Klopp's men produce attacking masterclass to sting Hornets

"I notice that lots of people are singing nice songs about us at the moment," Klopp wrote. "I mean those on the outside looking in, who talk about us and what might be possible or not. What is not allowed is that we lose focus or think beyond the next obstacle."

Klopp will continue to be pragmatic, to preach that no targets will be discussed but you sense he is becoming an increasingly lone voice. After the latest dazzling afternoon of their goal-filled campaign, Liverpool have charged to the top of the Premier League. Their potential is there for all to see.

Watford arrived on Merseyside unbeaten in four matches, having not conceded a goal for 298 minutes. They had climbed up to seventh on the back of being difficult to beat, with head coach Walter Mazzarri making them a solid unit.

None of that made a difference here. Liverpool were magnificent, a collaboration of Red shirts swarming forward and spreading chaos as they went. They scored six and might have doubled that tally had they not been so careless with their finishing in the first 20 minutes.

It was as emphatic an answer to those who questioned whether they were ready to take the opportunity presented to them. With Manchester City and Arsenal only drawing their games this weekend and Chelsea having flattened Everton, Liverpool knew they would be under scrutiny.

But such are the levels of confidence with which Klopp has imbued them, there was never any suggestion Liverpool would fluff their lines, particularly with the attacking trident of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino being so potent.

Between them, starting with Mane’s glancing header from Coutinho’s 27th minute cross, they scored four and in the process moved their combined total since for the season now stands at 16. Is there a better front three in the Premier League at present? No.

What makes them so difficult to contain is their unpredictability. None of them have a set position, each have a licence to drift into the areas they can cause damage. Watford’s defenders had no idea where they were going to go from one minute to the next so how could they contain them?

And to think there were some natives in the crowd who were anxious about the way Liverpool had started; there were groans within the opening 20 minutes after Firmino, Lucas Leiva and Coutinho had all squandered acceptable opportunities.

Some early misplaced passes may have owed to nerves given what was at stake but the hosts soon hit their stride.

They should have been ahead as early as the 16th minute when Coutinho's deep corner made its way through to Lucas, with the converted centre-back firing at Heurelho Gomes when one-on-one.

The Hornets had another let off moments later when Coutinho stepped inside Janmaat and fired into the side netting in what would serve as a warning that the Dutchman would not heed later in the half.

The deadlock was broken in the 27th minute as another Reds corner provided a chance, Coutinho this time going short before flighting in a cross which Mane reached ahead of Janmaat to steer a flicked header beyond Gomes.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Coutinho's first touch once again opened up a chance that he would take. Klopp's side went from right to left and when Firmino fed Coutinho, the Brazilian side-stepped Janmaat and drilled an attempt between Younes Kaboul's legs and past Gomes.

The Hornets keeper injured himself in trying to make the save so Costel Pantilimon came on to try and stop the rout that was unfolding.

Even at six foot, eight inches the goalkeeper could only watch as Adam Lallana's 43rd-minute cross was nodded in by Can, one of four Liverpool players in the box awaiting the delivery.

The second half followed a similar pattern as Liverpool increased their lead and the fourth goal again stemmed from a set piece.

Coutinho's free-kick came to Jordan Henderson out on the left and he played in Lallana to cross for Firmino, who was left with the simple task of applying the finish in front of goal.

Four-nil soon became five thanks to some brilliant work from Firmino. He chased down Henderson's pass into the box and beat Jose Holebas to the ball, then held it up long enough to spot Mane's run, with the Senegalese the grateful recipient of an assist threaded between two defenders.

Mane and Lallana made way with the job done, though a clean sheet eluded Loris Karius as Janmaat provided silver lining to the Hornets' rotten afternoon.

Karius had twice thwarted Etienne Capoue, the second a terrific one-on-one save, but he was beaten by Janmaat's left-footed drive into the corner after Nordin Amrabat had rolled past James Milner.

The gloss was put on the afternoon when Georginio Wijnaldum scored for the first time since his £25million move from Newcastle, firing in from close range after Sturridge had been thwarted once more.

Klopp, soon after, will have noticed again that nice songs were being sung about his team, with the Kop bursting into a rendition of “Liverpool! Top of the League!”. How long will they stay there? On this evidence, they won’t be relinquishing that spot any time soon.

Source: MailOnline

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