Match Pack: Watford v Liverpool

• Watford v Liverpool
  
• Premier League
  
• Vicarage Road
  
• Saturday October 16, 12:30pm BST
  

Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistants: Marc Perry, Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: Tony Harrington
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann

Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the Premier League season, avoiding defeat in all of their seven games so far and occupying second place. The Reds are top of their UEFA Champions League group, and star player Mohamed Salah is the current league top scorer.

Jürgen Klopp's side have scored more goals than any other team in the top flight, with 17, but have drawn their last two Premier League games.

• This is the first Premier League meeting between Watford and Liverpool since February 2020, when the Hornets won 3-0 to end the Reds’ club record 44-game unbeaten league run, and their joint Premier League record 18-game winning streak.
• Liverpool’s 3-0 loss against Watford last time out ended an eight-game unbeaten league run against the Hornets (W7 D1) – they’ve never lost back-to-back league games against the Hertfordshire side before.
• Six of the seven Premier League meetings between Watford and Liverpool at Vicarage Road have seen at least one team score three goals, with Watford doing so on three occasions and Liverpool four (includes a 3-3 draw in August 2017).
• After losing six of seven Premier League games between February and March, Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 17 in the top flight (W12 D5). The Reds could also become the first ever English top-flight side to score 3+ goals in seven consecutive away games in all competitions.
• New Watford manager Claudio Ranieri has won four of his five Premier League home games against Liverpool, losing the other. The Italian has the highest home win rate against the Reds in Premier League history (80% - min. 5 meetings).

Recent arrival Nicolas Nkoulou won’t be available for selection against the Reds, with Head Coach Claudio Ranieri intimating in his pre-match press conference that the Cameroonian is about three weeks away from full fitness.

Francisco Sierralta is progressing well from the hamstring injury he sustained in the second half at Leeds last time out and it is hoped he will return to light training next week.

Christian Kabasele also injured his hamstring late on in the defeat at Elland Road and is in the first phase of his rehabilitation now.

Brazilian duo Fabinho and Alisson won't be available for Liverpool at Vicarage Road due to their match against Uruguay taking place on Friday.

England Under-21 midfielder Curtis Jones also won't play, he picked up an injury on international duty against Andorra. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota will be available following injuries, but midfielder Thiago is a doubt.

Claudio Ranieri, Watford Head Coach:

“We play against one of the best teams in the world. That’s okay! We are ready, I am ready and also my team is ready. It will be a battle, and we will battle.

“I have to prepare everything well. The first questions will be to ask the players how they are, how tired they are and if they have any knocks. After, I will think about the team.

“If we get a clean sheet a pizza is too little. I’ll pay for dinner!”

Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool Head Coach:

“[Ranieri] is a great manager obviously, worked all over the world. At his last club he was again really successful, reinvented himself again, which is absolutely great.

“I don’t think he will care too much about who he is playing in the first game, he is just busy with preparing the team and they will go for everything.

“The preparation was now obviously slightly different, we actually watched more situations of Sampdoria games than Watford games to prepare the Watford game because obviously Claudio has a specific way, how he is usually doing.

“But the main message for this game for us is we have to focus on ourselves – not only because we don’t know what the opponent is doing but as well because of that.”

Overall:

• Won: 6
  
• Drawn: 4
  
• Lost: 24
  

Last Six:
February 2020: Watford 3-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
December 2019: Liverpool 2-0 Watford (Premier League)
February 2019: Liverpool 5-0 Watford (Premier League)
November 2018: Watford 0-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
March 2018: Liverpool 5-0 Watford (Premier League)
August 2017: Watford 3-3 Liverpool (Premier League)

Watford supporters fondly remember playing Liverpool in 2015 when the Hornets beat the Reds 3-0, but the most recent meeting between the sides will stand out as the most memorable.