Hello, and welcome to our liveblog.
Today looks a fascinating encounter, with Watford battling relegation and Liverpool aiming to take a step closer to the Premier League title.
Liverpool need just four more victories from 11 league games to be certain of Premier League glory.
Per the BBC, beating Watford will equal the longest winning run (19 matches) set by any side in the big five leagues. Bayern Munich currently hold the record, having achieved the feat between October 2013 and March 2014.
Watford are without a win in their last five Premier League fixtures, and will be desperate for a victory, as they currently sit second from bottom in the table.
Confirmation of today’s teams…
📋 #WATLIV team news.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 29, 2020
Joe Gomez (precaution due to a minor fitness concern) and Naby Keita (sore hip) both out. https://t.co/Ho7mXKo7bf
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) February 29, 2020
Two changes from last weekend.
➡️ Femenía & Sarr
⬅️ Dawson & Pereyra#WATLIV pic.twitter.com/4vhG5kg0Hx
We’re underway…
Not too much has happened so far.
Gerard Deulofeu has just fizzed a shot wide from distance.
Half chance for Watford! Deulofeu is afforded too much space by Alexander-Arnold and curls a shot just wide from the edge of the area.
The hosts have made a bright start.
Deulofeu’s had a lot of joy down the left.
He crosses low for Abdoulaye Doucouré, whose shot is deflected out for a corner, as Watford continue to cause problems to the Liverpool defence.
A Liverpool corner is only half cleared.
Oxlade-Chamberlain then picks out Salah with a clever lofted pass, but the Egyptian’s effort from a very tight angle can only find the side netting.
It feels like I’ve writing this quite a bit this season just before they secure an inevitable win, but it’s been far-from-vintage performance by Liverpool so far.
The visitors appear sluggish, offering little in attack, while occasionally looking vulnerable on the counter.
Bad news for Watford. Gerard Deulofeu, who has been his side’s most threatening attacker, is being stretchered off.
Virgil van Dijk simply shouldered him to the ground, in what looked an innocuous challenge, but he appears to have landed awkwardly and damaged his knee.
Argentine international Roberto Pereyra comes on in the Spaniard’s place.
Ismaïla Sarr sprints away from Fabinho, before an audacious attempt from distance goes well over.
Watford have found themselves in some very promising positions, but have been too wasteful when opportunities arise.
Could this poor run of form end this evening?
8 - Watford are winless in their last eight Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D1 L7), losing each of the last four by an aggregate score of 0-15. Underdogs. #WATLIV pic.twitter.com/c3hGj3Suie
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 29, 2020
We’re playing five minutes of first-half stoppage time, largely on account of that Gerard Deulofeu injury and the time it took him to get off the field.
Crazy moment in the Liverpool box!
Alisson fails to collect an innocuous-seeming Hughes header into the area, and the Brazilian has to then stop Deeney from converting the rebound from close range.
In the build-up, it also looked as if Lovren was holding onto Deeney in the area, but the referee ignores appeals for a penalty.
HALF-TIME: WATFORD 0-0 LIVERPOOL
2 - This was only the second time in 172 Premier League games under Jürgen Klopp that Liverpool have had only one shot in the first half, after January 2017 v Chelsea at Anfield. Restricted. pic.twitter.com/cp7l0MOqR9
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 29, 2020
Half-time and it’s been a disappointing performance from a Liverpool perspective.
Watford have been the superior side so far. Their opponents have rarely threatened, while Nigel Pearson’s men have had a few half-decent chances.
It hasn’t been a great game, in truth, with a lack of goalmouth action at either end.
Liverpool, though, will still feel confident of prevailing without being at their best — the reason they are in the position they are in is due, in no small part, to their sheer ruthlessness in capitalising on opponents’ errors, while often not needing to get out of second gear in games.
The second half has begun…
Big chance at the beginning of the half! Hughes slips through Sarr, whose powerful first-time shot is tipped over by Alisson.
The attacker will feel he could have done better with that finish, and you get the sense that Watford may ultimately rue these misses.
WATFORD 1-0 LIVERPOOL (SARR 54)
Watford take the lead and you can’t say it’s undeserved.
Doucouré latches on to a long throw, skipping past Van Dijk.
Sarr is then in the right place to convert his team-mate’s low cross, sending the home fans crazy in the process.
Watford lead. Could be a Sarrprise here. I’ll get my coat.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 29, 2020
WATFORD 2-0 LIVERPOOL (SARR 60)
Sarr does it again! Deeney plays an incisive through ball, and the Senegal international is too quick for the Liverpool defence, before finishing calmly, scooping it over a helpless Alisson.
Could Liverpool’s long unbeaten run finally be about to come to an end?
Incredible stuff! Hughes have a great chance, but his shot is unwittingly blocked on the line by the man of the moment, Sarr.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have responded to going two behind with two attacking changes in fairly quick succession. Origi and Lallana are on, while Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wijnaldum are off.
As I type, Kabasele’s header falls to Lallana on the edge of the area, and his spectacular half-volley cracks off the post.
Liverpool have 20 minutes to preserve their unbeaten run.
They’re really throwing bodies forward, but Watford have looked comfortable enough so far.
WATFORD 3-0 LIVERPOOL (DEENEY 73)
That’s surely the unbeaten run over now.
Alexander-Arnold’s attempted backpass goes straight to Sarr.
Alisson comes out of his goal. The attacker then unselfishly lays it to Deeney on the edge of the area, who shows good composure to side-foot it home with aplomb.
Incredible! Sarr passes up a glorious opportunity for the hat-trick. He’s played through by Capoue, but one-on-one with Alisson, he side-foots it narrowly wide.
It’s his last action of the game, as he goes off looking a little disappointed, with Pussetto coming on in his place.
Liverpool, who continue to look ineffectual in attack, make a final change.
Minamino is on in place of Firmino, who’s been very quiet (as Mané and Salah have also been).
Watford make a final change.
Doucouré, who has worked tirelessly, goes off to loud cheers, with Chalobah taking his place.
There will be four minutes of stoppage time.
The expected late rally from Liverpool has failed to come to fruition.
Watford fans singing "can we play you every week?". It's been quite an evening
— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) February 29, 2020
FULL-TIME: WATFORD 3-0 LIVERPOOL
44 - Liverpool have lost a Premier League game for the first time since January 2019, ending their 44-game unbeaten run in the competition. Stunned. pic.twitter.com/Wvj5Uesuf7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 29, 2020
Well that’s that. Liverpool’s miraculous unbeaten run has finally come to an end.
They did have some good fortune along the way, but that was absent tonight.
Watford even survived after the first-half injury loss of Gerard Deulofeu, who had been their best player up to that point.
The Hornets rarely looked like conceding against their jaded opponents, and were well worth the three points in the end.
Ismaïla Sarr was the star man, but he was complemented by a fine team performance.
The win takes Watford out of the relegation zone on goal difference, and you would have to fancy them to survive on the back of such an outstanding display.
Right, that’s all for now from me.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
You can read our match report here, and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
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