Liverpool 2-0 Watford: Hosts go top of the Premier League for a couple of hours as Fabinho's late penalty and Diogo Jota's first-half header settle a nervy afternoon against Watford at Anfield... before City respond with a win of their own
- Liverpool struggled to get on top of Watford before taking the lead through a Diogo Jota header in a 2-0 win
- The Reds though rarely looked like adding to their advantage until winning a penalty two minutes from time
- Juraj Kucka was ruled to have brought down Diogo Jota after a VAR check, before Fabinho slotted home
- Liverpool's tenth Premier League win in a row took them top of the table before Man City beat Burnley
It was an illusion which survived no much more than 45 minutes, by which time Manchester City had taken the lead at Burnley. Nevertheless, in the battle of mind games which characterise the best title duels, it remained a significant moment nonetheless. Liverpool, briefly, were top of the table.
'We shall not, we shall not be moved,' chanted The Kop and the fact that they were very shortly after they sung that did not mean that their confidence was over played. Momentum is everything in title run-ins and Liverpool undoubtedly have it. Roll on next Sunday and the Etihad title showdown between the two leading teams.
At the end, Jurgen Klopp did his celebration thing, fist clenched, in front of The Kop, milking the applause and leading the roars. 'It was nothing to do with being top of the league,' said Klopp, wearing his big grin. 'I didn't think about that. But we can't give an inch. To keep in the title race we have to win our games. The next game is a big one, we can't hide from that.'
Liverpool players and supporters celebrate after Fabinho (No 3) helped secure a 2-0 Premier League victory over Watford
Fabinho superbly blasted his spot-kick into the top corner beyond Watford keeper Ben Foster with just a minute to play
Liverpool have now won ten Premier League games in a row and the result took them above Man City for a few hours
No-one really dreamed of this back in mid January when Liverpool were 14 points behind City. So, they had games in hand but such has been the relentless domination of Liverpool and Manchester City these past five years, that it was hard to conceive Pep Guardiola's team could concede such a lead.
This is the era of 100 points being normalised, a period of Premier League history where winning ten consecutive Premier League games, as Liverpool have done since the turn of the year, seems almost unremarkable. City, by contrast, have disintegrated. By which, these days, we mean that they drew at Southampton and Palace and lost to Tottenham.
Klopp can be tetchy at times, a winner's winner who can snap under pressure. But here he was all smiles and uber cool. He exudes calm as the most intense weeks of the season loom large. 'I really appreciate the situation we're in,' he said by way of explanation.
Diogo Jota opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 22nd minute after heading home a Joe Gomez cross in front of Foster
Liverpool players congratulate the forward (second left) on his header but Liverpool failed to kick on after the goal
'I said to the boys on Friday, the first time we are all together, if someone had told us in the summer that we in early April in the situation we are in, in all the competitions, won one trophy and have a full squad available…we all would have taken it. Absolutely.
'I just feel like this. It's not like I pretend to be in the mood. I cannot change it. Hopefully the boys will see it similar. It's not managing the situation or the pressure. If they see the situation as pressure, not sure I can change that. If they see it as an opportunity, that's the right way to do it. We created a basis which we could use but nobody knows. The only better situation would be if we were 20 points ahead of City but that's not possible and that's why it's all fine like it is. As I said before, we're not favourites in any of the competitions we are in but who cares? We will try.'
This wasn't especially convincing. It was very much a case of feel the result, never mind the performance. 'No doubt about that,' agreed Klopp. 'I didn't expect for one second we would be flying today.' It was scrappy at times. Liverpool needed some luck and Alisson Becker at his best. Juraj Kucka will look back on his 19th minute chance, just a minute before Liverpool's winner, and wince. Of course, Alisson was marvellous, spreading himself to parry the shot, but clean through on goal, Kucka shouldn't really have given him the chance to be a hero.
Joe Gomez came into the Liverpool side at right-back and impressed as he leaps a challenge from Watford's Hassane Kamara
Juraj Kucka missed an excellent chance to fire Watford into the lead just 34 seconds before Jota's opening goal for Liverpool
Despite the comfortable looking 2-0 result, Jurgen Klopp's side appeared to labour towards victory over strugglers Watford
Similarly, Joao Pedro will be rueful that when put through with a perfect cut back from Ismaila Sarr, who himself had been released by the excellent Cucho Hernandez, he got his body shape all wrong and shot wide when presented with a clear opportunity to score. Watford didn't look relegation fodder. And to be honest Liverpool didn't look like the best team in Europe.
Indeed, only when Kucka rugby tackled Diogo Jota from a corner, to conceded the most pointless penalty imaginable given the flight of the ball was never going to reach the Portuguese, and Fabinho confidently converted the penalty on 89 minutes, did Liverpool look truly secure.
International week, with all the ups and downs it entails, took its toll. Here was Mo Salah, crestfallen midweek after missing a penalty that meant Egypt aren't at the World Cup being replaced by Sadio Mane, whose own penalty in the same match ensured Senegal will. 12.30 kicks off don't help. The Kop tried to respond to Jurgen Klopp's exhortation to bring the noise, but this felt flat.
In a quiet game, Mohamed Salah headed over the crossbar for the Reds following his return from international service
Salah struggled to show his best form though as he was replaced during the second half by fellow forward Sadio Mane
And Watford were good. Cucho's header at the near post on 13 minutes an early sign that this would likely be a tense afternoon. The Kucka chance, which came from a superb Pedro through ball, which caught Liverpool's defence utterly square
And then, Liverpool, stepped in gear for a moment, Henderson who finding Joe Gomez, who was filling in for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back. The cross he produced on 20 minutes was worthy of Alexander-Arnold, a superb strike directly on to the head of the leaping Jota. Indeed, Gomez continued in much the same way for the erst of the afternoon, excellent in his role.
Otherwise, Thiago was authoritative, Virgil Van Dijk solid yet Watford were a persistent thorn in the side while Liverpool were laboured at time. And yet they won. Sometimes you get over the line, move on to the next game and don't over-think the quality of the performance. This was one of those days. And sometimes, when the title is in your hands and the champagne is flowing, you reflect that these are the most significant days of all.
Klopp greets the Egyptian star as he trudges off the pitch on an afternoon where he made very little impact in front of goal
With his side having temporarily gone top of the table, Klopp sportingly hugs Watford boss Roy Hodgson post-match
RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENED FROM ANFIELD...
Here is Sportsmail's live blog for updates on the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Watford.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9zcG9ydC9saXZlL2FydGljbGUtMTA2NzUzOTEvTGl2ZXJwb29sLXZzLVdhdGZvcmQtUHJlbWllci1MZWFndWUtMjAyMS0yMi1MaXZlLVJlc3VsdC5odG1s0gEA?oc=5
2022-04-02 17:26:34Z
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar