Well they’ve done it. Norwich City have bounced back to the Premier League.
Fourteen points clear of third-placed Swansea, Daniel Farke’s side have returned to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
They’re highly likely to be joined by Watford. Also relegated last year, the Vicarage Road outfit have pulled away from the Swans and Brentford with 11 wins from their last 14 matches.
The Hornets may have had a slight wobble losing to mid-table Luton in a local derby last time out, but Xisco Muñoz’s side are second, six points clear with four games to go. A win against the Sky Bet Championship leaders and they’re pretty much up.
This game is a lot more important to Watford - eight points off securing promotion - than it is for champions-elect Norwich.
But despite their 3-1 loss to Bournemouth on the day promotion was sealed, nobody can accuse the Canaries of already thinking about the beach. Norwich held on to a 1-0 lead with 10 men for much of their clash with the Cherries. It was a red card that decided that game, not poor attitude.
And the bookies have also spotted this, with Norwich still the odds-on favourite for the outright win on Tuesday night.
Pride is at stake here, with Watford having won a feisty reverse fixture on Boxing Day 1-0, despite Norwich dominating the ball and the chances.
I wrote a feature on Norwich's promotion last week and in it I identified the well-reported talents of Emi Buendia, combined with the unsung heroics of Tim Krul, as the reason behind the Canaries' success.
I think the pair will be heavily involved again at Carrow Road.
Buendia, undoubtedly the Championship’s player of the season, has netted three in his last four and has very fair FIRST GOALSCORER odds at 7/1 with Unibet.
He’s also got an eye for a pass. With 15 assists to his name, he’s set up his teammates almost 50% more times than anyone else in the second tier.
As for Krul, under the radar he is in the form of his life.
Of the league’s keepers with 15 clean sheets or more, the 33-year-old’s save percentage of 83.9 is almost nine points more than the next best.
Total save bets are a little too volatile for my liking, but I’d happily get behind a clean sheet punt.
Norwich, with Krul at the helm, have kept a clean sheet in two of their last three games. That would’ve been three in a row if it wasn’t for the goals they conceded a man short against Bournemouth.
Score prediction: Norwich 2-0 Watford
Odds correct at 1600 BST (19/04/21)
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