Josh Sargent, a forward for Norwich City, scored twice in the Canaries’ victory over Swansea over the weekend, marking his first appearance after a protracted injury layoff.
Sargent once again demonstrated his menace at the Championship level by scoring Norwich’s first two goals in a decisive 5-1 victory over Luke Williams’ faltering Swans team.
His return to action is a significant boost for Johannes Hoff Thorup’s club, who are unquestionably a much better team with Sargent in it. The American has emerged as one of the second tier’s most dangerous frontmen.
However, some would believe that the striker’s return has come at a time when Norwich has too much work to do to climb back into the play-off position after an uneven performance during December and the New Year.
The return of Josh Sargent is really beneficial.
Early on in his tenure at Carrow Road, Sargent was a bit of a letdown. At the beginning of the 2021–2022 season, he moved to Norfolk, where Norwich paid Bundesliga team Werder Bremen over £8 million for the forward.
Despite playing for a Norwich club that battled mightily and finished last in the Premier League, he only managed two league goals and one assist in his debut season in England.
The 24-year-old has now established himself at the Championship level in English football, though. After scoring 13 league goals in his debut second-tier season, he scored 16 last season—all from just 28 games.
With just 15 games played this season, Sargent has already recorded six league goals and five assists, showcasing his skill once again.
Few forwards in the Championship can match Sargent’s versatility; as a striker, the American is quickly developing into the whole deal.
For Norwich, Sargent’s return to full fitness is essential. After groin surgery on October 27, he made his first start since Saturday’s triumph.
For Hoff Thorup’s team, who are a completely different entity when Sargent is healthy and playing well, having him back in the fold at such a pivotal point in the season is huge.
Josh Sargent could have returned too late.
Since Sargent was last completely fit, Norwich’s season has taken a significant turn for the worse.
The American last started a game before Saturday’s victory, which ended in a 3–3 tie with Middlesbrough at the end of October. After a strong start to the season, that point put the Canaries in eighth place, one point outside of the play-off spots.
Within Norwich’s attacking ranks, Sargent and Borja Sainz had forged a lethal relationship, and the Spaniard had also started the season in spectacular fashion.
But now that Sargent has returned, things at Carrow Road are very different.
The Canaries are now in 11th place, five points outside of the top six, after a run of five losses, four victories, and two draws since the beginning of December. Furthermore, after confessing to spitting at Chris Mepham after the Sunderland loss shortly before Christmas, Sainz is currently halfway through his six-match suspension.
Norwich has plenty of time left in the season to challenge for a spot in the top six, but they simply cannot afford for that gap to widen any further, especially considering the calibre of the clubs they will be depending on to make mistakes.
With Sunderland in fourth place and West Brom in fifth, you could argue that the top four teams in the Championship—Sunderland, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Leeds—are already out of the picture and, at worst, assured of a play-off spot.
There are only two slots left, and Norwich will be involved in what might turn out to be a nine-way battle for the final two play-off spots, since everyone, even QPR in 13th place, may be hoping to sneak into the top six at the conclusion of the season.
Norwich has a number of crucial games ahead of them that might push them back into the play-off picture, especially with play-off-chasing teams like West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday still to visit Carrow Road.
Though it may have come a bit too late for Norwich to salvage something from their season, the return of a vital player like Sargent is undoubtedly a huge boost.
