“City already killed one of the questions?” Jürgen Klopp jokingly asked as he entered the press room. Kevin De Bruyne’s early goal at Burnley threatened Liverpool’s place on the Premier League summit before Klopp had completed media duties, but his joy and confidence remained intact. As it should, having trailed the reigning champions by 14 points less than three months ago.
Liverpool’s relentlessness, more than the form that eventually overcame an obstinate Watford side, will trouble Pep Guardiola before next Sunday’s pivotal meeting between the title contenders at the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool were far from their fluid, creative best against a relegation-threatened opponent but that was an irrelevance alongside a 10th successive league win that took them briefly above their title rivals.
Diogo Jota struck once again and Fabinho converted a late penalty, awarded after VAR’s intervention, as Liverpool recorded a 10th consecutive home league win. They were strong rather than stylish against an awkward opponent, clinical more than creative with Mohamed Salah quiet on his return from an arduous international break, but they got the job done yet again to make it a remarkable 160 victories from 250 league games under Klopp.
The early kick-off could not dampen the heightened expectation inside Anfield as Liverpool looked to increase the pressure on City. But Watford would make life difficult. Their three clean sheets in the league this season have all come on Roy Hodgson’s watch and with his trusted assistant Ray Lewington alongside him the former Liverpool manager oversaw a typically well-drilled defensive display. The visitors possessed a clear threat, too, on the break and from set-pieces and performed with a composure that belied their lowly league position of 18th.
Ismaïla Sarr had the game’s first opportunity when played through by Christian Kabasele’s clearance out of defence. His half-volley dipped over Alisson but also over the Liverpool goalkeeper’s crossbar. Cucho Hernández had another decent chance for Watford when connecting with Imran Louza’s corner to the near post. His glancing header was straight into Alisson’s hands.
Their best chance of the first half fell to Juraj Kucka, who started and finished an incisive counterattack that involved João Pedro sweeping forward before releasing the midfielder clear on the left. Kucka, adjudged onside by the assistant referee (VAR may have ruled otherwise), drilled low towards the far corner only for Alisson to again intervene. It proved a key save, for 34 seconds later Liverpool were ahead.
They had struggled to disturb Watford’s compact, protected back four – despite the polished distribution of Thiago Alcãntara – until Jordan Henderson found Joe Gomez galloping into space on the right. Gomez was deputising at right-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who returned to the bench after a rapid recovery from a hamstring injury, and did so perfectly with a superb first-time cross his England colleague would have been proud to call his own.
Gomez’s delivery behind the Watford back-line created uncertainty among Ben Foster and Kiko Femenía. The full-back failed to track Jota’s run across goal while the goalkeeper flew out fists-first but failed to connect. Jota, keeping his eye on the ball and not on the keeper flying towards him, bravely flicked home his 20th goal in all competitions this season.
He almost made it 21 before half-time when Andy Robertson’s shot cannoned off Joël Matip and into the path of the unmarked Portugal international. Foster, standing tall, blocked the striker’s drive with his chest.
Liverpool’s breakthrough did not spread panic through the visiting ranks or upset their effective gameplan. The impressive Kabasele produced a superb clearing header to prevent Jota connecting with another inviting Gomez cross soon after the restart. Virgil van Dijk and Jota headed over from a Curtis Jones corner and a Henderson free-kick respectively.
Watford, however, created a glorious chance to equalise when Sarr escaped down the left and turned a perfectly weighted pass inside to Pedro. The unmarked striker had only Alisson to beat, and the entire goal to aim for, but stroked a poor finish wide of the far post.
Victory was secured in the final seconds when VAR advised Stuart Attwell to check a possible penalty after Samir had cleared a Henderson corner. There was no possible about it. Kucka clearly hauled Jota to the ground as the corner was taken and Attwell needed only a brief check of the pitch-side monitor before awarding a spot-kick.
Substitute Fabinho swept the penalty into the top corner and Liverpool onwards.
