Liverpool vs Watford LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction after Diogo Jota and Fabinho goals
Liverpool 2-0 Watford: Diogo Jota and Fabinho scored as the Reds eased to victory at Anfield
Liverpool leapfrogged champions Manchester City to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Watford at Anfield on Saturday thanks to a first-half header by Diogo Jota and a late Fabinho penalty.
The hosts grabbed the lead moments after goalkeeper Alisson Becker denied Watford’s Juraj Kucka with a sharp save, as Jota timed his run to perfection at the other end and nodded in a cross from Joe Gomez in the 22nd minute.
It was Portuguese forward Jota’s 14th league goal and 20th in all competitions this season, and the 25-year-old could have added to his tally shortly afterwards but for goalkeeper Ben Foster, who saved his effort from close range.
Substitute Fabinho made sure of the three points in the 89th minute by blasting his spot kick into the top corner after the Video Assistant Referee spotted a foul by Kucka on Jota in the penalty area.
The result meant Liverpool have 72 points from 30 matches, two points more than City ahead of the two sides’ blockbuster clash next weekend. Pep Guardiola’s men can reclaim their lead and a one-point advantage if they beat Burnley later on Saturday.
Former Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson’s relegation-threatened Watford pushed for an equaliser in the second half but could not prevent the home side from wrapping up a 10th straight league victory. Watford remain 18th with 22 points.
Liverpool vs Watford
Jurgen Klopp says he doesn’t look at Liverpool’s league position despite challenging Manchester City are the Premier League title and prepares for each game as if it is the toughest one of the season.
“If we viewed this [as an easy game] we wouldn’t have that many points.” said Klopp. “Man City are the same. The good thing is my team never care about their league position. They listen to me. I am honest in meetings and don’t make a team sound stronger or weaker than they are.
“We have to surprise Watford with intensity - it is not an easy weekend for City or us.”
Liverpool vs Watford
Liverpool have the best home record in this season’s top flight and are unbeaten in their last 18 league games at Anfield with 14 wins and four draws.
The Reds have already matched last season’s final tally of 69 points, with nine matches still to play.
Liverpool vs Watford
Watford have earned eight points in nine matches under Roy Hodgson, one more than they did from seven games with Xisco Munoz in charge and from 13 with Claudio Ranieri as head coach.
They won their most recent fixture, away to Southampton, and could go unbeaten in successive league matches for the first time since September.
Liverpool vs Watford
Kiko Femenia is excited to finish off the season with Watford and says that the win over Southampton has given the Hornets confidence going into the final run of games.
“I think for the group, the way we were working these last few weeks, we had come from a bad run of form, and I think that game at Southampton gave us more confidence when it came to our performances,” said Femenía.
“We went into the break with that calmness too which is good after a year that has also been a pretty tough season. And now we face the final straight with maximum confidence and certainty that we’re going for the three points, no matter who the opponent is because we need the points more than anything else.
“We’ve still got a lot of points to win and we’re right in there. In other words, it’s more about gaining confidence in the game, feeling comfortable, feeling that we can beat any team and also our ambition. I think ambition is the key to winning games and if we go out to win, we’re going to win a lot of them.”
Liverpool vs Watford
Liverpool are on a run of nine straight league victories. They have also won their last nine Premier League matches at Anfield, scoring 27 goals and conceding just two.
Why Liverpool’s quadruple dream may have to wait
One day a team will win all four trophies in the same season. This is not that season.
Liverpool are about to embark on an epic April in pursuit of the elusive quadruple. They begin at Anfield with a relatively downbeat Premier League match against Watford. After that, the ante gets upped rapidly: Benfica home and away in the Champions League; Manchester City in the league at the Etihad and the FA Cup at Wembley; Manchester United and Everton at Anfield as the title race builds to a climax; and the month is rounded out by a visit to Newcastle United, the next megamoney club.
It will be exhausting, exhilarating and bursting with drama. Jurgen Klopp’s team is full of confidence and ready for the challenge.
With the League Cup already under their belt, Liverpool are in a great position. Yet talk of winning all four competitions obscures another remarkable fact. City still have a treble in their sights and Pep Guardiola’s team are subject to the same pressures and fixture congestion as their Merseyside rivals. These are two of the most dominant sides in Premier League history. Both are too good to allow the other to do a clean sweep – or even collect three pieces of silverware.
Why Liverpool’s dreams of a quadruple may have to wait
Liverpool’s best eleven undoubtedly has the quality to win all four competitions but the strain is likely to require more strength in depth than Jurgen Klopp has at his disposal
Titles, Champions League and relegation: State of play as Europe’s top divisions head to season run-in
With the final international break of the campaign over and done with, it’s all systems go from here until season’s end, with trophies and vital points to play for as teams desperately try to land titles, places in Europe for 2022/23 or merely remain in the same division.
Here’s the state of play around the continent as we head into the final two months or so.
Title, Champions League and relegation fights ahead of run-in around Europe
All the games to watch out for and where the big prizes will be won and lost across La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1
Liverpool vs Watford
Liverpool have won 12 of their 13 home league matches against Watford. The Reds have won the last six of those games by an aggregate score of 22-1.
Watford’s most recent win at Anfield was back in August 1999.
Liverpool vs Watford: Team changes
Jurgen Klopp makes four changes to the Liverpool team that defeated Arsenal in their last Premier League game before the international break. Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino come in to replace Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz. Trent Alexander-Arnold makes the bench with Joe Gomez favoured at right-back and Curtis Jones comes in for Fabinho.
Just one change for Roy Hodgson’s men. Ismaila Sarr comes in to replace Emmanuel Dennis up top.
Liverpool vs Watford: Line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Jones, Salah, Jota, Firmino
Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Louza, Kucka, Sissoko, Sarr, Pedro, Hernandez
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