Watford produced their best performance of the season to recover from consecutive defeats and beat high-flying Norwich City 2-1 at Vicarage Road tonight.

Slaven Bilic’s side had come into the game facing a host of questions about their attitude and character after the manner in which they folded at Blackpool last weekend, but they responded with a display which was positive and progressive and also showed a determination and grittiness when required.

The Hornets spurned a gilt-edged chance to take the lead when an Imran Louza penalty was saved after Ismaila Sarr had been hauled down in the area, but it didn’t take the Moroccan long to make up for the miss as he cleverly guided home a superb cross from the Senegal winger.

Sarr was instrumental in Watford doubling their lead too – a driving, mazy run into the penalty are ultimately ending with Keinan Davis calmly converting from close range.

The Hornets were good value for their two-goal lead but some rare slack midfield play gave Josh Sargent the opportunity to halve the deficit just before the break when he fired a shot inside Daniel Bachmann’s near post.

Watford had opportunities to extend their lead after the break, although they were not of the calibre created in the first half, but they were also forced to dig in at times, with the closest Norwich came to an equaliser when Grant Hanley hit the bar from a corner in the earlier stages of the second period.

Sarr and Louza will take the plaudits for their attacking displays, but Craig Cathcart, William Troost-Ekong and Dan Gosling also deserve praise for what was largely a good defensive showing.

Slaven Bilic made three changes from the side that lost 3-1 at Bloomfield Road. Cathcart was to fit to return in central defence in place of the injured Christian Kabasele, while Yaser Asprilla and Davis came back into the starting XI at the expense of Edo Kayembe and Vakoun Bayo, who dropped to a bench that also included Joao Pedro.

The Canaries also came into the game off the back of a defeat, a 3-2 home loss to Preston North End, and Dean Smith made two changes. Angus Gunn replaced Tim Krul in goal and Keiran Dowell was preferred to Aaron Ramsey in midfield.

There were plenty of empty seats inside the stadium before kick-off, with proceedings starting with a minute’s applause in tribute to former Hornets captain Keith Eddy following his death this week.

The Hornets opened with Ken Sema on the right and Sarr on the opposite flank, Hassane Kamara having the hosts’ first attempt with an ambitious shot from distance that didn’t trouble Gunn.

The home side went much closer in the sixth minute though, when the Hornets battled well in midfield through Hamza Choudhury and Asprilla before Louza managed to retain the ball through a couple of attempted challenges and sliding a pass through to Davis on the left side of the penalty area. The striker controlled before checking back on his left foot and hitting shot which he hoped would catch Gunn out at his near post but the keeper got down well to turn the ball behind for a corner.

Watford took the set piece short and tried to work a training ground move, with a Louza pass finding Sarr in a central position on the edge of the area, but the forward’s shot lacked the power and accuracy to unduly trouble Gunn.

Sarr’s next contribution should have been much more consequential though.

The Hornets built way from the back to work the ball up to Kamara on the left and, spotting Sarr’s run inside, he lifted the ball over the Canaries defence and into the area where the Senegal player had got goal-side of Liam Gibbs, who clearly pulled him back and referee Darren England had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Louza took responsibility for the spot-kick and although he struck it firmly enough, it was at a good height for Gunn, who had gambled the correct way and dived to his left to keep it out and ensure the game remained goalless.

But the Moroccan international responded to the disappointment of seeing his penalty saved in the best way possible by putting the Hornets in front seven minutes later.

The hosts attacked with purpose following a Norwich corner and the sharp end of the move saw Sarr hit a superb cross from the left angle of the penalty area to the far side of the box where Louza had found space and hit a clever, controlled left-footed finish back across Gunn and into the far corner to make it 1-0.

Norwich responded purposefully with Dowell turning and hitting a left-footed strike from 20 yards or so which Bachmann could only parry out to the right side of the area where Max Aarons tried a cross-shot which zipped across the six-yard box and behind.

Aarons was struggling with the defensive side of his game though, against Sarr and it was the forward who was pivotal in doubling his side’s lead in the 31st minute.

The winger received the ball and drove in field between two opponents before cutting a cross back which Andrew Omobamidele was unable to clear, Asprilla tried a shot which he mis-hit but it broke perfectly for Davis who was in acres of space and had the time to take a touch before calmly beating Gunn to make it 2-0.

Aarons’ evening got even more difficult two minutes before the interval when he was booked for pulling back Sarr and from the resultant free-kick the Hornets almost scored a third.

Louza whipped in a free-kick from the left which fell for Gosling, who didn’t connect properly with a shot on the turn, the ball broke for Troost-Ekong, who saw his powerfully-struck effort blocked, but Davis managed to work an opening but struck his attempted finish too close to Gunn.

Instead of being three goals to the good, the Hornets saw their advantage halved in the last minute of the first half.

The industrious Dowell played a give and go just inside his own half before driving forward and finding Sargent on the left side of the area and the Norwich forward checked back on his right foot before drilling a shot inside Bachmann’s near post to make it 2-1 at the break.

Despite halving the deficit, Smith still decided changes were needed at the restart and brought on Isaac Hayden and Gabriel Sara for Gibbs and Marcelino Nunez.

There was no surprise that the Canaries had more of the attacking play after the restart, with Louza forced to make a fine defensive tackle to prevent Sara from playing the ball into the six-yard box from the by-line, before Sargent had the ball in the net a second time but the flag was already raised for an offside against Teemiu Pukki.

Norwich threatened again through Pukki with a low cross to the near post which saw Kenny McLean’s attempted finish deflected behind. From the resultant corner, Watford survived an even bigger scare when Hanley was given a second bite at the cherry and he crashed the ball against the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

Watford’s first opportunity of the second half came after 57 minutes when Gosling drove infield into the area as his side built down the right, pulling the ball back from the by-line but it had too much power for Davis to direct his header.

Pedro’s reintroduction came in the 62nd minute when he replaced Asprilla, moments after he had needed treatment after being painfully trodden on his leg by Sara. In between times, the Canaries also had another opportunity when Sara wasn’t able to get a strong enough contact on a Sargent cross.

Pedro’s first involvement was to send Sarr away with a fine pass on the left and the forward cut inside the area before hitting a right-footed shot which Gunn couldn’t hold, but Aarons reacted well to prevent Sema from pouncing on the rebound.

It was then Watford’s turn to have a good spell – Kamara and Sema both playing in dangerous crosses from their respective sides of the pitch which went unconverted.

Onel Hernandez replaced Dowell after 72 minutes and soon after he was pulled back by Cathcart, a foul which earned the Watford skipper a yellow card.

The Hornets next opportunity came when a lovely Pedro pass put Sema in behind Aarons on the right side of the penalty area, the Swede checking back before hitting a powerful left-footed shot which Gunn dealt with at the second attempt.

Todd Cantwell replaced Aarons in the 82nd minute while Sarr was down receiving treatment after a painful knee in his calf from Hernandez.

Alarm bells were ringing three minutes later when Cathcart and Gosling found themselves two-on-two as the Canaries broke, but some superb defending by the latter averted the danger.

Davis made way for Kayembe with three minutes of normal time remaining but six minutes of stoppage time afforded the Canaries hope of still getting something from the game.

Norwich pushed and in the last of those extra minutes won a corner which saw Gunn, but the roar that greeted the final whistle from the Hornets faithful was as much borne out of relief as celebration.

Watford: Bachmann; Gosling, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Kamara; Louza, Choudhury; Sarr (Kalu 90), Asprilla- (Pedro 62), Sema; Davis (Kayembe 87). Subs not used: Okoye, Bayo, Pollock, Morris.

Norwich City: Gunn; Aarons (Cantwell 82), Omobamidele (Ramsey 90), Hanley, Byram; Nunez (Sara 46), Gibbs (Hayden 46), Dowell (Hernandez 72); McLean; Pukki, Sargent. Subs not used: Krul, Gibson.

Bookings: Aarons for a foul on Sarr (43); Cathcart for a foul on Hernandez (74).

Attendance: 19,400.

Referee: Darren England.