Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup felt his side played their best football since his summer arrival in the emphatic 4-1 win over Watford at Carrow Road.
Callum Doyle gave Norwich an early lead and Borja Sainz restored their advantage on the stroke of half-time after Ryan Andrews had equalised for the Hornets.
Marcelino Nunez made it a two-goal cushion before substitute Ben Chrisene provided the icing on the cake just before the end as Thorup celebrated his first home league win.
He said: “I think with the football we have played so far this season we should have a few more points and I certainly feel we are moving in the right direction.
“We are not where we want to be yet and we will keep working hard at it until we get there. But I think this was the best performance since I’ve been here.
“We knew how important it was to start well – it gives confidence in the side, brings the crowd into it, and I thought we played some really good football and scored some beautiful goals.
“I was so pleased for the players – it hasn’t always been the case this season but today they were rewarded with three points for a really good performance.”
Norwich were ahead inside three minutes, Doyle firing home his first goal since his loan switch from Manchester City after moving forward unchallenged from deep.
Watford equalised on 26 minutes when Andrews slid Ken Sema’s cross home and missed a great chance to go ahead as Daniel Jebbison lifted the ball over from close range after Sema’s inswinging corner had come back off an upright.
Norwich took over after that, with Sainz restoring his side’s lead just before the break after running on to Kenny McLean’s through ball and Nunez converting Doyle’s cross nine minutes after the restart to make it 3-1.
Chrisene completed the scoring on 89 minutes, converting Jack Stacey’s low cross from the right to open his account for the hosts.
Watford head coach Tom Cleverley said he would be looking at their continuing habit of conceding goals early in halves.
“It is something that is happening too often,” he admitted. “We conceded early again and they had a very good chance to score before that. In the second half we also nearly conceded early again.
“Obviously we will have to work on our game plan for the first 10 minutes and we will keep doing that until we get it right.
“I wanted to come here and be high energy, be on the front foot – it was also like that when I played – but sometimes you can be open as a result and be punished for that.
“I think we have shown enough this season to prove we can be a top team but it is a case of getting the balance right going that other way.”
[(SK Slovan Bratislava) Strength]: 1. Coming into the UEFA Europa League Play-off round, SK Slovan Bratislava hope to grab the advantage of advancing in this home game, with full motivation.2. SK Slovan Bratislava defeated MFK Skalica 1-0 at home in the last Slovak Super Liga game. They kept unbeaten in the first 3 league games with 2 wins and 1 draw.3. SK Slovan Bratislava scored in 6 of the last...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. SC Preussen Munster will play at home in this match. The team must defend their home honor and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.[(SC Preussen Munster) Weakness]: 1. SC Preussen Munster suffered a defeat in the midweek DFB-Pokal match, being eliminated 3-5 by Hertha BSC after a grueling battle that went all the way to penalties, which is a blow to their mor...
[(Real Betis) Strength]: 1. Real Betis failed to start with a win in the first La Liga game this season. They are eager to win and boost their morale.2. Real Betis' new signing midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme contributed an assist in the first league game, showing decent performances.3. Real Betis scored in each of the recent 6 games, boasting stable offense.4. Real Betis received 10 wins, 7 draws, an...
[(Palmeiras) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Palmeiras secured a resounding 4-0 away victory over Universitario de Deportes, gaining a huge advantage in the race for advancing. Hosting this game at their home ground, Palmeiras will naturally go all out to avoid being reversed by the opponents, ensuring a smooth advance to the next round and continuing their charge towards the Copa Libertadores tro...
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football
- 6 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 7 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 8 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 9 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 10 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer