Liverpool secured yet another away victory to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to 13 games as they dispatched Watford at Vicarage Road with three second half goals and a patient display.
No Gomez, no problem
Liverpool made it eight clean sheets in just 13 games and move into unchartered territory, as a Liverpool side has never been in a position where they have conceded just five goals in the opening 13 games of a top-flight season. Dejan Lovren was welcomed back into the starting XI, replacing the injured Joe Gomez who has created a formidable partnership with Virgil Van Dijk this season.
The Croatian had little to do and looked comfortable on the ball whilst his Dutch partner organised the defence and dealt with any long balls and crosses into the danger area. Alisson Becker nearly gifted Watford a goal inside the opening 10 minutes but dealt with everything else the Hornets had to throw at the Liverpool goal. He was tested a couple of times in the first half and made one or two very good saves to keep his side level.
Watford second half penalty shout
There was contact. The player went down. It was 0-0 at the time. Jon Moss waved away protests from the home side as Will Hughes went down in the box from what looked like a clumsy challenge from Andy Robertson. A moment to highlight as seeing reviews for myself it clearly shows Robertson coming together with Hughes as he clipped the shin of the midfielder who managed to get to a 50:50 ball, first.
Hughes was in disbelief and rightly so, the referee and the linesman failing to spot the infringement which would have meant a big chance for Watford to take the lead before the Reds had even got going in this one. It was a big call but Moss didn’t spend any time deliberating as it was waved away immediately and Liverpool were allowed to play on.
Watford manager, Javi Gracia, was pressed in his post-match interview regarding the penalty decision and his response, without saying much, inclined that over the last two games his side has failed to get the rub of the green; although his choice of wording here didn’t exactly point to this. A very clever interview from the Spaniard.
Liverpool front three signed up till 2023
All of Salah, Mane and Firmino played big parts at important times in the game with Watford. The first goal was a seven pass move from goal keeper to opposition goal which saw Firmino play in Mane behind the Watford defence and Salah to finish from a low Mane cross to put his side ahead.
Although Alexander-Arnold’s freekick was something to behold and very similar to the freekick he scored in last season’s Champions League against Hoffenheim, it was Firmino’s presence and dogged attitude which won the freekick in the first instance for the Reds and it was Mane again who tested Foster before Firmino headed home in the 89th minute to secure all three points, despite being down to 10 men.
To say in 2018 that Liverpool may have their front three tied up for another five years is a huge positive. Salah has shown he loves a goal against Watford as Saturday’s goal was his sixth in just three matches.
Watford winless in three
The Hornets will hope to pull themselves out of a difficult period having lost three of their last four at home and only adding one point in the last three Premier League matches. Foster kept the side in the match for 65 minutes making some superb saves and the defence played very well and made it difficult for Liverpool, but as the Reds’ confidence grew it was only a matter of time in a patient display from Klopp’s side.
Watford are going to have to do better up front as even when Liverpool went down to 10 men and the home side had Gray, Deeney and Success on the field, they failed to make a dent in their opposition’s defence. They just didn’t look like scoring at all in the second half and that must improve.
Watford currently sit in 9th, a good start to their season, but with Leicester (A), Man City (H) and Everton (A) coming up they are going to need to pick up their form and quickly.
Henderson out of Merseyside derby
Although the sending off didn’t affect the outcome against Watford, it definitely shakes up the lineup against Everton next weekend. Unfortunately, two silly and quite frankly unnecessary fouls will keep him out of the side against the blue side of Liverpool in the first meeting of these sides this season.
It wasn’t the best showing of a Liverpool captain as his first booking was for pulling back Success on the left wing when the forward managed to get away from him, despite it only being on the half way with a lot of Liverpool cover at 0-0. The second yellow card came straight after a disagreement between Henderson and referee Moss which left the referee no choice having previously warned the Liverpool captain a minute before.
Henderson, this time on the left wing, collided with Capoue when chasing down a loose ball which may have been going out of play, and again, there was Liverpool cover. Of course, Liverpool have a lot of coverage in the centre of midfield but a game that Henderson will have wanted to anchor will now pass him by and Klopp will have some decisions to make next weekend.
Next up
For Liverpool, a big clash in France in the Champions League against PSG in the penultimate game of the group stages which could dictate who moves on to the knockout stages. Watford have a week of preparation ahead as they take on Leicester at the King Power stadium on Saturday afternoon.
