New Head Coach Claudio Ranieri is taking charge of his first game in front of the Watford faithful this Saturday, against a dangerous second-placed Liverpool in what promises to be an epic encounter.
Ahead of the important Premier League fixture, we take a unique look at the key statistics and history that covers both the Reds and the Hornets.
Making A Mark
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 loss against Watford last time out ended an eight-game unbeaten league run against the Hornets. The Reds have never lost back-to-back league games against the Hertfordshire side before.
Italian Charm
Ranieri has won four of his five Premier League home games against Liverpool. The Italian has the highest home win rate against the Reds in Premier League history.
However, the last four managers to face Liverpool in their first game in charge of a club in the top flight have all lost. This list includes Manuel Pellegrini, Daniel Farke, Nigel Pearson (at Watford) and Marcelo Bielsa.
The last manager to beat Liverpool in their first game in charge was Craig Shakespeare, who was Ranieri’s successor at Leicester City in 2017.
Ranieri has managed 225 Premier League games while the man in the opposite dugout, Jürgen Klopp, has managed 227 matches in the English top flight.
Goals Galore
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.
Liverpool have scored every goal this season, other than two, inside the box. Whereas, each of the Hornets’ strikes have come from within 18 yards.
Red Hot Form
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has eight goals in his six Premier League appearances against Watford, including his first ever goal for the red half of Merseyside in August 2017.
Ismaïla Sarr was directly involved in all three of Watford’s goals against Liverpool when they won 3-0 in February 2020, scoring two and providing an assist.
Sadio Mane has been directly involved in nine goals in seven Premier League games against Watford for Liverpool. His total of four assists against the Hornets is more than he’s registered versus any other PL side.
After losing six of seven Premier League games between February and March, Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 17 in the top flight. This is currently the longest unbeaten run in the top four tiers of English league football.
Only Salah has more shots on target than Sarr in the Premier League. Emmanuel Dennis is also in the top 10 for strikes on target.
To add to this, Watford currently have the joint second-highest dribble success rate in the Premier League.
