Prediction: Liverpool vs Watford



Verdict: Home win + both teams to score

Best Odds: 19/10

Bookmaker: William Hill

Having remained level on points with Man City and Arsenal thanks to the win over Crystal Palace, Liverpool will be hoping to further improve their league position by defeating Watford at Anfield. That will be no easy task considering that the Hornets are again enjoying a successful season and are unbeaten in last four.

Liverpool

While Jurgen Klopp failed to take Liverpool to Europe in his first season in charge, the “failure” has now proved to be a blessing in disguise, as there have been no European distractions for the Reds this term, which has clearly benefited the team’s Premier League form. While other title rivals have had some difficult European fixtures in midweek, Liverpool players would usually have a full week to prepare for league matches and that is definitely one of the reasons behind their excellent run of results. The arrival of Loris Karius and Joel Matip has helped improve the back line, but it is the attacking trio of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane that has made all the difference. Even though they can be ruthless up front, the three players are more than happy to do the dirty work when needed, and that is something that separates the Reds from other title contenders. The somewhat poor defensive record is no problem now that the team are bagging goals for fun, with eight wins in last nine competitive matches the perfect proof. After the 4-2 hammering of Crystal Palace, Liverpool could face a tougher task against rock-solid Watford, who haven’t conceded in last three matches, but chances are the Hornets will not be able to extend the excellent defensive run.

Team News

Jurgen Klopp received some bad news this week as striker Danny Ings was ruled out for the season through a knee injury, but at least there have been no other setbacks.



Watford

Watford have really flourished under the guidance of the Pozzo family and they appear on the road to establish themselves as a genuine top table side. Last season’s 13th-placed finish was definitely a step in the right direction, but the Hornets seem ready to surpass the achievement this term as they are showing no signs of slowing down. Former Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri has done really well since succeeding Quique Sanchez Flores, and his 3-5-2 formation appears to suit the players perfectly. While the Hornets were involved in some highly entertaining games during the opening exchanges, they have recently showed improvement at the back, keeping three successive clean sheets, although the record must have something to do with the fact that they only faced relegation-threatened sides during said period. The Hornets will now relish the opportunity to take advantage of the spaces attack-minded Liverpool will be leaving behind, so we fully expect to witness a high-scoring affair at Anfield. It has to be noted that Watford only lost one away fixture this season (W2 D2), scoring 6 goals in the process.

Team News

Important defender Sebastian Prodl is expected to miss out through a muscle injury, while Stefano Okaka is doubtful with a hamstring strain.

Meanwhile, the likes of Kenedy, Isaac Success, Brice Dja Djedje and Craig Catchart remain in the treatment room.

Key Factors to Consider

• Both teams scored in 8 of Liverpool’s 10 league fixtures this term
• Both teams scored in 7 of Watford’s 11 matches this season
• The Reds on six of last seven meetings with Watford
• They won last three games vs Watford at Anfield without conceding
• Liverpool’s last three matches produced 12 goals

Conclusion

With Watford likely to be without Sebastian Prodl, they cannot be trusted to keep a clean sheet at Anfield, but we can see them scoring at least one goal. Nonetheless, the Reds should be able to emerge victorious in the end, meaning that home win + both teams to score looks a good bet here.

Verdict: Home win + both teams to score

Best Odds: 19/10

Bookmaker: William Hill