Liverpool would have been relieved to come away with all three points to go top of the Premier League after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Watford, laying down a marker in the title race for Manchester City. The Reds are now a point clear at the top of the table at least for a few hours before Pep Guardiola’s side face Burnley later on Saturday.
After a slow start to the game at Anfield, the Reds opened the scoring on 22 minutes when Diogo Jota headed home his 20th goal of the season. It was far from a vintage display from Jurgen Klopp’s side as Watford pressed for an equaliser, but Fabinho’s late penalty put the result beyond doubt.
But the only thing that matters at this point in the season is the three points and Klopp will be delighted to see his side top of the pile again. Express Sport looks at five things we learned as Premier League football returned to Anfield.
Underwhelming Reds fail to make statement
At this stage of the season, results are more important than performances. Even if this was not a memorable display from Liverpool, it was enough to prove to Manchester City that they are going to take this title battle down to the wire.
If there is something to be admired about Klopp’s side, it is that they have more than one way to win. Man City may be the grand entertainers, but the Reds can grind out ugly victories if they have to — and that is usually a key component in the making of a successful team. This game was no different as they kept Watford at an arm’s length without playing their best football.
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Their most important period of the season is fast approaching, with two games apiece against Benfica and City in their next four games, and so it was important to lay down the gauntlet and put the pressure back on City. It is fair to say they failed to produce a performance that would convince any doubters that they can pull off the once impossible task, but at least Pep Guardiola has something to think about ahead of their crunch clash on April 10.
Jota outshines Salah
Mohamed Salah may appear superhuman to the mere mortals in the Premier League but there are days when the Egyptian is lacking his magical touch. Fortunately for him, his attacking sidekick Jota was fit and firing.
His goal to open the scoring was typical of a No.9, making a dart in between the centre-backs and nicking in ahead of the goalkeeper Ben Foster to calm any early nerves inside Anfield. Salah, perhaps feeling the effects of an exhausting fortnight on international duty, looked a yard short of his usual pace and struggled to get the better of Watford’s Hassane Kamara.
That is to be expected, given Salah is now 29 and rarely rested by Klopp. But Jota is becoming more crucial with every week to this Liverpool team, and his return of 14 Premier League goals this season is only bettered by Salah, with 10 of those being the first in the game. He will prove to be a pivotal member of the squad in the coming weeks as Klopp looks to keep his side as fresh as possible.
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Thiago sets the standard
With no-look passes galore and clever fakes to the right, this was Thiago Alcanatara at his best, embodying the spirit of a Rolls Royce. At times, he seemed to be three steps ahead of his Watford opponents, finding pockets of space that looked invisible to the naked eye.
Even with Roy Hodgson setting up his side in two compact blocks of four, he found Salah and Curtis Jones with accurate diagonal passes on the ground. At times when Liverpool needed to keep the ball and frustrate Watford, he dictated the tempo and orchestrated the play from midfield. This game might have lacked quality, but from the Spaniard.
There were some doubts when he signed from Bayern Munich in October 2020 whether he could adapt to the high-intensity nature of the Premier League. Now, 18 months on, he has quietened those voices and holds an important role in this Liverpool side as their creator-in-chief.
Watford doomed after wasting chances
Roy Hodgson has earned a reputation as a miracle worker, especially when you look at what he achieved with limited resources at Crystal Palace. But keeping Watford in the Premier League looks to be beyond even his capabilities after his side squandered several gilt-edged chances at Anfield.
For the first quarter of the this match, his side performed admirably and even had a golden chance to take the lead, only for Juraj Kucka’s effort to be beaten away by Alisson Becker. Less than a minute later, Liverpool scored. Similarly, in the second half Ismaila Sarr set up Joao Pedro for a simple finish but the Brazilian rolled his effort wide.
It’s those moments which can prove so crucial in a team’s bid for survival and despite a spirited performance, Watford just don’t seem to have it in their locker. They have more difficult fixtures to come too, with trips to Manchester City this month and Chelsea away on the final day of the season, and a second relegation in three seasons to the Championship beckons.
Gomez passes understudy audition
As Trent Alexander-Arnold watched on from the bench with a glum expression painted across his face, it represented a chance for Joe Gomez to prove he can deputise when the right-back needs a week off. The England international was making only his second start of the season and, while Alexander-Arnold has absolutely no concerns about his position in the side, Gomez had something to prove — not only in terms of fitness but performance too.
The 24-year-old made a nervy start defensively but proved he could be just as effective as his Liverpool league in the attacking areas, supplying a wonderful cross to Jota to head home. It was a delivery Alexander-Arnold would have been proud of, and Klopp would have been pleased to see one of his backup players impress.
He nearly repeated the trick for Andy Robertson in the second half and it is clearly something he has tried to add to his game. There are still some remaining concerns over his temperament, picking up a needless booking in the first half, but he is gradually returning to the level he reached during the 2018-19 campaign.
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