Watford caused a enormous upset after turning into the first team to beat Liverpool inside the Premier League this season with Ismaila Sarr’s second-half of double supporting to condemn the league leaders to a stunning 3-zero loss at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Sarr nipped in to interrupt the deadlock after 54 mins, earlier than then racing thru to double the Hornets’ lead six minutes later.
With 18 mins left to play, Watford captain Troy Deeney rounded off an great 18-minute spell with the aid of taking gain of but greater gradual protecting from the site visitors to add a 3rd.
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Nigel Pearson’s facet circulate out of the relegation zone way to a primary league win when you consider that January 12, while Liverpool continue to be 22 points in advance of Manchester City, albeit having now performed a recreation more than the champions, after seeing their 44-recreation unbeaten league run come to an end in extraordinary style.
Watford: Foster (7), Femenia (7), Masina (7), Cathcart (8), Kabasele (7), Hughes (8), Capoue (7), Doucoure (8), Sarr (9), Deulofeu (8), Deeney (8)
Subs: Chalobah (6), Pussetto (6), Pereyra (7)
Liverpool: Alisson (6), Alexander-Arnold (6), Robertson (6), Lovren (four), Van Dijk (6), Fabinho (6), Wijnaldum (6), Oxlade-Chamberlain (6), Mane (6), Salah (6), Firmino (6)
Subs: Minamino (6), Lallana (6), Origi (6)
Man of the suit: Ismaila SarrHow Watford stunned Liverpool
Liverpool arrived in Hertfordshire wanting simply four greater wins to claim a first top-flight identify in 30 years, not which you would have recognised it from the hole 45 mins.
The traffic produced a unusually laboured and disjointed display earlier than the ruin as Watford – who started out the suit a big fifty five points at the back of the league leaders – harried them into distraction.
The quit of Liverpool’s file-breaking runs
Liverpool misplaced inside the league for the first time for the reason that taking place 2-1 at Man City in Jan 2019, forty four fits ago
Liverpool’s 0-3 loss became the largest margin of defeat for a facet beginning the day top of the Premier League considering November 2015 (Man City 1-four Liverpool)
Liverpool did not score in a Premier League recreation for the first time because March 2019 (zero-0 v Everton), finishing a run of scoring in 36 consecutive league games
Liverpool have fallen in the back of in both of their closing two league games, having now not trailed in any of the preceding 15 before this
Liverpool have conceded 2+ desires in consecutive Premier League video games for the primary time when you consider that December 2016 conceding as many goals of their last league games (5) as they had of their previous 14
Liverpool had just one shot on track in a Premier League sport for the first time given that February 2019 in a goalless draw in opposition to Manchester United (1)
The returning Dejan Lovren – in for injured centre-back Joe Gomez for his first league begin considering the fact that December 7 – mainly regarded rusty at the coronary heart of the again-line in the first half, with Watford unfortunate not to be in advance at half-time.
Gerard Deulofeu curled one early attempt inches over the bar, while minutes later Abdoulaye Doucoure had his close-range effort crucially blocked via Virgil van Dijk as the home crew seemed to get after their warring parties.
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It became Deulofeu who became inflicting Liverpool’s defence maximum problems, that is until the Spanish forward came off worse after a conflict with Van Dijk just beyond the half-hour mark that resulted within the influential player being stretchered off.
Image:Mohamed Salah reacts after Liverpool cross 2-zero down at Vicarage Road
Watford got here desperately near taking the lead in first-half stoppage time after a scramble in the box noticed Alisson spill the ball directly at the feet of Deeney, best for the Brazilian to make amends through reacting smartly to then block the striker’s close-variety effort.
Those first-half of misses had been no longer to rely, however, as Watford continued their dominance after the c program languageperiod, deservedly commencing the scoring 9 mins into the second 1/2.
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Lovren allowed an extended throw to bop within the box without realising Doucoure become in the back of him, with the midfielder then squaring for Sarr to convert from near variety and the ahead soon had a second.
Watford made two changes from the 3-0 loss at Man Utd last weekend, with Ismaila Sarr and Kiko Femenia starting in place of the benched Craig Dawson and Roberto Pereyra.
Meanwhile, Liverpool additionally made alterations from the facet that beat West Ham three-2 on Monday, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming in for the injured Naby Keita (hip) in midfield,even as Dejan Lovren changed the injured Joe Gomez at the back.
Again there can be query marks over the Liverpool defence as Sarr latched on to Deeney’s skip and raced smooth through on aim, earlier than maintaining his cool to dink the ball over the advancing Alisson.
It was becoming that it changed into Deeney who introduced the icing at the cake after seventy two mins as Sarr intercepted Trent Alexander-Arnold’s again skip, before squaring for his skipper to chip the ball into the unguarded net.
Image:Deeney celebrates his intention with Doucoure and SarrMore stats – Watford, Sarr, Pearson
- Watford are the primary aspect to beat Liverpool within the Premier League due to the fact Manchester City in January 2019, ending the joint-longest winning streak (18) and the second one longest unbeaten run (44) in English pinnacle-flight history
- Watford’s victory over Liverpool nowadays was the most important over a aspect starting the day pinnacle of the top-flight table by a crew inside the relegation zone due to the fact that Leicester beat Manchester United three-zero on November twenty third 1985
- Watford secured their first pinnacle-flight victory in opposition to a side starting the day pinnacle of the table for the reason that final day of the 1982-eighty three season, also beating Liverpool that day (2-1)
- Watford’s Ismaila Sarr is the primary participant to score a Premier League brace against Liverpool considering that Marcus Rashford did so for Manchester United in March 2018.
- Watford boss Nigel Pearson is the first English manager to win a Premier League recreation against Liverpool considering Sam Allardyce did so with Crystal Palace in April 2017.
Man of the Match – Ismaila Sarr
Image:Sarr celebrates his opening purpose for Watford
The forward struggled to start with to make an impact after becoming a member of Watford from Rennes in a club-report deal closing summer, that is until Pearson took over at Vicarage Road.
The new manager seems to have instilled Sarr with a brand new belief and confidence, as become seen along with his dynamic performance towards Liverpool on Saturday night time.
The Senegal worldwide first of all showed his nose for a aim after poaching the hosts’ crucial opener early within the 2d half, earlier than then displaying exceptional pace and a groovy head to net his 2nd minutes later.
And the 22-yr-antique then completed an extremely good night’s work by means of laying Watford’s 0.33 aim on a plate for Deeney.What the managers stated…
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Nigel Pearson says his players were wonderful of their three-zero win over Liverpool however says his aspect must produce like that every week to break out the relegation scrap.
Nigel Pearson: “In the context of our season, it is a without a doubt crucial three factors. We knew that we’d have to be at our satisfactory today and I think we had been. Especially after ultimate week (during 3-zero defeat to Manchester United) wherein we struggled to discover any cohesion closing week. So, these days to get better in the manner we have, I suppose is terrific for us. To beat probable the excellent club facet within the world in the meanwhile – well, now not possibly, they may be, is testomony to how we played. So, it’s very satisfying.
“”It’s just one recreation. We’ve were given 10 video games left and they’re all going to be important. We’ve got to attempt to emulate what we’ve completed today in terms of performance. But, I’m genuinely pleased with the gamers and they need to be proud of ways they have got coped with a hard scenario. We’ve had some weeks where we’ve now not performed, or the consequences aren’t what we want.”
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Liverpool supervisor Jurgen Klopp admits he did now not see the 3-zero defeat against Watford coming and says his aspect had been actually now not properly sufficient.
Jurgen Klopp: “We have been not desirable sufficient, simple as that,” he advised Sky Sports. “Watford did exactly what they desired to do, we didn’t do precisely what we have to have performed.
“First 1/2 turned into a variety of strolling, a lot of 2d balls, a variety of open conditions, however we had more of the ball, but failed to move at the right second, did not skip on the right second because the positioning become not adore it have to have been.