Norwich City vs Watford. Premier League.
Carrow RoadAttendance26,279.
Wednesday 11 May 2016 19:27, UK
Norwich City face Watford on Wednesday in their final Premier League game at Carrow Road this season knowing a victory might not be enough to save them from relegation.
Anything less than a victory for the home side, who are four points from safety, would result in a return to the Championship - and even that might not be enough as a win for Sunderland at home to Everton on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, would also see them demoted.
Alex Neil and his Watford counterpart Quique Sanchez Flores both have uncertain futures, with the Canaries boss confirming ahead of the game he will assess his position at the end of the season.
"I'll speak to the powers that be and the board but I don't think anything is ever off the table in football. At the end of the season I'll be judging how I've performed, how other people have performed and I'm pretty sure people will be judging me," Neil said.
Watford manager Flores says his team, safe in 13th, will play for a victory on Wednesday evening.
"I don't like to play against Norwich and Sunderland because they are fighting against relegation and it's always very sad, but in this case we are the bad boy in the film," said Flores. "This is our role and we need to play it."
Team News
Norwich go into the game without Jonny Howson who came off against Manchester United with a knee injury and scans suggest he will be out for six to eight weeks. Defender Ryan Bennett has recovered from a bout of illness and is available.
Watford manager Flores will select from an unchanged squad for the trip to Norwich.
The Spaniard might make a couple of changes to his starting line up, with defender Nathan Ake and midfielder Adlene Guedioura the most likely to come into the reckoning.
A rib injury to Valon Behrami is expected to keep him on the sidelines while Etienne Capoue continues to struggle with a knee injury.
Opta Stats
Watford have won four of their last six league visits to Carrow Road (L2).
Norwich City have scored in 22 successive league meetings with Watford before failing to find the net at Vicarage Road in a 2-0 defeat last December.
The Canaries have now gone four consecutive Premier League games without scoring.
Norwich City are unbeaten at Carrow Road in their last 11 top-flight clashes with promoted teams (W7 D4), last losing at home to a promoted side in the Premier League in April 1995 (0-1 v Nottm Forest).
Watford hitman Odion Ighalo has failed to score in his last 12 top-flight appearances after bagging 14 in 23 before that.
Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes conceded six goals against Norwich in the Championship last season, double the amount that he shipped against any other side.
Paul Merson's prediction
Norwich have got to win, they've got no other option. Saturday's defeat to Manchester United summed up their season, they missed chances and then shot themselves in the foot. It was a bad, bad result. They have to go for it against Watford and I expect them to get the three points, but whether that's enough to save their season remains to be seen.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet odds 13/2)
Betting
Norwich City are 17/20 with Sky Bet to boost their slim survival hopes by beating Watford (16/5), while the draw is a 5/2 chance. The Canaries head into the must-win clash with a 16/1 chance of avoiding the drop, knowing victory for Sunderland, who are just 8/11 against Everton, will send them down regardless. Sky Sports Pundit Phil Thompson is backing Cameron Jerome to score the game's first goal and in a Canaries 1-0 win at 20/1 in his Sky Bet tip.
Check out the rest of the odds and predictions from the Sky Sports' pundits here.
