Liverpool recorded a comfortable 5-0 win against Watford to remain a point clear at the top of the Premier League. A brace from Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk either side of Divock Origi's second-half strike ensured the home side's dominance was reflected on the score board.
Story of the match
Nerves? What nerves?
This was night of overwhelming dominance from a Liverpool side supposedly crippled by the pressure of an ongoing title-race. Showing no ill-effects of the injury to Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane proved to be a suitable replacement as No.9, bagging a brace in the first-half before Divock Origi’s strike and a Virgil Van Dijk double confirmed the three points for Liverpool.
If urgency and drive were lacking against Manchester United at the weekend, they were in abundance here, led by the unparalleled energy of James Milner and attacking exuberance of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who returned at right-back. Positioning himself high up the pitch, the youngster offered a continuous avenue of attack for Jurgen Klopp’s side – an opportunity he made full use of inside the opening ten minutes.
Where James Milner lacked the killer ball against United, Trent delivered at the first time of asking, picking out Mane with a pinpoint cross. The Senegalese international rose unopposed, guiding in the header to open the score.
Indeed, it was a familiar story for the second after a mazy run from Mohamed Salah saw the 20-year-old deliver another stunning cross to deceive the Watford back-line. With time and space, Mane took Firmino’s ‘no-look’ finish to the next level, bouncing a backheel off the turf from twelve yards out to chip Ben Foster for his 14th Premier League goal of the campaign – his best return in a single campaign to date.
Divock Origi would bag a well-deserved third for Liverpool after the interval, cutting in from the left with a curling effort into the corner - just reward for a fine performance that showed why many place him higher in the pecking order than Daniel Sturridge before a brace from Virgil van Dijk put the gloss on a night where Klopp’s side returned to their fluent best.
This was a performance to shun the doubters, of which there have been many.
Takeaways from the match
As he has so often this season, Fabinho proved to be a crucial figure at the base of midfield, combating Watford's counter-attacking threat in the first-half while showing confidence to roam forward in support of the attack. The Brazilian, who endured a relatively slow start to his Anfield career, has now emerged as a pivotal member of Klopp's side, following a path of progression akin to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Robertson. Albeit a night where Liverpool's dominance meant they were rarely threatened, his reading of the game continues to impress and will no doubt prove to be pivotal in the games ahead.
A night involving several brilliant individual performances, James Milner was also a noticeable spark for Klopp's side, setting the tone of the evening with a relentless pressing performance. If you hadn't been aware of his age, you'd have thought it was a display of a man in his twenties at the very height of his career such was the 33-year-old's energy; any eyebrows that may have been raised over his inclusion in the side were emphatically put to bed.
Retaining their position at the top of the Premier League, this was the perfect response to the Old Trafford stalemate. Fruitful and fiery, Jurgen Klopp's side were back to their very best, serving a warning to those who continue to doubt their ability to go all the way.