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The relentless run-in begins right here, 13 days after Liverpool final took to the sphere and a Watford facet battling for his or her survival within the top-flight awaits at Anfield.
Liverpool vs. Watford
Premier League (30) | Anfield
Saturday, April 2, 2022 | 12.30pm (BST)
The worldwide break is over, ultimately, and now the season kicks into overdrive and it begins with Watford and an opportunity to, not less than briefly, transfer to the highest of the Premier League desk.
Liverpool meets a facet combating for his or her security beneath Roy Hodgson and an extra nail of their coffin will transfer the Reds one step nearer to their goal in certainly one of three competitions remaining.
Listed below are 10 issues to know forward of the Hornets’ go to.
1. Watford woes
It’s been removed from a great return to the Premier League for Watford, with 22 factors after 29 video games seeing them occupy 18th place with relegation looming giant.
With Hodgson on the helm, they’ve now had three managers oversee the membership this season alone after he changed Claudio Ranieri and the previous Leicester boss took over from Xisco Munoz.
A win at Southampton earlier than the worldwide break injected a dose of hope after one level in 4 video games previous to their journey to the south coast, however Liverpool is one other problem all in itself.
2. Hornets happier on the street
Whereas it’s been removed from an gratifying season, Liverpool will pay attention to Watford‘s document on the street – with the Hornets having fun with their greatest outcomes away from Vicarage Highway.
Of the 22 factors they’ve collected, 15 of these have come on the street – an away document that’s bested by solely 11 groups within the Premier League.
Whereas a listing together with Southampton, Man United, Aston Villa, Burnley, Newcastle, Everton and Norwich just isn’t a formidable one, it acts as a warning as Liverpool can’t afford to be complacent.
3. Potential Watford XI
“Each time you play a workforce like Liverpool away from house you already know the chances are stacked in opposition to you,” Hodgson mentioned in his pre-match press convention.
However with nothing to lose because the factors are assumed to be heading in a single path, Watford pose as one other opponent to be cautious of.
Jeremy Ngakia and defender Nicolas Nkoulou are set to be out there for Hodgson and there may also should be a call remodeled Ismaila Sarr after he returned from harm for Senegal throughout the break.
However after their success in opposition to the Saints final day trip, it may very well be that just one change is made with the return of Sarr, who Liverpool have been beforehand linked with.
Doable Watford XI: Foster; Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara; Louza, Sissoko, Kucka; Hernandez, Sarr, Dennis
4. Any Reds to overlook out?
Amazingly, Klopp has practically a full squad at his beck and name with solely Naby Keita having a query mark over his capacity to partake in full coaching on Friday.
He’s the one potential absentee from the squad as a result of harm as Trent Alexander-Arnold is match to coach along with his teammates on the eve of the conflict.
Whereas his possibilities to face Watford a “tight,” there’s nonetheless a slight risk after making a full restoration from his hamstring harm.
It’s a big enhance with Liverpool now capable of weigh up what’s greatest for the brief and medium-term, with the supervisor not missing any choices because the relentless run-in will get underway.
5. How may Liverpool lineup?
With solely actual doubts over Keita’s possibilities, Klopp has choices aplenty and might want to weigh up whether or not it’s the time to pick out Alexander-Arnold or look forward to the journey to Benfica.
It’s probably he opts for the latter, that means Joe Gomez may get a useful run out, albeit at right-back, whereas Andy Robertson is match to return after lacking the Reds’ final recreation as a result of Covid.
The supervisor did counsel he’s after “recent” legs following the worldwide break and that might give Roberto Firmino one other outing, with Thiago additionally primed to play a key position in midfield.
Predicted Reds XI: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Firmino
6. Early chook will get the worm
The Reds have performed three video games within the early 12.30pm Saturday kickoff this season, in opposition to Brighton, Burnley and Watford – all of which have resulted in a victory for Klopp’s facet.
Including to that, the Reds haven’t conceded in that point both, having amassed an mixture rating of 9-0, with the reverse fixture in opposition to the Hornets answerable for 5 of these objectives.
We’ll undoubtedly take a 4 from 4 for an additional optimistic begin to the weekend!
7. Shout and sing, or keep at house!
Talking in his pre-match press convention, Klopp urged supporters to make it one of the best environment ever within the early Saturday kick-off, with a easy however robust message:
“What we want for this recreation is one of the best 12.30pm environment ever.
“Not nervous, not no matter, not like this tense you can’t breathe.
“If you happen to can not shout and sing or no matter, keep at house and provides your ticket to anyone else, please. Actually, we want you with all we have now.
“The boys got here again from all around the world, performed fully totally different methods once more, we have now this one session right now the place we will remind them of what we truly do, as a result of with their nationwide groups they clearly do it fully totally different.
“After which we go in opposition to a really well-organised Watford workforce. We want every voice for that.”
8. Do you know?
With followers inside Anfield, Liverpool haven’t been on the shedding facet of their final 73 top-flight matches – if something exemplified the facility of Anfield…
The final time a crowd witnessed a league defeat on house soil was again in April 2017, in opposition to Crystal Palace in a 2-1 loss.
It echoes the significance of the followers that Klopp urged to be at their greatest, along with his facet needing each device of their arsenal to verify there’s extra tangible success come Could.
9. Attwell at Anfield…
Stuart Attwell is to officiate at Anfield this weekend and he’s not been in need of controversy when it entails the Reds.
From awarding a penalty in opposition to Liverpool at Brighton final season to overlooking a transparent purple card within the VAR sales space for the problem on Diaz on the Amex solely weeks in the past, he’s not a fan favorite.
That is his fourth Liverpool recreation because the referee this season following on from the journey to Brentford, the go to of Aston Villa and the League Cup ultimate in opposition to Chelsea.
Lets hope it’s not his efficiency we’re speaking about after the 90 minutes…
10. Up early for BT
You could find Liverpool vs. Watford dwell on BT Sport 1 from 11.30am (BST), with kickoff following at 12.30pm.
However, as ever, it’s also possible to comply with together with This Is Anfield’s matchday dwell weblog from 11.45am, with Henry Jackson to take you thru the motion with some unapologetically biased commentary!
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