Blog by dedlfc (David Douglas)
Pre match
During the week
prior to the game we had the sad news that Ings had picked up ligament
cartilage damage and was for the second season in a row going to have to sit
out the rest of the season. We all wish the unlucky player another speedy
recovery and hope he can really kick start his Liverpool career next season.
With Watford in a
rich vein of form unbeaten in four games, we expected a really tough test going
into this game.
Arsenal and Spurs
drawing earlier in the day meant that if we won our game we would go top of the
table going into the international break.
We had one enforced
change with Lucas coming in for Lovren who had a virus and we made one tactical
change bringing back in our reliable vice captain James Milner for the unreliable
and unpredictable left back Alberto Moreno.
We started the game
with our gen-press approach in full effect with Firmino and Lallana leading by
example as per usual.
Within the first
twenty minutes we had created at least four good chances with two of them
falling to the unlikely source of Lucas Leiva who hasn’t got a league goal in
182 league starts. The first chance was a glancing header by Lucas from a
Milner free kick and the second was a glorious chance for Lucas who can’t take
full advantage of it as a Coutinho corner falls to him at the back post but his
close range shot is blocked by Watford’s sprawling dive when it looked easier to
score.
After a succession
of missed chances including from Firmino and Coutinho we must have thought it
was going to be another one of them afternoons – but we put that to bed with
our next chance with a short corner by Milner to Coutinho allows our little
magician to dink an in-swinging cross into the area, which was met with a
brilliant glancing header by Mane to direct the ball into the far corner with
Watford keeper Gomes left with no chance 1-0.
With the deadlock
broken we quickly proceeded to make it 2-0 with our magician (who else!!)
involved again. An excellent slick passing move ends with the ball at Coutinho’s
feet on the edge of the area, he then does his customary shimmy into space and
drives the ball past Gomes who in diving seems to have picked up an injury and
can play no further part in the game.
Soon after we then
make it 3-0 with another speedy, sublime move resulting in Can heading home a gorgeous
Lallana cross from the right – that’s now two goals in two games for the German
international who is speculated to be due to sign an extended long contract
very soon.
Half-time analysis
The Reds are
leading 3-0 at halftime with decisive possession and chances coming just as easily
as the goals. Our boys have absolutely controlled the match so we can only hope
for much of the same. But my bigger wish would be for a clean sheet for only
the second time this season.
We’re back underway in much the same
fashion, Watford with absolutely no idea how to get back into this. We really
look like we could score any amount of goals in this game !!
Another assist from Lallana leads to
Firmino joining in the goalscoring party to make it 4-0 and tapping a little
one just across the line.
Henderson sends a perfect pass to
Firmino who darts into space and holds off the challenge of Capoue inside the
area and then crosses low for Mane to hook into the net from just inside the
six yard box to make it 5-0!
Mane is taken off to a standing
ovation with Wijnaldum coming on– he must be disappointed that he never stayed
on for the chance to complete his hat-trick, the way he has started this season
that day will surely come sooner rather than later.
Watford had absolutely come to play
today and have been cut to shreds as a result but they continue to try with a good
full stretch save by Karius keeping out Capoue’s curler through a crowd of
bodies followed by another smart save by Karius, this time thwarting Deeney as
he got his toe to a Watford cross. A third save by Karius was the best of the
three with the young keeper taking the sting out of a Capoue shot after he had
been put clean though on goal by Deeney, Milner producing the final clearance
away from our goal line.
Watford were not to be denied and
sadly again we had conceded a goal as Watford’s Janmaat slides a long range low
effort into the corner with Karius having no chance – Klopp and the fans were
not amused to concede another goal at 5-0 to make the score 5-1.
Substitute Daniel Sturridge then
attempted to smash the ball into the net from a tight angle but unluckily hit
the crossbar. Still looking for his first league goal of this campaign.
Sturridge seems determined to get his goal and proceeds to curl a shot into the
corner but Watford substitute keeper Pantilimon reads the flight of the shot
and saves well.
Another great move ends with Clyne
laying a great chance for Coutinho to make it six but he hits the ball way over
the bar and is then taken off to a standing ovation with league debutant Ovie
Ejaria coming onto replace him.
The unlucky Sturridge smacks the
crossbar again, this time with a first time curler from about 20 yards after a neat
one-two with Wijnaldum, Firmino’s follow up is save by the keeper’s legs.
Sturridge may not have got his goal
today but he can say he had a great part to play in number six. As it was his
great shot which the keeper parries for Wijnaldum to finally break his goal-scoring
duck as a LFC player to make it 6-1– hopefully that can now kick start his career.
What an emphatic win, a great
performance all round – only downside is the lack of being able to avoid
conceding goals.
The 6-1 win takes us to the top of the
league after 11 league games – still early days but lets enjoy being back at
the top of the perch!!
Man of the match – yet again our
little magician Coutinho – he has added consistency and regular goals to his
already excellent repertoire of skills and tricks.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Karius: Clyne, Lucas, Matip, Milner:
Henderson, Can, Lallana (Sturridge 70mins): Mane (Wijnaldum 63mins), Firmino,
Coutinho (Ejaria 86mins)
Subs not used: Mignolet (GK), Klavan, Moreno, Origi,
WATFORD (3-5-2): Gomes (Pantilimon 33mins): Janmaat,
Kaboul, Britos: Amrabat, Behrami (Watson 60mins), Capoue, Pereyra, Capoue,
Holebas: Igalho, Deeney
Subs not used: Mariappa, Guedioura, Zuniga, Sinclair, Kabasele
Goals – Mane (27), Coutinho (30), Mane (43)
Booked – Holebas, Britos, Wijnaldum
Attendance – 53,163
Referee – Michael Oliver
Special mentions:-
Milner – Came back into the side and produced a solid defensive
performance and supported the attack by providing width at every opportunity.
The fantastic four including Coutinho – (Firmino, Lallana, Mane) again
are destroying teams in the Premier League long may it continue, no one can
handle or pace, power and pressure and performances at the moment – lets keep
pushing every single week lads !!!
Karius – Had his first very good game but will still be disappointed to
concede a goal
Wijnaldum – Very pleased that he got his first goal for the club
Can – Delighted that he has made it two in two league games.
Sturridge – Looked a constant threat when he came on and so unlucky
today not to get his first league goal of the season – it will surely come very
soon !!!
Manager Jurgen Klopp’s view:-
“We
will stay cool. It’s the best position I can imagine but we didn’t speak
one word about possibility of going top before the game. We knew Arsenal draw
with Tottenham but we did not speak about it. The only thing you can do is
work and stay concentrated. A lot of things can happen in the next weeks and
months.
“There is no pressure
after 11 match days, absolutely no pressure. We saw Chelsea playing yesterday,
quite impressive. We saw Manchester City playing Barcelona, quite impressive.
Manchester United, never write them off. Tottenham are a very good side.
“I’m
not sure if I forgot anyone. You can have a good season and be fifth and I'm
sure no-one will be happy with that. Stay cool, take the things like they
are, play your best, win games, that's the only thing we can do. When I came
here I asked for time and patience and belief and after 11 match days
everyone's asking for guarantees and they are not there. The only thing we have
is a pretty good football team.”
Despite 30 goals in 11
games – the most the club has scored after 11 games during the Premier League
era – Klopp warned Liverpool will only maintain their momentum by striving
for more.
“They have to. I know how
it sounds. It’s not that we have to score more goals, of course not, but you
saw we lost a little bit of concentration at 5-0,” said Klopp.
“It is not often you have a situation to fight to win the
league. Of course you can do better but there is not much to criticise. We
scored more goals, that is OK, but we wasted a bit of energy by giving them
balls. We had to defend and Watford deserved the goal because they created a
few chances and Loris [Karius] was really busy, which in a game you win
6-1 is not really likely. A lot of things you can improve but a lot of things
work really well.”
“It as a good performance against a difficult opponent,” said
Klopp.
That is exactly how I expected our manager to react to keep
everything in perspective and let the lads know they just need to continue
doing the right things in the pitch every week and lets see how far it takes us
at the end of the season.
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