Watford vs Norwich City. Sky Bet Championship.
Vicarage RoadAttendance19,774.
Watford 0-1 Norwich City: Josh Sargent's strike seals narrow win for Canaries at Vicarage Road
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Norwich City at Vicarage Road on Saturday; Josh Sargent's strike seals victory for the Canaries against the Hornets, who had Vakoun Bayo sent off
Saturday 1 February 2025 16:24, UK
Josh Sargent hit the winner as Norwich kept their Championship play-off hopes on track with a 1-0 victory at 10-man Watford.
The first-half strike by the American was enough against a home side that saw Vakoun Bayo dismissed in the first half.
Going in search of their first win at home in 2025, Watford made four changes from their defeat at Coventry, with Imran Louza, Moussa Sissoko, James Abankwah and Ryan Andrews coming in.
They were almost undone just two minutes into the contest, when Lucien Mahovo delivered a cross but Sargent's point-blank shot was very well saved by Jonathan Bond.
- Championship highlights | Table | Fixtures
- All you need to know - Streaming Sky Sports with NOW | Get Sky Sports
- Download the Sky Sports App to watch every Sky Sports+ game
- Live EFL on Sky Sports+ & how to watch | Get more EFL to your phone with WhatsApp
The effort appeared to galvanise Watford however, as they got onto the front foot and pressurised the Norwich back line by forcing a number of corners.
The visitors remained dangerous, and Bond was forced into palming away a header from Jacob Sorensen after 13 minutes.
Bayo was unable to keep his header down when he saw his effort go just over the bar after 20 minutes, following an Andrews cross.
However, the Ivorian forward was given a straight red card after 34 minutes, when he shoved Emiliano Marcondes in the throat at a corner.
Norwich punished the 10 men four minutes before the interval, when a deflected Marcondes free-kick deflected to Mahovo, who forced Bond to save before Sargent drove home from close range.
Watford looked for an equaliser but Edo Kayembe should have done better after 49 minutes when he miskicked his shot on goal high and wide.
After their initial burst, the home side were unable to keep up their intensity, with Norwich comfortably making their one-man advantage count.
Visiting keeper Angus Gunn collected an Andrews effort on 71 minutes with little issue, which appeared to sum up the impotent nature of the Watford attack.
The right-back may have been fortunate to remain on the field when he upended the onrushing Sargent, receiving a 77th minute yellow card, but Marcondes put the resulting free-kick just over the bar.
Norwich looked more likely to score in the latter stages, with Oscar Schwartau heading wide two minutes later.
Watford were finding it increasingly difficult to create any sort of late chance against an away side taking an increasing amount of control.
The closest the hosts got to pulling back was substitute Tom Ince falling in the area after brushing past Kellen Fisher, which was ignored by referee Lewis Smith.
But Norwich comfortably saw the game out to give Watford their fourth straight defeat on home soil.
The managers
Watford's Tom Cleverley:
"Unfortunately the referee has been played, I thought Norwich were good at the dark arts today. Every time someone made contact with their players they fell to the ground.
"We didn't have an experienced enough referee to understand that. I'm disappointed from that perspective.
"I can't justify Bayo's reaction, he knows he's let his team-mates down.
"He's pushed Marcondes in his chest, it's a disappointing reaction from him.
"If you counted the amount of times Marcondes fell to the floor today you'd have a decent tally.
"I'm proud of my players today. We've reduced them to very little, the work-rate and togetherness and spirit was excellent."
Norwich's Johannes Hoff Thorup:
"It was hard fought, but I'm pleased with the first half. I was really pleased with the start of the game.
"We were good and we were dominant. We should have been one-nil up after two minutes, it was a big chance for Sarge.
"After the red card the game changed a little bit, we should have done better in the second half.
"We were caught a little bit in-between whether to chase the second goal or whether we should just control the game.
"I'm pleased that we really didn't give anything away, but I'm not so pleased with the amount of chances we created.
"What I hear about the red card was that it was obvious, but I have only seen it live."
