Liverpool take the sting out of the Hornets

Blog by dedlfc (David Douglas)

Liverpool 2: (Allen 35', Firmino 76')Watford 0

Pre-game Thoughts

With us doing so well to qualify for the Euro League final last Thursday this was another opportunity to rest several players namely Lallana, Can and Sturridge for their brilliant performances vs Villareal. Bringing in eight changes including Flanno, Stewart and Allen to provide added aggression in the team and Benteke to be the focal point of our attack in Sturridge’s absence. Lucas Leiva is named captain.

 It's weird to be legitimately sad that this is a Premier League game, and not another European Night.

We have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games at Anfield (W5 D5).

Still, it's our penultimate home league game of the season and I hope we show the same commitment and desire as we did on Thursday to enable us to win and get revenge for one of our worst away league performances this season when we lost 3-0 earlier in the season as Vicarage Road.  Hopefully Flanno sets the tempo with an early crunching tackle to rattle the Watford players !! Game on!

We start off quite slow and three minutes in and we're lucky not to be down a goal which has already beats our efforts from our last match against the Hornets!

Ighalo blows past a nearly-stationary Martin Skrtel and would have been through on goal had Alberto Moreno not tracked back (for a change!!) and put the striker under pressure. Could have easily been 1-0 there.

We are struggling to handle Ighalo again today. He's already had three half-chances in the first 8 minutes. He very nearly chipped Mignolet from 40 yards. He had the Belgian keeper beat, but the effort just cleared the crossbar. 

Watford look so up for this challenge and we were struggling to get to grips of the game.

Coutinho then goes close with our first effort on goal. He's been put through a couple times on the left-hand side, and this most recent venture into the box saw the Brazilian cut it back onto his right foot, and attempt to curl the ball into the far post. The shot was deflected out for a corner. Good stuff from the little magician so far.

We were starting to enjoy a nice spell of possession as we continued to look for a way to get behind Watford's backline. Moreno decided he had had enough, and blasted a long shot well over the bar and into the stands. 

Halfway through the first half we had earned about 5 corners with a striker to aim for but sadly not one ball arrived at the head of our much maligned target man Benteke which was very disappointing to say the least.

The poorly positioned Skrtel loses Ighalo again on a ball over the top that the experienced defender should really do better with. However, he recovered just enough this time to put the ball out of play for a corner. 

Skrtel then remembers that he used to be a rated good defender by coming up with an important block on a shot from outside the box.
 

GOAL 1-0 to Liverpool !!!! After struggling to handle Watford so far we then take the lead with little Joe Allen scoring with about 10 minutes left in the first half. The Welsh international earns a free kick. Coutinho takes the free kick and finds Benteke in the box with an inch-perfect chip. Benteke nods it into the path of an on-rushing Allen, who slides home calmly for only his second league goal this season. Excellent assist by Benteke!!!

Halftime Thoughts: So, leading by a goal at the half is more fun than trailing by two, as was the case last time we faced Watford. We have had the lion's share of the possession so far, though Watford have looked far more dangerous than us on quite a few occasions on the counter. It would be nice we could now hold a halftime lead, maintain this in the second half and secure a win, something we've struggled with in the Premier League recently.

Whatever our manager has said to the lads at halftime has seemed to have stepped up our performance because we start the second half in a more positive frame of mind and nearly cap it off with an excellently worked goal.

Coutinho and Benteke look like they have played up front together for years with their telepathic understanding this afternoon, but the Brazilian's final touch lets him down. Phil played Benteke in on goal with a peach of a through ball. Benteke played it wide and then squared it for Coutinho who made the long run into the box. Coutinho only needed to pass the ball into the net, but mistimed his effort and the ball dribbled harmlessly over the touchline.

The defender formerly known as Martin Skrtel then does his usual impression of a clueless defender by trying his hardest to give away a penalty. Seems like a good bet that he'll succeed before the final whistle if he stays on the pitch for the full game.

Great save by Mignolet! He's not had much to do today, but he came up big on that occasion. Ighalo gave Moreno the slip, and then fired a shot in a one on one situation from just inside the box. Migs was at full stretch to get a palm to that goal-bound effort, and we maintain our slim lead.

Benteke takes a Britos karate kick to the chest, and the Watford player is duly booked. It didn't look to have any malicious intent behind it, as Britos appeared to be unaware of Benteke. Still looked quite painful but all the squad wants to make the Euro final team so he shrugged off the pain and continued playing like a soldier !!!

Coutinho, who has looked the best player on the pitch by some distance, comes off in the sixty-first minute for his Brazilian compatriot, Roberto Firmino. Firmino immediately gets involved in the attack, and hits a shot straight at the keeper.

I was earlier alluding to the fact that I wanted Flanagan to set the tempo by rattling a Watford player early in the game but he chose to wait until the 63^rd minute for which he was booked. The young Scouse fullback goes in for an old-school challenge on their midfielder/wide player Abdi, and, well, you can't do that these days !!!

Allen gives away a free kick in a very dangerous area just outside the box, but Abdi's effort just clears the bar.

Seventy minutes in and Watford are really  pushing for that equalizer with their first sustained pressure of the match.

GOAL 2-0 to Liverpool !!! Roberto Firmino doubles the lead! Some smart pressing by Ojo causes a deflection on a pass, which falls right into the path of Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian drives straight at the Watford defense and shoots a low, hard shot at goal. Watford keeper Gomes probably should have done better to keep it out, but his palm wasn't strong enough and the ball carried on into the back of the net. 

A lack of concentration almost gets Watford back into the game with their passing cutting straight down the middle of our defence – playing Ighalo through on goal only for him to hit the side netting with a powerful shot

Youth brigade! Ojo whose pressing helped create Firmino’s goal, is withdrawn. On comes Cameron Brannagan. Brannagan has been very unlucky not to be entrusted with playing in the league games as he has shown maturity and poise above his 19 years – he is actually 20 tomorrow – so maybe Klopp wanted to give him an early birthday present!!

The ninth one on one for Benteke ends exactly like the other eight before them with the keeper making a predicted save.

Great link-up play between Lucas and Firmino. Lucas plays Firmino who did well to get back onside before the pass. Firmino gets to the byline and fires a low cross that Benteke just can't manage to get on the end of. Then Ibe fires the shot from a tight angle hitting the post and then into the side netting and the chance is gone. There were at least three players awaiting the pass from Ibe but he again made the wrong decision. 

Last substitution of the day, Randall comes on for Alberto Moreno, who has put in a good, if unspectacular, shift today but received a standing ovation from the home fans for his performance plus his efforts on Thursday night.

Brannagan puts in a peach of a cross to pick out Benteke at the back post, but the striker can't put the big chance away as the headed effort harmlessly flies over the crossbar.  Final whistle goes with us getting a 2-0 win.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet: Flanagan, Skrtel, Lucas (capt), Moreno (Randall 89): Allen, Stewart: Ojo (Brannagan 78), Ibe, Coutinho (Firmino 61): Benteke.

Subs not used: Bogdon, Toure, Sturridge, Chirivella.

Goals: Allen 36, Firmino 76

Watford (4-4-2): Gomes: Cathcart, Prodl, Britos, Anya: Abdi (Amrabat 69), Suarez (Guedioura 52), Watson, Jurado (Bergheus 57): Ighalo, Deeney (capt).

Subs not used: Pantilimon, Nyom, Paredes, Ake.

Booked: Britos.

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 43,341 

Man of the match – Coutinho again folks !!!– 60 minutes for the little magician today but he was outstanding and should have capped his performance with a goal.

Sheyi Ojo has provided three assists in his four Premier League starts for Liverpool. What a great prospect!!!

Benteke led the line well and showed a great understanding with Coutinho whilst Coutinho was on the pitch and also provided an assist today for Joe Allen – just missed the chances that fell his way again !!!

Stewart had a more steadier game than his poor performance last week at Swansea and Brannagan came on and again didn’t look out of place at this level setting up a great late chance for Benteke.

Full Time Thoughts: Kind of a weird match, but it always was going to be after the madness on Thursday night. Eight changes to the squad? No problem. The cobbled together B-squad puts together a comprehensive performance, Watford on another day would have come away with at least a draw.

The result doesn't do much league-wise, as we remain in 8th place with the Saints surprisingly going to Spurs and winning earlier today.

Food for thought - If we hadn't thrown away two-goal leads at home against Sunderland, Newcastle & Southampton, we'd be level with City, with a game in hand.

More importantly no major setbacks injury wise going into the Chelsea game on Wednesday.