Andy Hunter changed into at Anfield, and his document has landed. Here it’s miles! Thanks for reading this MBM.
Jurgen Klopp’s turn. “Everyone wishes an evaluation of the game. I will now not deliver that, I am now not involved these days! We needed to get through this. Big praise to Watford and specifically to Roy, who we could bring returned when he is eighty and he’s going to installation and organist a crew in a in reality correct way. We could truly have finished higher however that is not too thrilling these days. We need maturity and choice, and the counter press became the nice I actually have seen for a long time. But with the ball we could have been extra creative. We had been on top of things and I become in reality satisfied approximately it.” As for Gomez’s shipping from the right wing? “Joey did well defensively but offensively as properly. We had some banter on the bench and I informed [Alexander-Arnold] that it was now not him, it’s simply the location that makes the crosses!”
Roy Hodgson speaks to BT. “There was a lot to appreciate within the overall performance. I’m a bit bit saddened via that VAR selection at the cease. There changed into no attraction from any Liverpool player for a penalty. Jurgen and I had no concept what they had been checking or what they had been doing, so I don’t think that’s what VAR is set. VAR’s achieved a few suitable matters this season, however it’s no longer about giving a group a second intention in the 88th minute. To a few volume it destroyed a sense that 1-zero became a excellent end result, and we would actually have created a chance in those final two minutes. So that’s the handiest sad note for me, but I’m very thrilled with the gamers’ overall performance. Today’s overall performance towards Liverpool offers me a few hope that we are able to ask Manchester City and Chelsea some questions as well, due to the fact there’s absolute confidence it wasn’t a walk inside the park for Liverpool.”
Diogo Jota, who scored the opener from Joe Gomez’s Trentesque cross, talks to BT Sport. “It changed into the start of a brand new cycle today. People have been coming from all over the international, and an early kick off is not easy, but we did our process. I told Joe before the game he changed into going to get an help! I changed into assured and happily for us it passed off.”
Gomez provides: “That’s the nature of the Premier League. No sport is going to be smooth, and that they put up a difficult fight. They’re organised and properly drilled, and it became tough until the quit. Jots stated that might occur before the sport, so he would possibly have spoke that into existence for me! We need to push each other every week. We ought to educate well and watch for our possibilities.”
Jurgen Klopp, more relieved than pleased, punches the air in the front of the Kop. That’s a massive end result with consequences at both ends of the desk. Liverpool move two points clear of Manchester City, who kick off in opposition to Burnley at 3pm. Down at the bottom, Watford remain inside the drop region, and feature now performed 3 video games greater than 17th-positioned Everton, though their resolute display nowadays ought to deliver them some wish for the the rest of their struggle.Table toppers: Jurgen Klopp celebrates victory with the Kop. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
2.23pm BST14:23FULL TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Watford
It turned into disturbing and not particularly pretty, however it’s 3 valuable points for Liverpool, who go top of the league for multiple hours at the least. Over to Manchester City.Happy supervisor: Juergen Klopp with the thumbs up. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
90 min +3: Jota dribbles down the center and movies toward Mane, simply within the field. Mane tries to spherical Foster, but doesn’t get enough on the ball and the keeper claims well. Three would were harsh on Watford, who have been staunch and will take coronary heart ahead of the rest in their relegation war.
ninety min +2: “Liverpool, Liverpool, pinnacle of the league,” sing the house lovers, ultimately locating their voice. For multiple hours at the least, besides. Manchester City could have an opportunity to cope with that state of affairs at Turf Moor in approximately 40 mins’ time.
90 min: Thiago comes on for Milner. There will be 4 added mins.
2.17pm BST14:17GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Watford (Fabinho 89 pen)
Anfield falls silent. Fabinho whips nervelessly into the pinnacle left. Never unsure! Foster had no danger by any means. It’s best a surprise that the internet remains connected to the body of the aim.Fabinho scores their 2nd purpose from the penalty spot. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
2.16pm BST14:16Penalty to Liverpool!
88 min: Yep. Kucka is punished for his idiocy. Why in the world did he assume he could get away with that?!say what you spot: The large screens show the information that a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) evaluate has provided Liverpool with a overdue penalty. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
87 min: The referee is going over to the display. This will clearly take delivery of.
86 min: A nook ends in a game of pinball inside the Watford container. Thiago has a shot however doesn’t connect well. Kucka rubgy-tackles Jota at the a ways submit! Now then, is that allowed? VAR goes to take a look!
eighty four min: Firmino twice has the ball at his ft on the threshold of the Watford box. The first time he attempts to launch Mane to his proper. A dismal pass places paid to that. Then quickly after, he shapes to shoot, feints, then ultimately has a move, by using which time Kabasele is on the scene to block. Some negative decision making by means of Firmino there.
eighty two min: Henderson lumps a idea-free ball down the middle to nobody. As Foster claims, Firmino waves his palms up and down, encouraging his group-mates to play it cool. Nerves are a-jangling all right.
eighty one min: A lengthy pass for Mane down the right. He attempts to whip a move in, however can’t get his foot around the ball. Into the Kop it flies.
seventy nine min: Dennis is robbed via Thiago out on the Liverpool left. The ball’s shuttled down the flank to Jota, who rolls inner for Mane. A scuffed shot spins harmlessly extensive right. Liverpool simply can’t find a nerve-settling second, and Anfield is on facet as a result. Can Watford do Manchester City a big favour?
78 min: Watford make a triple exchange. Dennis, King and Cleverley come on for Hernandez, Pedro and Louza.
76 min: Gomez cuts in from the right and curls a delicious ball closer to Robertson, romping in from the other flank. Robertson rolls throughout the face of aim, hoping to find Firmino for the faucet-in, however Foster reads the threat nicely. Gomez’s transport from the proper has been outstanding nowadays. Alexander-Arnold would had been pleased with some of his crosses.
74 min: The sport suddenly becomes an cease-to-stop affair. Hernandez latches onto a bad Gomez bypass and breaks down the inner left. Liverpool swarm him. Jota then counters the counter, dribbling at tempo down the center, a one- with Mane on the brink of the box simplest just failing to come back off. That’s got the gang going.
seventy three min: Mane crosses from the right, forcing any other nook that comes to nothing.
72 min: Firmino wins a nook down the left. A quick surge of noise, however it involves not anything. The annoying home fans so determined for a 2nd goal that might calm the nerves.
71 min: James additionally had an album referred to as One Man Clapping. It’s that quiet right now.
sixty nine min: Salah, shaking his head unfortunately, departs. Mane comes directly to update him. The crowd serenade the Egypt worldwide with a sympathetic reading of his James track.
68 min: Liverpool continue to probe. Watford keep to preserve their shape.
sixty six min: Salah competes for an aimless floated bypass and sends a vulnerable header over the bar. On the bench, Mane pulls up his socks. He’s approaching.Mohamed Salah replaced through Sadio Mane . Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
sixty four min: Liverpool stroke it approximately to little impact. Anfield, demanding and sullen, isn’t exactly the sonic cauldron Klopp asked.
62 min: Fabinho comes on for Jones, who has a sore foot. “The popular consensus is that Man City have the advanced strength extensive, and that possibly is real,” starts Matt Dony. “But Liverpool’s bench nowadays is, frankly, quite wonderful. When changed into the closing time they’d a bench that sturdy for a league fit?”