Watford vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today

The Reds face the Hornets in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge to open this weekend’s Premier League action

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With a deft touch, a roll of the ball with his studs, a dummy and then a sublime finish into the bottom corner, Mohamed Salah produced another goal-of-the-season contender to headline Liverpool’s 5-0 win at Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.

On a tough day for Claudio Ranieri in his first match as Watford manager, Salah delivered almost a replica of his stunning individual goal against Manchester City before the international break to show just why many are calling him the world’s best player on current form.

It also overshadowed a hat trick scored by Roberto Firmino.Salah’s 54th-minute solo goal started just inside the area where he was surrounded by three Watford players. Salah somehow managed to extricate himself out of the situation with marvellous footwork - including the foot-roll that was a feature of the goal against City - before cutting back onto his left foot and curling into the far corner.

The Egypt winger was mobbed by his teammates after his seventh league goal of the season. He has now scored in his last eight games for Liverpool in all competitions.Liverpool was already well clear by then after an eighth-minute opener by Sadio Mane — off Salah’s exquisite pass from off the outside of his left boot — and tap-ins either side of halftime by Firmino. The Brazil striker completed his hat trick with virtually the last kick of the game.

Mane become the 31st player to score 100 Premier League goals, and the third from Africa after Didier Drogba and Salah.Liverpool started the eighth round of games in second place, a point behind Chelsea.The 69-year-old Ranieri, who was hired last week as the replacement for Xisco Munoz, will be judged on games against weaker opponents than Liverpool but this was as one-sided a game as it.

Watford vs Liverpool

• GOAL! Watford 0-1 Liverpool - Mane breaks the deadlock after a sublime Salah pass
• GOAL! Watford 0-2 Liverpool - Firmino doubles the Reds’ lead, tapping in Milner’s square ball
• GOAL! Watford 0-3 Liverpool - Firmino grabs a brace to convert a rebound from Foster’s save
• GOAL! Watford 0-4 Liverpool - Salah hits wonder goal after mesmerising footwork inside box
• GOAL! Watford 0-5 Liverpool - Firmino stabs home from close range to complete hat-trick

[16 October 2021 15:02 · Michael Jones]

Leicester 0 - 0 Man Utd

Kick off: Manchester United get the game underway with Bruno Fernandes passing the ball to Victor Lindelof. He flicks it out to Luke shaw who’s pressed by Kelechi Iheanacho and has to put the ball out for a Leicester throw in.

[16 October 2021 14:58 · Michael Jones]

Leicester vs Man Utd

The teams make their way out onto the pitch at the King Power stadium. Harry Maguire is back to lead the visitors and Marcus Rashford is on the bench for Manchester United.

[16 October 2021 14:56 · Michael Jones]

Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t press for Manchester United - but does that matter?

Cristiano Ronaldo does not press. That is not meant as a criticism of Manchester United’s No 7, only as a statement of fact. Three-and-a-bit games into his Premier League return, Ronaldo has pressed less than any other player in his position.

Last season at Juventus, he was among the bottom 1 per cent among forwards for pressing in Europe’s major five leagues. The question is: does that matter?

[16 October 2021 14:53 · Michael Jones]

Mohamed Salah hits wonder goal as five-star Liverpool demolish Watford

Claudio Ranieri may be much-loved for his unshakable optimism, but even he will fail to glean any positives from the carcass of this wretched return to English football.

The Italian was a helpless bystander as he watched his new Watford side ravaged, ruthlessly and resoundingly, by Liverpool at Vicarage Road on Saturday, and the eventual scoreline of 5-0 was if anything lenient.

[16 October 2021 14:51 · Michael Jones]

Watford 0 - 5 Liverpool

Reaction from a happy Jurgen Klopp who told BT Sport:

It was good! I cannot say differently. After international break it is hard to find the rhythm after playing different systems, but the boys were so good despite only having one session before today. I think Watford had ideas, but we didn’t let them play. The goals were really brilliant, there was great attitude, energy and character.

“His [Mo Salah] performance was massive today. The pass for the first goal was great and the second goal was special. He is top. We all see it. Who is better than him? We don’t have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, he is the best.”

[16 October 2021 14:49 · Michael Jones]

Leicester vs Man Utd

Manchester United are on an English league record unbeaten away run of 29 games since a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in January 2020 with 19 wins and 10 draws during that time.

34 of the 67 away points amassed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side during this period have been won from a losing position.

The Red Devils haven’t conceded more than once in any of their last 15 away league fixtures, keeping eight clean sheets, However, Manchester United’s sole clean sheet in their last 18 matches in all competitions came in the league at Wolves in August.

[16 October 2021 14:47 · Michael Jones]

Leicester vs Man Utd

Leicester’s current four-match winless league run is their joint-longest under Brendan Rodgers. They haven’t fared worse since only taking one point from Claude Puel’s final six league games in charge in early 2019.

The Foxes have lost eight of their 16 Premier League fixtures since the beginning of April. Only Burnley, with 11 defeats, and Wolves, with nine, have been beaten more often during that time.

Their solitary clean sheet in the last 13 league matches came against Wolves on the opening weekend of this season.

[16 October 2021 14:45 · Michael Jones]

Leicester’s struggles show the price of sustainable football in the modern hyper-competitive Premier League

When the takeover of Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, PIF, was completed, there was sizeable unease at Leicester City.

Naturally, the expectation was Steve Bruce’s time is up and Brendan Rodgers would be handed the keys to the castle and whatever he desired to become manager of the world’s richest football club.

That was not rooted in paranoia, with the Northern Irishman already distancing himself from the latest state-owned sportswashing project – forget whatever you’re fed about “legally binding assurances” regarding separation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its savings account to diversify the economy.

No such exists. No such can or ever will exist.

[16 October 2021 14:43 · Michael Jones]

Marcus Rashford back in Manchester United squad for trip to Leiceste

Marcus Rashford could make his first appearance of the season for Manchester United on Saturday in their Premier League game at Leicester.

Rashford, who had surgery in August to repair his damaged shoulder, will be included in United’s squad, boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed.

[16 October 2021 14:42 · Michael Jones]

Watford 0 - 5 Liverpool

Claudio Ranieri suffered his biggest ever Premier League defeat, while no manager whose first game with a club in the competition came at home has suffered a bigger margin of defeat (also Alan Smith with Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in August 1994, when they lost

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1-6).