LIverpool defeat Watford to keep pace with title rivals

This match against Watford coming after a two-week international break with Liverpool players only just arriving back to the UK from all corners of the world, many having experienced the emotional highs of lows of World Cup qualification – notably Sadio Mané for Senegal and Mo Salah for Egypt – and starting at 12:30 lunchtime, when players and crowd traditionally find it hard to rouse themselves, had all the potential for a banana skin for the Reds.

This was even more true given that Watford – in desperate trouble at the bottom of the league and needing to fight for every point – under the management of veteran Roy Hodgson, replacing the hapless Claudio Ranieri in January, have shown good signs of revival. Well organised, aggressive, trusting in the system, Watford proved their quality in their last outing, defeating Southampton away 2-1.

Indeed, the game unfolded as predicted, with Liverpool weary and Watford looking comfortable at the back and threatening on the break.

Yet again the decisive moment of the game came with a terrific trademark save from Alisson Becker, blocking one on one as Juraj Kucka bore down on goal, which was immediately followed by Liverpool going up the other end of the pitch and scoring.

On 23 minutes, found by Jordan Henderson on the right, Joe Gomez, playing instead of the hamstrung Trent Alexander Arnold, put in a pacy, accurate cross that the usual right-back would have been proud of, onto the run of Diogo Jota, whose glancing header ended up in the corner of the net.

In the past, Liverpool, both home and away, have scored hatfuls of goals against Watford but this was never going to be the case today. Despite Jota’s goal, the Reds were restricted to long-range shots – from Jota and Curtis Jones (in for Fabinho) – that invariably went way over the bar and set-piece headers off-target.

The second half saw, on the hour, Fabinho come on for Jones – who did well in places but was frustrating elsewhere – and Liverpool have control of the game without being able to finish Watford off.

Another chance came Watford’s way to equalise when Joao Pedro found himself through on goal only to screw the ball just past the far post when he should have scored. Drawing level would not have flattered Watford.

Not even the introduction, in place of the lacklustre Salah, of Mané, rested after his heroics midweek for Senegal, scoring the winning penalty to take his country to the World Cup ahead of Egypt – the West Africans, again, overcoming the North Africans in a major encounter, having defeated them in the Africa Cup of Nations final – gave Liverpool the impetus to put the game to bed.

Indeed, it was only a fortunate penalty decision in the 89th minute that calmed Red nerves, Kucka wrestling Jota to the ground off the ball at a corner, the referee only giving the spot kick on the advice of the VAR.

With Salah off, Fabinho stepped up and took the perfect penalty, high to Ben Foster’s right in the top corner of the net to secure the victory.

The win temporarily put Liverpool top of the table, a point ahead of Manchester City, playing lowly Burnley in a 3:00 pm kickoff. The reigning champions did what they had to do, defeating the Clarets 2-0 to retake top spot and setting up next weekend’s home clash against Liverpool, the outcome of which will go some way to telling us who will end up as Premier League winners.

Liverpool crush Watford in outstanding display

 

An outstanding performance from Liverpool against a woeful Watford saw the Reds come away from the early kickoff with a 5-0 win to take them temporarily back to the top of the table and, more importantly, assert their credentials as title contenders after a weakish performance against Manchester City before the international break put doubts in minds as to how far Jurgen Klopp’s men could go this season.

With Watford having sacked manager Xisco Munoz after the last round of Premier League games and installed veteran Claudio Ranieri as his replacement, Liverpool, with a number of players, such as Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara, out to injury or, in the case of Alisson Becker and Fabinho, stranded abroad after later World Cup qualifiers, would have been wary of what lay in store for them, anticipating not only Watford’s beleaguered players out to impress their new boss but also possibly distracted by the mammoth games against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester United in the league coming up.

However, Liverpool were at it from the start and the in-form Mo Salah from kickoff was giving former Leeds, Spurs and England left-back Danny Rose a torrid time, setting the tone for Liverpool’s dominance that lasted for the rest of the game. It was no surprise, therefore, on nine minutes, when Salah, from just inside the Watford half, played an exquisite, inch-perfect pass with the outside of his foot into the path of Sadio Mané who didn’t have to break stride or control the ball as he slotted passed the retreating and slightly out of position Ben Foster to give Liverpool the lead.

The Reds’ control of the game was total and they should have and could have scored several times more before they did get their second on 37 minutes when James Milner, playing in midfield, won the ball just inside the Watford half, exchanged passes with Mané, then crossed it from the byline for Roberto Firmino to tap in from a yard out.

A reaction from Watford in the second half was to be expected, but it was in fact Liverpool who came out with the greater determination and on 52 minutes Firmino scored his second and the Reds’ third after Andy Robertson swept a ball in from Liverpool’s left towards Mo Salah. The desperate interception from Craig Cathcart was saved by Foster but the ricochet fell right at the feet of the Brazilian striker who had an easy task to make the game all but safe for Liverpool.

Liverpool’s fourth goal on 54 minutes will go down in club folklore as one of the greatest ever scored for the Reds. Salah, laying claim to be the best player in the world, ahead of Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé and Lewandowski, picked the ball up on the right side of the Watford penalty area and was immediately surrounded by four defenders. With a jink, a pull back, a roll of the ball with his studs, then a dummy that the left Cathcart on his backside, Salah found the space he was looking for, before setting off a curling shot with his left foot into the corner of the net, so accurate in its execution that Foster didn’t even bother to dive to try and save it.

With the two big games coming up next week against Atletico Madrid and Man United, Klopp was able to make changes. Kostas Tsimikas came on Robertson, Alex Oxlade  Chamberlain for Trent Alexander Arnold and Neco Williams for James Milner.

All three subs contributed to creating more chances for Liverpool and, indeed, it was good play from Williams down the right that, after he slid the ball across the six-yard box, allowed Firmino, with another tap in, to claim his hat-trick.
 

Watford end Liverpool's unbeaten Premier League season

Watford caused a monumental upset after becoming the first team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League this season with Ismaila Sarr's second-half double helping to condemn the league leaders to a stunning 3-0 loss at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sarr nipped in to break the deadlock after 54 minutes, before then racing through to double the Hornets' lead six minutes later.

With 18 minutes left to play, Watford captain Troy Deeney rounded off an incredible 18-minute spell by taking advantage of yet more sluggish defending from the visitors to add a third.

Read more here.

Reds put five past Watford in thrilling performance

Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk both scored twice as Liverpool returned to winning ways with a dominant performance against Watford to stay top of the Premier League. 

Jurgen Klopp's side were 2-0 up in 20 minutes at Anfield as Senegal forward Mane headed the first before doubling the lead with an outrageous back-heel, Trent Alexander-Arnold providing both assists.

Mohamed Salah hit the post before Divock Origi beat Ben Foster at his near post to make it 3-0.

Van Dijk scored two late headers as Liverpool eased to their biggest win of the season and stayed one point clear of Manchester City, who beat West Ham 1-0.

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Reds defeat Watford to keep up title challenge

Liverpool have not yet recaptured the spectacular form of last season but they collected a precious win here thanks to three excellent goals. For most of the game the visitors lacked spark but they illuminated proceedings with a brilliant move in the 67th minute that culminated in Mo Salah opening the scoring. Trent Alexander-Arnold added a second with an outstanding free-kick from 25 yards before Roberto Firmino topped off the scoring after a sweeping late counterattack.

Although those goals gave the scoreline an emphatic look and took Liverpool to a better points tally than they have ever had at this stage of a campaign in the club’s illustrious history, they laboured at times here, a fact Jordan Henderson underlined by getting himself sent off for two shoddy tackles on his return from injury.

Read more here.