Watford vs Liverpool: Result and reaction from Premier League fixture
All the reaction from the extraordinary game at Vicarage Road
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Liverpool's unbeaten run of success in this season's Premier League was ended in unfathomable fashion on Saturday as struggling Watford hammered the European champions 3-0 at their ecstatic Vicarage Road stadium.
Ismaila Sarr inspired the extraordinary upset, stunning Liverpool with two goals in six second-half minutes before he set up captain Troy Deeney with a third for the team who had started the day one from bottom, 55 points behind the runaway leaders.
Liverpool's first league defeat of the season meant the end of their hopes of going the whole league campaign as unbeaten as the new 'Invincibles' after 44 league matches without a defeat.
It also came on the evening when they were expected to surpass champions Manchester City by creating a new English top-flight record of 19 successive league victories.
The setback will doubtless not stop Juergen Klopp's men going on to lift their first English title for 30 years as they still remain 22 points ahead of their nearest pursuers, yet their season's aura of domestic invincibility has now been demolished.
Liverpool had previously dropped only two points in the league this season -- their draw at Manchester United in October -- but from the start, Watford attacked them with unexpected vigour.
Watford had looked the more likely to break the deadlock in the first half with Gerard Deulofeu proving Liverpool's main tormentor before he was taken off by stretcher with a knee injury.
Yet it was only when Sarr struck twice just before the hour mark and then turned provider for Deeney to shoot home a third that the 'mission impossible' became a reality.
How to watch
Which TV channel is it on?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, and HD channels.
Can I stream the game online?
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the game via the Sky Sports website and the Sky Go app.
Virgil van Dijk has given his thoughts on Liverpool's first defeat in the league this season. He said:
"I think first of all credit to Watford. They deserved it, if you look over the game the chances they created, they stuck to their plan and obviously theu scored three goals. I dont think we created too many big opportunites so we take the credit to Watford away.
"We have to look at ourselves and we have to improve. It is a tough one to take but it's football.
"If you conceed three goals that's something we haven't had for quite a while so obviously we have to improve as a team and we will. It's very tough to take this one and the only positive thing might be that we have an FA Cup game in a couple of days so it is what it is.
"I think the last game was one set piece and one good goal.Today we should be better. If you look at the whole season I think we've been pretty good defensively, we have the most clean sheets in the league. We know there is room for improvement and we will. That's the good thing about our mentality. It's not acceptable that we lose 3-0.
"Losing hurts, the records are only for the media, we didn't mention it once. We'll keep going, we want to win the next game ahead of us, that's the FA Cup and then we have one at home. We want to strike back and do what we have been doing the whole season."
Watford's captain, Troy Deeney, scored his first goal against Liverpool today and rightly so he is buzzing about this win. He said:
"It's our best performance by a country mile. We've felt unlucky at times in the past few weeks. No-one give us a prayer or a hope for this one.
"Every single man was quality today. They're a proper outfit and they're going to go on to win not only the league but probably a lot more trophies - but we want to keep it about us not about Liverpool.
"We're realists, we know we're not technically as good as them. We know what position we're in and we're fighting for everything. We're just doing what we have to do, day in, day out. Results haven't gone for us but thankfully today was a great day for us."
Jurgen Klopp has given his opinion on what went wrong for Liverpool today:
"They did exactly what they wanted to do, we did not. That's how football works.
"The first half was a tough one, a lot of second balls, running here and there, we had the ball a lot but we didn't come in the right positions to cross, the right positions to finish, against a really good, organised side, with a top set-up for this game.
"You have to accept it, it's not so easy, but it's the proof we were not good enough tonight. It's always very difficult. We have to accept if after. In the game you have to fight. We were 3-0 down but we still tried, there were no silly situations where somebody got frustrated and tried to kick someone.
"If you win good, if you lose, try to do it in the right manner and do it like a man."
Nigel Pearson praises his team for getting their performance as close as possible to perfect:
"It's such an important win for us. But it is one win. Our season has been tough so far, with losing last week and not playing well, we were keen to get a response.
"They are such an outstanding side, we had to get our performance right - as close to max as possible - and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win. We threatened with the ball and defended with discipline, energy and commitment. That's been the message from day one.
"It's in our own hands, and we have to deliver that performance week in, week out."
Melissa Reddy takes you through the match that saw Liverpool’s unbeaten spell end at the feet of an inspired Ismaila Sarr:
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