Liverpool/Watford Preview: “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker.”
After a disappointing loss at Old Trafford, expect an energized Reds hungry for goals and driven to establish the start of a new winning streak.
- Expect Goals: Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino both scored 3 goals each against Watford. Mo Salah will also be looking for a goal–or three–considering he was denied goals in our last match.
- Watch Out: Watford’s Deeney and Doucoure (the club’s top scorer) are the two likely to have scoring opportunities. In addition, the team will be looking to get a win after their 3-0 loss at the Emirates.
- Who starts? Karius, Robertson, Van Dijk, Lovren, Alexander-Arnold, Can, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Firmino, Salah
- Prediction: 4-1
- Notes: While the inclusion of Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold could be wrong (Matip and Gomez wouldn’t be a stretch), I think all the Reds who were on the pitch last weekend are looking to prove themselves. It’s also fun to note that this was the game last season that featured Emre Can’s amazing bicycle kick.
No matter who takes the field, the team should be looking to bounce back from the previous performance. Liverpool has more at stake in 4th place to Watford’s somewhat comfortable 10th, however; with six games under new manager, Javi Gracia, and coming off a loss against Arsenal, Watford might look to make a point. He did have some nice things to say about us: “Their front three is one of the best combinations – I don’t know if it is the best in Europe or not, but they are not just about scoring goals. You must pay special attention to their movement and it will be a very demanding game for us.”
What can we hope for? A game with energy, goals, and hopefully, a few improvements on the week before.