Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis had to turn down the chance to feature in the Africa Cup of Nations to help the Hornets fight a relegation battle that now appears far from won after Norwich took all three points from Watford in a battle of descent on Friday.
Three goals in the second half and a red card for Dennis condemned them to 18th place in the table.
The decision to miss out on AFCON may be one that will haunt Dennis and Watford for a long time.
Ever since that controversial decision that saw the selection of Henry Onyekuru as an emergency replacement for Dennis, the 24-year-old has been struggling with the Hornets and the chance of survival in the top flight continues to dwindle by the day for the Vicarage Road side. .
Although it has been suggested that it was Watford who forced Dennis to turn down the AFCON opportunity, it was also reported that the former Club Brugge striker was also unenthusiastic, wanting to throw the Eagles party in Cameroon.
Unfortunately, Dennis, who picked up Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for December at Watford, is now struggling to regain his form in January. He has so far fired blanks in all three league games played in 2022.
The poor situation was made even worse for the Nigerian striker when he was sent off on Friday night as Watford were humiliated 0-3 at home by fellow relegation contenders Norwich City. The Hornets have now lost their last five Premier League home games and are winless in their last nine games (eight losses, one draw).
With the score at 2-0, things went from bad to worse for Watford when Dennis received his second yellow card for a tackle on Max Aarons. The Nigeria striker, who has eight goals in 18 league appearances, last scored on December 28 in a 4-1 loss at home to West Ham.
A deflected effort from Adam Idah and a brace from Josh Sargent lifted Norwich out of the relegation zone and increased the pressure on Claudio Ranieri.
The result ensures the Hornets remain winless since their shock 4-1 triumph over manchester united in November, but have only now slipped into the relegation zone for the first time this season.