of that disastrous 2019/20 season.
Another barren outing this weekend would see them become only the fifth team in the Premier League to lose their opening five fixtures. It is very much a possibility. Norwich possess a rotten record against Saturday’s opponents Watford, who have won three of the four previous meetings in the competition and are chasing a fifth straight head-to-head victory, prevailing 1-0 in both Championship games last term.
Watford – Hornets tend to thrive in Norfolk?
By the time kick-off approaches at Carrow Road on Saturday, little more than a month will have passed since Watford celebrated their return to the Premier League with a 3-2 win at home to Aston Villa. It must feel like an eternity ago for supporters, however, having witnessed three successive losses to nil thereafter. A trip to Norfolk should be just what the doctor ordered though.
Last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Wolves, a side that hadn’t previously managed a goal to start the season, followed similar scorelines against Brighton and Tottenham. And while there were positives to be gleaned from their performance in North London against Spurs, they barely laid a glove on the other two. Unsurprisingly, no team after the first four rounds has a lower Expected Goals total than the Hornets (2.3).
That figure is even lower than Norwich who have scored two fewer. Yet the sight of their next opponent will be of welcome relief. Watford won both league meetings last term 1-0, scored exactly twice across their four previous head-to-heads in the Premier League (W3 L1), and boast six wins from the last nine when playing away to the Canaries. This includes a 2-0 success on their last such visit here, in November 2019.
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Norwich City Vs Watford Betting Advice
Last season, Watford won the mini battles but ultimately lost the war as despite emerging 1-0 victors in both league meetings, it was Norwich who ran away with the Championship title. There can be no doubt who retains the upper hand, however. Watford are looking for their fifth successive win over the Canaries, with three of the last four being to nil which includes the last two here at Carrow Road.
Norwich City Vs Watford – Key Facts:
- All of the previous four league encounters between these sides has gone the way of Watford, with three of those games seeing Norwich fail to score a single goal.
- Whereas Norwich are on a 14-match losing streak in the Premier League, Watford are striving to avoid losing for a ninth consecutive away league game in the top-flight.
- Both teams scored in two of the last eight meetings. Four have come in the past two seasons with these games producing 7 goals (1.75 avg) and Under 2.5 in all but one.
Although there is plenty supporting the notion that Watford will continue their head-to-head dominance, I have seen enough from Norwich in their home games so far to tell me they can take something from this weekend’s clash. Opposing goals is the call, though, with these among the least threatening sides after the first four rounds with Norwich posting fewer shots on target than anybody and Watford the least xG.
Best Betting Odds – Norwich City Vs Watford
Norwich City – 11/10 (PaddyPower)
Draw – 12/5 (WilliamHill)
Watford – 12/5 (BetVictor)
