Reds go top as Watford are put to the sword

It has been an arduous journey in the two years since a draw at Crystal Palace put Liverpool a point clear of Manchester City in May 2014. That was when Dwight Gayle ended Brendan Rodgers’s title hopes in a notorious 3-3 draw.

Only one player, Lucas Leiva, started that night and began in the side that put Liverpool back, temporarily at least, on their perch. So much has changed, as underlined by the compelling, destructive nature of this 6-1 win.

This feels like unchartered territory for Liverpool in the Premier League era.

They have had a few title challenges in the last 26 years – three, maybe four at a stretch – but none similar to what is emerging this season; none that carried such credibility and authority in early November; none that possessed a side of such panache and fluency.

The most recent bids that materialised in 2014 and 2009 evolved, a surge in the second half of a season offering hope in spring. In those campaigns they were chasing down superior teams before falling short. There was a sense of surprise more than belief. This feels different. It is different. Very different.

Suddenly, there is a prospect of Liverpool not only being front-runners, but the side their rivals fear most. The Watford manager, Walter Mazzarri, declared Liverpool the best team they have faced so far – a significant compliment given his side has already played Arsenal and Chelsea.

Arsenal’s draw with Spurs presented the opportunity, but that made what followed for Liverpool more of a test. The pressure will only intensify as the expectations swell, so the response should not be underestimated.

Given the chance to go top going into the international break, Liverpool brutalised Watford, scoring three before half-time, and threatening far more before Sadio Mané headed Jürgen Klopp’s side ahead on 27 minutes. That they had to settle for six was actually a travesty given the chances created.

They have now scored 30 goals in their 11 games, which is more than any previous Liverpool side at this stage of a Premier League season. To give that some perspective, Kenny Dalglish’s league title winning side of 1988, which many regard the most lethal attacking unit in Anfield history, had scored only one more after 11 games.

Klopp’s team has scored at least four in five of their fixtures so far, and most impressively look as though they are capable of doing so before half-time when they are in full stride.

Philippe Coutinho and Emre Can ensured the points were secure before the interval on this occasion. If it was not for Heurelho Gomes, forced off injured just after the half-hour having worked overtime in the Watford goal to repel the assaults, the game would have been over within 20 minutes. But for his replacement Costel Pantilimon the hosts would have had 10 by full-time.

Liverpool were fitter, faster, stronger. The visitors had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Thrillingly for the Kop this is becoming a trend, and even after Roberto Firmino, Lucas, Coutinho and James Milner had missed easy chances there was a belief and patience the breakthrough would come.

It duly arrived thanks to a cleverly worked set-piece, Coutinho and Milner exchanging passes from a corner before Mané glanced the Brazilian’s cross beyond Gomes. Do not underestimate the aerial strengths of this side as much their fleetfootedness, particularly with Firmino and Mané terrorising centre-halves.

Coutinho may have benefited from Gomes’s discomfort when he added the second three minutes later, his powerful shot from the edge of the area was central enough to expect a fit keeper to make the save.

By the time Can headed the third just before the interval, Liverpool’s move to the top was a formality. Firmino tapped in the fourth after a Adam Lallana cross on 57 minutes. Watford were praying for time, but the clock was no salvation.

Firmino fed Mané for the fifth on the hour as the visitors were seemingly ripped open at will.

To their credit, Watford did improve in the later stages, forcing keeper Loris Karius into action before Daryl Janmaat ensured a Liverpool clean sheet remains rarity.

If there remains one seed of doubt it is the lapses of concentration in defence, but to hear Klopp stating without a hint of irony that his side “could have played better when winning 5-0” summed up where Liverpool are it.

Their drop in standard was brief and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum scored his first goal for the club in injury-time.

A year ago Klopp was chastising his own fans for leaving the stadium too soon. You would not want to miss a second of what this enthralling side might do next. They may not win the title, but they are going to part of the argument for the foreseeable future. “Liverpool top of the league,” sang the Kop.

It felt much better than last time. In fact, for those who have been waiting too long for a side capable of ending what will soon be a 27-year wait it felt as good as at any time since they last won this darn thing.

Source: Telegraph

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.