Norwich City will be bound for the second tier of English football if they lose to Watford at Carrow Road on Wednesday night.
Unlike their struggling hosts, there is little to no pressure on the visitors, who have long secured their Premier League status against the pre-season odds.
Norwich
© Getty ImagesEven the most optimistic and biased of Norwich fans is surely rapidly losing faith as it is looking increasingly likely that the Canaries will be plying their trade in the Championship next season.
That is because even a victory over the Hornets will count for nothing if Sunderland pick up maximum points from their home encounter with Everton on the same night.
Any side battling against relegation tends to lean heavily on their home form to get them out of the mire, but unfortunately for Alex Neil's men, they have no such luxury.
Norwich have won just five home matches all season - only already-relegated Aston Villa have recorded fewer victories in front of their own supporters. In 2016 alone, of their 10 Premier League outings at Carrow Road, just two have ended in victory.
The situation is a far cry from the start of April when a 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Newcastle United put them four points clear of danger. Now, they are the same tally off safety with only two games left to play - effectively an eight-point swing in four matches.
Since that triumph, Norwich have lost each of those four fixtures and to rub further salt into the wound, they have failed to score a single goal. It is hardly perfect preparation for a must-win encounter.
Recent form: WWLLLL
Watford
© Getty ImagesBack in August, had you offered Watford fans Premier League survival and an appearance in the semi-final of the FA Cup, the majority would surely have snapped your hand off.
With that in mind, it makes the ongoing uncertainty over Quique Flores's future at Vicarage Road all the more confusing.
The team's form has tailed off badly of late, with just three wins being picked up from their last 12 outings in all competitions, but by the same token, that should not detract from the work that Flores carried out prior to the slump.
The Spaniard arrived almost 12 months ago with no previous experience of English football and took on a club that added over 10 new players following their promotion from the Championship. As far as the bookmakers were concerned, Watford were clear favourites for an instant return to the second tier.
Flores and his men have defied the odds, though, so much so that they make the trip to East Anglia a healthy 10 points above the drop zone.
On top of that, Watford are currently in 13th position and have already ensured that this will be their highest league finish since ending the 1986-87 campaign in ninth place.
Recent form: LDWLWL
Team News
© Getty ImagesThe bad news for Norwich is that energetic midfielder Jonny Howson will play no part in this encounter.
In fact, Neil has confirmed that the ex-Leeds United man will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a knee injury.
Knee problems have also ruled out Timm Klose and Andre Wisdom, while midfielder Alex Tettey is absent with a long-standing ankle injury.
As for the visitors, midfielder Valon Behrami is still struggling with a rib injury and is unlikely to return in time for this game.
Midfielder Etienne Capoue will also not feature as he continues his recovery from a knee complaint.
Norwich possible starting lineup:
Ruddy; Pinto, Martin, Bassong, Olsson; Redmond, Dorrans, O'Neil, Brady; Hoolahan; Jerome
Watford possible starting lineup:
Gomes; Cathcart, Britos, Prödl, Anya; Abdi, Suarez, Watson, Jurado; Deeney, Ighalo
Head To Head
Carrow Road has been a relatively happy hunting ground for Watford over recent years, having picked up four wins from their last six visits.
In total, Watford have won 27 of these encounters, while Norwich have come out on top 41 times.
When the sides met at Vicarage Road earlier in the season, Watford ran out 2-0 winners thanks to a goal apiece from strike duo Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo.
We say: Norwich 0-0 Watford
Norwich have struggled for goals of late and there is no reason why anything should change in this encounter. The atmosphere could well be flat at Carrow Road and it would not be a surprise if the standard of football followed suit.
