Liverpool Simply Demolished Watford
Liverpool simply demolished Watford. On a chilly Sunday at Anfield, Liverpool’s football was red hot. Watford were stunned by a masterclass performance from Jürgen Klopp’s side.
Recap
Watford competed well for the first fifteen minutes. Liverpool were probing and Watford tried to live off breakdowns in Liverpool’s play. A nice corner routine saw Philippe Coutinho fire in a cross that Sadio Mané finished with a bullet header. The Reds had the lead and were never to look back.
The brilliant Coutinho then fired a superbly disguised shot into the Watford net and it was 2-0. Emre Can put the finishing header on a flowing Liverpool move and it was beginning to look like a rout at halftime.
Liverpool dominated the second half with goals from Sadio Mané, Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino. Daryl Janmaat provided a tidy finish for Watford’s solitary consolation goal. As a result of Liverpool’s dominance, Daniel Sturridge was brought on as a substitute clipped the woodwork twice.
How Good Are Liverpool?
Liverpool currently sit at the top of the Premier League. Not since the halcyon days of Luis Suarez and the Indian Summer of Steven Gerrard’s career in 2013 /14 have the Reds topped the table. As seen in the last few games, Liverpool’s attacking play is first rate.
Defensively they are becoming more consistent. Geggenpressing, when applied expertly, is very difficult to play against. All of these factors bode well for Liverpool’s title challenge. Mané of course will be missed when he travels to represent his country in the African Cup of Nations in early 2017. Klopp may have given a glimpse versus Watford of his solution to losing the pacey forward.
Mané was substituted on the hour mark. Sturridge replaced him, offering less pace but more guile and pure striking ability. Liverpool didn’t miss a beat with this change and Sturridge may well have a big role to play as a starter early next year. The Watford game was such a dominant display that similarities can be drawn with the last Liverpool league winning side. Kenny Dalglish’s team demolished Crystal Palace 9-0 and went on to win the league. Jürgen Klopp will be hoping his side can kick on and end the season in the same manner.
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