Liverpool v Watford predictions: Reds to reel off tenth successive league win

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Liverpool v Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Liverpool to win & under 4.5 goals
1pt 7-10 Coral, Ladbrokes

Team news

Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold has trained as he recovers from a thigh injury but Naby Keita will need to be assessed.

Watford
Nicolas Nkoulou has not featured since November but could make the squad.

Match preview

Liverpool might have preferred to avoid an early Saturday afternoon kick-off after the international break but their Premier League title charge can continue with a fairly routine success over relegation-threatened Watford.

The match time isn't ideal Liverpool but could not have asked for a much better fixture to ease themselves back into the fray.

Watford were worthy 2-1 winners at Southampton in their last outing, which was 20 days ago, but they are three points from safety and look on course for relegation.

The Hornets are 7-2 to stay up and 20-1 to secure their first Anfield victory since 1999, when Tommy Mooney's goal secured a 1-0 success.

A more relevant source of inspiration for Watford would be their 3-0 win at home to Liverpool in February 2020, when Ismaila Sarr bagged two of the goals.

Sarr has missed a large chunk of this season due to injuries and Africa Cup of Nations duty, but he returned from his latest layoff to play a full part in Senegal's World Cup playoff success over Egypt.

Sarr and Liverpool's Sadio Mane were among the successful Senegalese penalty-takers on Tuesday as the Lions of Teranga advanced to the finals with a shootout success.

And Watford will hope for a few more moments of magic from their attacking talisman, who started the season impressively, scoring five goals in the opening 12 league games.

However, if Watford are to gather the points needed to survive they are far more likely to get them from their remaining home games which include fixtures against fellow strugglers Leeds, Brentford, Burnley and Everton.

Anything they achieve at Anfield would be a massive bonus and Roy Hodgson is sure to have one eye on ensuring the team's goal difference of -26 doesn't get too much worse.

From a Liverpool perspective the three points are all that matter.

They have handed out some hammerings, including a 5-0 triumph at Watford in October, but in recent times their progress has been based on solid defence.

Since Liverpool's 6-0 victory over Leeds in late February, they have scored just eight goals in seven matches and their attacking options could be reduced against Watford with Trent Alexander-Arnold far from certain to start as he works his way back from a thigh strain.

Alexander-Arnold has had some training involvement this week and his 11 Premier League assists put him top of the charts.

Jurgen Klopp can still call on Andy Robertson, who has contributed ten league assists, and has the ridiculous luxury of choosing a front three from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

However, Watford have shown a more stubborn side under Hodgson, keeping three clean sheets in nine, and, while a point will almost certainly be beyond them, they might avoid being utterly routed.

Key stat

Liverpool have won 14 of their last 16 games. Thirteen of those wins have featured fewer than five goals.

Inside info

Liverpool

Penalty taker Mohamed Salah
Free-kick wizard Mohamed Salah
Set-piece aerial threat Virgil Van Dijk
Card magnet Fabinho

Watford

Penalty taker Joshua King/Ismaila Sarr
Free-kick wizardJuraj Kucka/Ismaila Sarr
Set-piece aerial threatSamir
Card magnetEmmanuel Dennis

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