Quique Sanchez Flores’ side made headlines once again this weekend as they thumped a hapless Liverpool side that just did not show up at the Vicarage Road on Sunday. A brace from Ighalo after a 3rd minute howler from Bogdan that gave the home side the lead saw them run 3-0 winners on the night. This victory sees Watford move to within a point of the top four leaving Liverpool in the 9th position.
Klopp’s team were embarrassed on the night as they could not deal with the attacking threat of Watford right from the start. Following the game, Klopp said Liverpool players had lost their mind and deserved to lose. The result was an apt summary of the performance of both teams. Here are the player ratings for this game.
Watford:
Gomes (3):
Was hardly tested by the Liverpool as he was comfortable for most of the game and dominated his box.
A Nyom (3):
Was targeted by Liverpool down the flank but stuck to his task well and saw off the attacking threat of Liverpool.
M Britos (2.5):
Was at times caught out by Origi but generally stuck to his task to keep Liverpool out.
C Cathcart (3):
Did tremendously well to shut Liverpool down and was at the heart of a fairly impressive defensive performance from the home side.
N Ake (3.5):
Pounced on to a mistake from Bogdan to open the scoring and also made some invaluable contributions at both ends of the pitch.
Jurado (3):
Stuck to his task pretty well as he kept the ball rolling for the hosts and also did some good jib with his back to the goal.
A Abdi (3):
Tracked back the likes of Moreno all night long and kept his quite as he saw off a clean sheet for his side.
B Watson (3):
Superb dead ball delivery and some sumptuous through balls were the name of the game for Watson on the night.
E Capoue (3.5):
Frustrated Liverpool all night as he sat in front of the defense and broke up play to set his team on the counters.
T Deeney (3):
A tireless performance as he kept the Liverpool defense on their toes. Also provided the ball for Ighalo’s first goal.
O Ighalo (4):
A superb night for the striker as he added two more to his impressive goal scoring record. He now has scored in 4 consecutive games and is in hot form.
SUBS:
I Anya (2.5)
V Behrami (3)
Liverpool:
A Bogdan (2):
Came into the side for the injured Mignolet and did no favors to his place as he gifted the first goal with a horrendous mistake. Was also shaky for most of the game.
A Moreno (2.5):
Was found wanting a number of times in defense and was also not impressive with his passing and crossing in the final third.
M Skrtel (2.5):
Had a tough afternoon with all the strength of Ighalo and Deeney. Picked up a knock and was substituted in the first half.
M Sakho (2):
A comeback to forget for Sakho as he looked off color and put his team under pressure several times with his passing.
N Clyne (2.5):
Failed to impose himself up front but also disappointing defensively as he was easily beaten by Ake several times.
A Lallana (2):
Could not keep possession of the ball in dangerous areas as he lacked any kind of incisiveness in the final third.
J Henderson (2.5):
Tried to make things happen but was still off color and needed to do a lot more to get his team back into the game.
E Can (3):
One of the bright spots for the Reds, Can, was bright in the mid-field and also provided a great hand in defense when his team was under pressure.
P Coutinho (2.5):
Played some delightful balls for his team mates but those moments were too inconsistent to have any effect on the Watford defense.
Lucas (2.5):
Was alert defensively as he had to slot into Skrtel’s place at the back after he picked an injury.
R Firmino (1.5):
A mere spectator for most of the game, the Brazilian is fast losing his goodwill among the fans and will have to put in a better performance when he gets a chance the next time.
SUBS:
D Origi (3):
Came in for Martin Skrtel and provided his team with a focal point that allowed them to press forward in the second half.
C Benteke (2.5)
J Ibe (2.5)