Liverpool Crush Watford But Still Concede A Goal

Liverpool came into their match with Watford expecting three points.  The last time that was the case, the Reds got blanked in a rather depressing match against Burnley early in the year.

Though the match opened up closely, you didn't get the feeling that this would end the same way.  Watford was focusing on defending, but there just seemed to be too much space for the Reds to not get goals.

The chances came, but from odd spots.  The visitors almost got the first score of the game when a challenge in the midfield blasted a ball toward the Liverpool goal.  It wasn't overly close in the end, but it was enough to put a small lump in Loris Karius' throat.

For Liverpool, it was central defender Lucas with two chances.  He has not scored in six goals, but was unlucky to not find one early in the first half.  Still, the team would not be held off the sheet for long.

Sadio Mane scored in the 27th minute with a fantastic flick from the corner.  Coutinho made the wise choice to go short on the corner to Milner.  The Brazilian got it back at a better angle and flung it into the box where Mane lunged toward it and just let it glance off his forehead.

Not even a full three minutes later, in the 30th minute, Coutinho finally got his own goal.  Slicing through two defenders, he tucked it into the lower right side with power.  It was a fitting finish to make up for the one he had just flashed wide minutes earlier.

It had seemed like Liverpool took their foot off the gas, but this offense can strike like lightning.  In the 43rd minute, they got the ball up field with only a few touches.  Adam Lallana served the ball in and Emre Can headed it back to where it came from, leaving the new goalkeeper absolutely nothing to do but stand there.

Liverpool were capable of being up by five or so.  Nevertheless, being up by three and keeping Watford off the board for 45 minutes was a very good start.

LFC came out with the same kind of energy in the second half, but it looked a bit too easy.  They looked like a team that was more interested in setting up something fancy or getting goals for those that didn't have them yet instead of taking the game by the throat.

That didn't keep them from scoring though.  Some lax defending from Watford in the 57th minute allowed a cross to find a wide open Firmino.  His goal made it 4-0.  That wouldn't hold for long.

The Reds pushed numbers forward after a giveaway in midfield, fresh off a poor clearance by Watford.  Firmino bullied his way onto the ball into the box on the right.  He then slipped a deft pass to Mane, who put it to sleep with all the care of a new parent.  That made it 5-0 just before stroke of the 61st minute.

Unfortunately, despite all the goal scoring, the Reds could not keep the defense compact.  Liverpool got loose at the back following a couple subs, though the subs had nothing to do with it as players.  Karius made some great saves to keep the clean sheet until the 75th minute.

Then, the defending became too poor and Janmat was all alone in the area.  He bent it around the keeper and gave Watford its first goal of the game, keeping Liverpool's streak of not having clean sheets alive and well.

We have long known that Liverpool does not have the best defending in the league.  It is a very makeshift unit, trying to do its best on most nights.  Still, it is disappointing for the team to have played so well and then lose that extra little cherry of the clean sheet when Watford had not pressured until those late moments.

Liverpool were very unlucky to not return the margin of victory back to five earlier than they did.  The team kept trying to set up Daniel Sturridge, but the home ground woodwoork was not kind.  He did pick up an assist on Georginio Wijnaldum's score in the 91st minute, which at least got him off the goose egg in a red shirt.

In the end, it was a fantastic win, but the clean sheet gone spoiled it just a little.  You can't be too disappointed with that fact though because Liverpool took advantage of other team's slipups.  The Reds are atop the table for the first time in what feels like forever.

It is only by a point, but to see Liverpool on top alone feels pretty good.

Random Thoughts:
- I like Ian Darke as a broadcaster very much.  He might have been a little too colorful with his description of Joel Matip though.  As a broadcaster myself, I'm not sure I'd describe the lanky defender as slim and elegant.

- Say what you want about his demeanor or ability to stay healthy, but you have to feel for Sturridge.  He should have had two goals and maybe more, but was denied by the posts twice and the goalkeeper just as many times.

- The shutout aspect probably isn't as important to some.  As a goalkeeper, these were the games that were frustrating because there was no reason the chances should have even come.

- Nothing to do with the game, but how in the world did Danny Ings get hurt?  He hasn't played in forever and then suffers a knee injury that will knock him out?  Injuries happen, but to lose almost all or all of a season due to a training injury seems excessive.

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