Can Norwich Survive Relegation?

Norwich are turning into that buzzing fly in your ear; they just won’t go away.

It’s been a long row to hoe for Norwich since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. In this period, their highest finish has been a very respectable third place but their league form in the modern Premier League era pales in comparison.

The Canaries have managed only three consecutive Premier League seasons, from 2011-2014. This topsy-turvy team seemed only a week ago destined to crash back down into the Championship once again. But a defiant performance against Everton seemed to change their fortunes, albeit still nestled sweetly in the relegation zone.

The stage was set at Vicarage Road, where two teams very familiar with the relegation zone faced off with their sights set on safety. Few could have predicted what followed. There wasn’t much to write home about in the first half, besides the usual antics from referee Mike Dean. It was all Watford all the time and the home team was buoyed by their home support.

But enter left stage comes the American forward Josh Sargent. A player with a much-maligned Premier League track record thus far, he seemed to forget all that, latching onto a Teemu Pukki cross with a scorpion kick which jumpstarted the Norwich masterclass that would continue.

Rising high to meet a Rashica cross with his ginger hair waving wildly, he then doubled Norwich’s lead.

An Emmanuel Dennis red card deflated any chance of a Watford comeback and a Kuca own goal drove the nail into the coffin. The lights had gone out for Watford, both figuratively and literally.

If they had their choice, Norwich would have the season declared over. Coming back to reality, there are 16 long, hard games to go before they can consider themselves safe from the drop. But there is much to look forward to for the Canaries.

Premier League safety means a very favorable financial windfall for any team that manages to stay up for next season. A resurgence of form from Josh Sargent may warrant a Captain America moniker, I’ll get back to you all with a creative one soon enough. Pukki and Rashica putting in another solid shift is crying out for continued consistency from these two.

Can these Yellow’s pull off the great escape? They’re over halfway through this race. They know what awaits them at the finish line, only time will tell if Norwich can keep turning water into wine