In the Premier League this weekend, leaders Liverpool come up against bottom of the side Watford in Nigel Pearson’s first game in charge of the Hornet’s. Four days on from a trip to Austria, Jurgen Klopp’s side play again, with the prospect of two matches in the following four days on the horizon, the Reds manager will be sure to rotate his starting eleven from their crucial Champions League fixture. The last time the German made a host of changes was for the Merseyside derby against rivals Everton, and it’s fair to say that went spectacularly well.
Two players at the centre of the 5-2 victory, which proved to be Marco Silva’s final game, were Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, the pair showed they were waiting patiently in the wings for their chance, behind Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, and they may be required again at the weekend. It was the Swiss maestro’s first start of the season against the Toffee’s, and he did not hesitate to take the opportunity Klopp presented him, with terrorising the opposition defence from the right-hand side, creating a chance and scoring himself. Providing an equal attacking threat against Watford could see the Swiss international play a starring role in the League Cup quarter-final or Club World Cup shortly after.
Meanwhile, Origi was back to his sensational best that saw him score a combined three times in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final and then final as Liverpool won the competition. Against Everton he bagged himself a brace with exceptionally well-taken goals early on, to ensure the fixture was no contest. During the hectic festive fixture scheduling, such displays from the supporting cast are vital for fighting on all fronts, and so far, Klopp has been getting a pitch-perfect tune out of his choir.
The German manager will have been delighted that two players who could have been unsettled, due to starting just five Premier League games between them this season, have instead shown a resilient mentality to battle for first-team selection. Their reward should be another outing, this time against Watford, as they proved at the first opportunity, they’re ready to start again.
