Topic: PL: Liverpool 2 v Watford Mo 38' 90'

[jillcwhomever]

With progression to the Champions League knockout stages professionally secured after surviving a tense opening twenty minutes in Tuesday night’s 2-0 win in Salzburg, focus once again returns to lifting our first league title for 30 years.

And the Reds mean business, having opened up and retained significant fourteen and eight-point leads ahead of rivals Manchester City and Leicester respectively in recent weeks.

Sky Sports' Monday Night Football's graphic, depicting us gaining 73 points in our last 25 league games, was simply astonishing. Over the same nine-month period, it also showed that Barcelona are our closest European competitors with 61 points, and that's with them having played two more league games than us in that time frame.

Oh, and we smashed them 4-0. “Who the f**k you trying to kid?”

These are remarkable times to be a Liverpool fan - the best of my lifetime, and I’m sure many others under a certain age, too - and we must drink it all in as much as possible.

Watford at home has a special place in my heart of late, having bagged tickets for the last two 5-0 drubbings (but not this one, unfortunately, so if we don’t win 5-0 you know who to blame).

Remember the windstorm dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’ in February/March 2018? It was more like the Beast from the Middle East on that particular Saturday evening, as Mohamed Salah magically scored four and assisted one more in the snow.

His hat-trick goal will live long in the memory. Receiving the ball in his favoured inside-right position inside the box, the Egyptian’s presence drew not one, not two, but three defenders into him as he brilliantly turned them inside out. All three yellow shirts lied helplessly on the ground as the ball trickled into the far corner in textbook Mo fashion.

Arguably, it was the more recent win over Watford in February which resonated with me more, though. Having frustratingly dropped six points in four league games to allow the relentless Man City back in, it felt like we took the frustration of those draws out on the hapless Hornets that night.

The Trent and Robbo crossed assists; the Mané header and glorious back-heel ("is he messin’?!"); Salah tying the opposing left-back in knots in a way we hadn’t seen for a while; Virgil banging in two goals (two goals!); and Alisson making one of the best point-blank saves I’ve ever seen to deny Andre Gray in the closing stages.

We mistakenly take some of these players’ qualities and traits for granted a little now, but at the time an awful lot of it still felt very fresh.

Ah, the Reds. The mighty Reds. On a Wednesday night. The Kop and town were bouncing in a way I’ve rarely witnessed for a midweek league game. I recall somehow finding myself in Sgt Peppers on Mathew Street afterwards, conversing with fellow Reds about the match and the title picture in the coming months.

I asked one guy how many points he thought City would drop, and therefore how many we could afford to. (At this point we were one ahead.)

He said none. My face dropped. But the bastard was proved right.

Regardless, a lot of what subsequently happened - and is still happening - kick-started again from that Wednesday evening, for me. The Reds emphatically found their groove again after misplacing it for a good month or so beforehand. Yes, we drew at Everton, but we won every league game afterwards, and more crucially we won it in Madrid.

The mentality monsters did it, and they’re still doing it, as we saw once again on Tuesday night.

And they've got to keep doing it, starting with Saturday. Given Watford’s form of late, it could be the last time we see them at Anfield for a while. They’re rock-bottom with nine points from 16 games, having scored a measly nine goals in the process.

After appointing Nigel Pearson as their third permanent manager of the season already, there’s a slim chance they could end up with more managers this season than points and goals. If we know one thing, though, it's that Pearson's head won't be in the sand.

In all seriousness, Watford are not a dreadful side by any means. Much of the same core of players which reached an FA Cup final and comfortably finished mid-table last campaign remains at the club, including captain Troy Deeney, who has now returned from injury. I'm sure Virgil will be donning his finest aftershave after Deeney's remark that the Ballon d'Or runner-up "smells lovely" on top of being an absolute nightmare to play against.

With this being Pearson's first official game in charge, we should also be wary of any potential ‘new manager bounce'; not that Pearson’s predecessor, Quique Sanchez Flores, benefitted from one when they lost 8-0 at the Etihad in September. Indeed, it’s tough to see Pearson’s game-plan being anything beyond keeping the score-line respectable and avoiding their goal difference becoming irrecoverably rotten.

That’s where the Reds are at now: forget Operation Anfield Exercise, it's frequently Damage Limitation Exercise for visiting sides. Fingers crossed this is the case on Saturday, as any dropped points here could see us head to Leicester on Boxing Day facing the dreaded prospect of them overtaking us with a win (albeit with us still having a game in hand).

That bastard in Sgt Peppers has me doing maths again, you see.

[jillcwhomever]

[jillcwhomever]

[Zlen]

0' And we're off. Liverpool go on the attack straight away.

[Zlen]

4' A promising break by Reds comes to nothing after Mane's long cross aimed at Salah is collected by young Ben Foster.

[Zlen]

5' Very dangerous attack by Watford, a tempting cross in the box almost finds Deeney ready to bury it. We scramble for a bit but clear in the end.

[Rush 82]

Watford have started brightly

[Zlen]

7' Ah that's a shame. Salah's clever flick find Bobby along on the top of their box - but he doesn't control the ball well and Watford clear.

[Crimson_Tank]

Watford have started brightly

It only appears that way because of their Yellow Kits.

[Rush 82]

Watford with a 7-3-0 formation

[Zlen]

11' We attack patiently, find space down the left but Milner scuffs his cross. Seems like we're hell bent on playing patiently and not exerting ourselves too much.

[jillcwhomever]

Just need to work on the final ball, some of our build up play is wonderful.

[Zlen]

13' Trents decides to get things going, goes on a nice run and almost finds Mo in space. Crowds comes to life.

[Zlen]

14' First corner for Liverpool. Trent puts it in but Watford player knocks it out. We attack again.

Over to Crimson.

[Crimson_Tank]

15' Remain Calm, the last time we played these at Anfield we thrashed them 5-0, I know I was there with a few fellow RAWKites.

We are playing even better than we were back in late February.

Mane and the crowd calls for action for the Ref. Marriner over an arm in the box against Mane.

[jillcwhomever]

Shaq has been brilliant so far. The way he just flicks the ball on in tight spaces keeping the move going and fluid is lovely to watch.

[Crimson_Tank]

17' Watford with a rare bit of play in our half but their attack comes to nothing as they pass the ball out of play well away from goal.

[Crimson_Tank]

18' Watford's new manager trying to play games when the ball goes out for a throw in near him. Cheeky.

[Crimson_Tank]

20' We build again, Milner has been decent on the Left, playing so far up that he resembles Robbo.

[Crimson_Tank]

21' As I typed the last, Watford got a corner but I was so unmiffed that I didn't even look up, knowing that we would clear it and that is exactly what we did. Oh how far we have come in the time under Klopp.

[jillcwhomever]

Some nice defending there from Gini.

[Crimson_Tank]

22' Watford are indeed playing some form of a 7/3/0 as Virg has taken up a post a few yards into their half. We have a good chance, but cant get it finished, Bobby is handled (Watford player with a leg lift) and the outbouding ball is kicked well over the bar.

[Crimson_Tank]

23' Watford try to release Will Hughes and it works in that he takes a low shot from 30+ yards out but it is well wide and Allison hat it covered anyway.

[Rush 82]

Bit windy 'innit

[Crimson_Tank]

25' Salah get the ball and makes it into the box, surrounded by three Yellow Shirts he still finds space to have a pop at goal, a bit off but still we look promising.

[Crimson_Tank]

26' A long diagonal pass from Trent to Mane, but the ball is cleared, only as far as the circle, we build again, Mane again finds a pass into the box, Salah is impeded and goes down but the Ref waves no penno and the Kop expresses its displeasure.

[Rush 82]

Excellent cover defence by Shaq - tracked back to ensure that Trent didn't have to do anything silly

[Rush 82]

We score and these will collapse

[Crimson_Tank]

28' Mane and Salah are harrying the Watford defense but we have not yet found a way through their yellow brick wall. it is coming, Klopp and his team of Reds Shoe Wearing will pull down the curtain sooner rather than later.

[Fluke]

33'  Watford with a brief spell of possession, ends in a long ball up their right flank.  Milner is fouled shielding the ball and LFC take the free kick.

[Crimson_Tank]

30' We easily clear a possible attack from Watford and launch one of our own, stifled on the edge of the box but they can not even get the ball but a few yards into our half before we reverse it and they have to try a long pass.

Over to you.

[Rush 82]

Watford with some decent football in the last 2 minutes.

Working the ball around our goal area.

[Fluke]

34'  Decoure finds himself in an advanced position on the left edge of their attacking box and puts a cross across the 6 yard box, which Virgil clears for a throw in.  Watford put another couple of crosses in the ensuing play, both of which Virgil clears.  Ultimately, a pass is played which Virgil shields until Alisson comes and claims.

[Fluke]

35'  Firmino with some magic feet in the box, wins LFC a corner on the left side.

[Fluke]

36'  Trent takes the corner, which is cleared directly back to him.  Controlling and crossing again to the back post, this one ends in Foster's arms.

[Rush 82]

and Fluke strikes again!

[Fluke]

39'  Watford with an attack down the right flank via a run from Capoute (spelling?).  Doucoure receives the rolled cross but air swings it, and the ball is cleared for a corner.  Watford take the corner, but LFC clear and quickly counter attack.  Mane finds Salah with a ball down the left flank.  Salah takes the ball inside the defender on his right foot and curls into the right corner.

LFC 1-0

[jillcwhomever]

The curl on that finish was mesmerising. He loves those type of goals.

[Rush 82]

The curl on that finish was mesmerising. He loves those type of goals.

Signature goal

[Fluke]

42'  Watford airswinging again from right in front of goal.  Deolufeu (spelling?) crosses, Alisson gets a hand on it and it bounces to Sarr. He fluffs it and the following shot is over the bar.