Watford end winless run and send Norwich to bottom of Premier League as Daniel Farke bemoans 'nursery' mistakes

• Norwich City 0 Watford 2

Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores could breathe a much-needed sigh of relief after his team finally ended their wait for a Premier League win and sent Norwich crashing to the bottom of the table.

A painful run of 11 league games without victory this season meant that the visitors arrived here under immense pressure, but it took just 76 seconds for a solo effort from Gerard Deulofeu to ease the strain - and then an eye-catching back-heel from Andre Gray secured a precious success.

Watford went down to ten men for the final quarter of the game, as Christian Kabasele was dismissed for a silly, second yellow card, but they were already 2-0 up and had enough to resist the troubled home side.

Norwich manager Daniel Farke was scathing of his men, saying this was like football on the beach from them at times and the mistakes were like “nursery” ones, meaning naive. He knew this result was like “a disaster”, in a football sense.

Sloppy defending led to both goals, particularly when Emi Buendia lost possession to allow the influential Deulofeu to quickly strike.

Flores, in contrast, could enjoy hugs with his players at full time. The Spaniard’s men had arrived in bottom place but moved a point clear of Norwich and level on points with Southampton.

The Watford head coach said: “We knew this was a significant match and it looked like a final. We needed to give our energy, spirit and put our souls on the pitch.

“I know how you can feel under this pressure - nervous, like everything is rushing. It’s not easy. It’s not nice. It was necessary to change this negative atmosphere. If you don’t win in sport, it’s difficult to believe.

“I hope this result can make them realise they are much better than their results.”

Norwich were the ones who quickly looked under strain in a horrific start. After Buendia’s blunder, Deulofeu ran forward at a panicking home defence, cruising into the penalty area and striking coolly.

Farke’s men are yet to keep a home clean sheet this season and Watford, the league’s lowest scorers, exposed them. Norwich eventually managed to enjoy spells of possession but Watford were hurting them on the counter-attack, in an end-to-end first half.

The visitors made a positive start to the second period and Deulofeu was heavily involved as they scored again. He crossed for Gray, who - with his back to goal - flicked in. There was a deflection off Jamal Lewis but the moment should have felt sweet for the goalscorer after his challenging start to the season.

Ben Foster performed more heroics for Watford, leaping to his left keep out a 25-yard strike from Lewis.  Kabasele’s sending off did not help matters though, as he barged into Josip Drmic - having been booked at the start of the second half for a foul on Onel Hernandez.

Foster needed to make another save, keeping out Kenny McLean’s effort, but the home side did not offer enough threat.

Norwich’s win over Manchester City in mid-September has been followed by seven games in which they have scored only twice and collected just one point. Talisman Teemu Pukki has not scored during that run. Watford, in contrast, put behind their lack of clinical edge from earlier in the season.

Farke said: “It’s a pretty annoying and frustrating evening. We dominated possession, had nearly 20 shots but, if you produce naive, nursery mistakes in front of goal, it’s difficult at this level to win football. It’s difficult even to win games on the beach when you play like that.”