Danny Welbeck's moment of magic gives Watford breathing space as Norwich stare at relegation

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Watford’s survival hopes were given a shot in the arm as Danny Welbeck stepped up to score his first Premier League goal for the club.

The Hornets have been woeful going forward since the restart and would have been concerned whether they would be able to muster a reply when Norwich took an early lead through Emiliano Buendia. Craig Dawson had them level quickly before, after the break and with Troy Deeney having little impact once again, Welbeck sealed all three points with a fine overhead kick.

No two sides had failed to score in more Premier League games this season than Watford and Norwich before this evening, leaving the precious few spectators mightily relieved to see a fast start.

The visitors, in fact, had managed just one goal in their nine previous Premier League games, but had scored their first since the restart within four minutes created thanks to a fine driving run from Onel Hernandez, who found Buendia in the Watford box.

The Argentine spun Adam Masina and whipped the ball into the far corner of Ben Foster’s goal as if he were brimming with confidence, not the form of a man scoring his first ever Premier League goal so late in the season.

A few claps from the home bench tried to spur on the hosts, but their lack of goals since the restart meant there was understandable concern in the air. Dawson was the only Hornets player to find the back of the net in this mini-season, but few would have expected him to do it again so soon.

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With their forwards in such poor form, however, it was the centre half who stepped up at the far post to head home and pull Watford level from Etienne Capoue’s free-kick.

The Hornets’ greatest threat was coming from set pieces, Tim Krul palming away a smart Welbeck header from a Will Hughes corner on the half hour mark. Captain Troy Deeney still struggled leading the line, with little service to his feet and not moving quick enough to meet crosses from Ismaila Sarr when the winger got in behind and fired for the near post - something that was particularly irking Pearson on the touchline.

Pearson’s side have struggled for cohesion since the season resumed, but looked to finally be finding their feet in the minutes before the break, pressing high Kiko Femenia robbed the ball just inside the Norwich half and yellow and black shirts flooded the box, Sarr’s cross finding Welbeck who headed narrowly over.

The early exchanges of the second half would have had Pearson concerned once more, Norwich controlling with Sarr and Welbeck pinned back on the wings and Deeney seemingly letting another game pass him by.

When your talisman is absent at a time like this, someone must step up and fill the void and - when he and Sarr finally broke free - Welbeck managed to do so in some style.

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Sarr had left Norwich sub Kenny McLean tumbling in his wake down the right, driving forward his cut-back looped up off the boot of Max Aarons as he tried to clear, Welbeck swivelled, spun and sent a wonderful bicycle kick into the top corner. Not a bad way to open your Premier League account for Watford and score your first goal in the competition for almost 700 days.

The Hornets are not safe yet, their inability to kill the game off at the end as Adam Idah almost turned home a late leveller evidence to that. However, the form of Welbeck - as well as that of rivals Bournemouth and Aston Villa - will provide Pearson with plenty of hope that there is a way out of trouble. Newcastle and West Ham, up next, will provide more of a challenge, but three points and a confident forward can do a lot in a relegation scrap.