Liverpool briefly claimed top spot in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, following their 2-0 win over Watford at Anfield.
Though not a sparkling performance, the Reds allowed their quality to shine through enough to pick up a vital three points, before Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City later restored their one point gap at the top. Diogo Jota opened the scoring with his 20th goal of the season, coming from a Joe Gomez cross, before Fabinho rounded off the victory with a late penalty.
Next up in the league for Liverpool is the potential title-decider against City at the Etihad on April 10. Here’s what the national media had to say as Liverpool kept the title race alive with their tenth consecutive win.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Rate the Liverpool players after the 2-0 home win over Watford
‘Psychological impact of another critical victory’
Chris Bascombe, The Telegraph
“When Liverpool trailed City by fourteen points last January, Jurgen Klopp would not entertain the possibility of his side returning to the top of the Premier League this season. Even as the Kop lauded the achievement of leapfrogging the champions with victory over Watford, there was recognition the stay might be temporary.
“That did not diminish the psychological impact of another critical victory, Liverpool seemingly timing their kick for home with the aplomb of Haile Gebrselassie. This was Liverpool’s tenth consecutive Premier League victory, and tenth consecutive home win in the league. That such a recovery has given them a 50-50 chance of the title rather than made the final eight games a formality is a tribute to the extraordinary level of both contenders.”
‘Turned up the title race pressure’
Carl Markham, The Independent
“Liverpool turned up the title race pressure on Manchester City as they went top of the Premier League table for the first time since September with a 2-0 win over Watford. Diogo Jota’s 20th goal of the season in the first half was followed by a late Fabinho penalty to send a message the short distance up the road to Turf Moor where City were about to kick-off against Burnley.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold, watching from the bench, could not have failed to be impressed not necessarily by the first goal – which has become quite commonplace now for Jota – but with the quality of the assist. His stand-in Joe Gomez, making only his second Premier League start of the season, produced a cross of which his England teammate would have been proud, whipped in to the near post in a space between centre half and right back.”
‘Ability to keep clean sheets has proven invaluable’
Dominic King, Daily Mail
“From the beginning of February, a look at Liverpool's goals against column would conjure images of an England batting collapse. On the first day of the second month, there was a yawning gap between first and second in the Premier League but since Liverpool ground out a 2-0 win over Leicester, the numbers they have produced defensively have enabled the gap to be bridged.
“The sequence — 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 — is the epitome of parsimony. Norwich's Milot Rashica, on February 19, is the only man to breach. We all get fixated with the attacking firepower Liverpool have but the ability to keep clean sheets has proven invaluable.”
‘A significant, if only temporary, moment’
Ian Doyle, Liverpool Echo
Never mind the quality, feel the points. At the start of a pivotal fortnight, Liverpool did what was required to ensure the Kop went home happy and Manchester City, at least for a little while, were eclipsed.
“Liverpool, Liverpool top of the league!” came the chant, followed by familiar strains of “We shall not be moved”, and of course, this season’s favourite, “The Reds have got no money”.
Having stood a mammoth 14 points adrift of City mid-January – albeit with two games in hand – that Jurgen Klopp’s side were able to move to the Premier League summit for the first time in six months was a significant, if only temporary, moment. Next Sunday’s meeting between the two front-runners at the Etihad, which could go some way towards determining the destination of the title, has been teed up perfectly.”
