Watford vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
The Reds face the Hornets in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge to open this weekend’s Premier League action
With a deft touch, a roll of the ball with his studs, a dummy and then a sublime finish into the bottom corner, Mohamed Salah produced another goal-of-the-season contender to headline Liverpool’s 5-0 win at Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.
On a tough day for Claudio Ranieri in his first match as Watford manager, Salah delivered almost a replica of his stunning individual goal against Manchester City before the international break to show just why many are calling him the world’s best player on current form.
It also overshadowed a hat trick scored by Roberto Firmino.Salah’s 54th-minute solo goal started just inside the area where he was surrounded by three Watford players. Salah somehow managed to extricate himself out of the situation with marvellous footwork - including the foot-roll that was a feature of the goal against City - before cutting back onto his left foot and curling into the far corner.
The Egypt winger was mobbed by his teammates after his seventh league goal of the season. He has now scored in his last eight games for Liverpool in all competitions.Liverpool was already well clear by then after an eighth-minute opener by Sadio Mane — off Salah’s exquisite pass from off the outside of his left boot — and tap-ins either side of halftime by Firmino. The Brazil striker completed his hat trick with virtually the last kick of the game.
Mane become the 31st player to score 100 Premier League goals, and the third from Africa after Didier Drogba and Salah.Liverpool started the eighth round of games in second place, a point behind Chelsea.The 69-year-old Ranieri, who was hired last week as the replacement for Xisco Munoz, will be judged on games against weaker opponents than Liverpool but this was as one-sided a game as it.
Mane closing in on 100 goals
Sadio Mane needs just one goal to become the third African player to reach 100 in the Premier League, emulating Didier Drogba and team-mate Mo Salah.
Mane would also become just the third player to reach 100 Premier League goals without any of them coming from the penalty spot, after Les Ferdinand and Emile Heskey.
Unbeaten Reds
Liverpool remain the only unbeaten side left in the Premier League this season with four wins and three draws.
Their current run of 17 league games unbeaten spanning two seasons is the longest of any team in England’s top four divisions (12 wins, five draws).
Watford’s star man
Ismaila Sarr has scored four of Watford’s seven Premier League goals this season - including the last three.
The Ranieri touch
Claudio Ranieri is only the second non-British manager to take charge of four different Premier League clubs, emulating Rafael Benitez.
Ranieri has won four of his previous five home league games against Liverpool.
Leaky defence
Watford are currently on a run of 17 games without a clean sheet in the Premier League and they have failed to score a goal in any of their four league defeats this season.
Salah’s form a worry for Watford
Mo Salah makes his 200th start in all competitions for Liverpool and comes into the game in blistering form. He has scored in each of his last five league matches and his last seven games across all competitions for the Reds.
Never before has he scored in six or eight in a row respectively which would be a new record for the Egyptian.
Salah is the only Liverpool player ever to have scored a hat-trick against Watford, hitting four goals during a 5-0 victory at Anfield in March 2018.
Head-to-head - Watford vs Liverpool
This is the first Premier League meeting between Watford and Liverpool since February 2020 when Watford ended Liverpool’s club record 44-game unbeaten run with a 3-0 victory.
The Reds could lose consecutive league games against the Hornets for the first time if they suffer defeat today.
That said Watford’s victory last time the teams met was their first in nine matches against Liverpool. A run that dates back to December 2015 when they also beat the Reds 3-0.
Ranieri on Watford’s managerial rotation
Claudio Ranieri is back in the Premier League as he takes charge of Watford for the first time today. He spoke during the week about his new position and how he is aware of the rotation policy of Watford’s owners if managers do not live up to their standards.
Ranieri is the 14th boss during the Pozzo ownership, which is not even a decade old, and in his programme notes for today’s game he said:
"I have been asked about the club changing its coach a lot. To me, it is normal, if you do a good job you can be with one project a long time. But if you do not, you will not be there.
"I got sacked by Chelsea after finishing second behind Arsenal Invincibles and getting to a Champions League semi-final. This is football. So what."
Team changes - Watford vs Liverpool
Claudio Ranieri makes three changes to his first starting line-up since taking over from Xisco Munoz. Franciso Sierralta and Joshua King are injured and in recovery so in come Craig Cathcart and Cucho Hernandez. Ozan Tufan drops to the bench with Adam Masina slotting into the midfield.
Jurgen Klopp swaps out four players. Alisson Becker is quarantining in Madrid so Caoimhin Kelleher replaces him in goal. James Milner pushes up into midfield to replace the injured Curtis Jones with Trent Alexander-Arnold slotting back in at right-back. Fabinho is replaced with Naby Keita and up top Roberto Firmino is in for Diogo Jota.
Line-ups - Watford vs Liverpool
Watford XI: Foster; Femenia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Kucka, Sissoko; Sarr, Masina, Dennis; Hernandez
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Milner, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane
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