Watford vs Liverpool prediction: How will Premier League match play out today?
Liverpool's unbeaten run of success in this season's Premier League was ended in unfathomable fashion on Saturday as struggling Watford hammered the European champions 3-0 at their ecstatic Vicarage Road stadium.
Ismaila Sarr inspired the extraordinary upset, stunning Liverpool with two goals in six second-half minutes before he set up captain Troy Deeney with a third for the team who had started the day one from bottom, 55 points behind the runaway leaders.
Liverpool's first league defeat of the season meant the end of their hopes of going the whole league campaign as unbeaten as the new 'Invincibles' after 44 league matches without a defeat.
It also came on the evening when they were expected to surpass champions Manchester City by creating a new English top-flight record of 19 successive league victories.
The setback will doubtless not stop Juergen Klopp's men going on to lift their first English title for 30 years as they still remain 22 points ahead of their nearest pursuers, yet their season's aura of domestic invincibility has now been demolished.
Liverpool had previously dropped only two points in the league this season -- their draw at Manchester United in October -- but from the start, Watford attacked them with unexpected vigour.
Watford had looked the more likely to break the deadlock in the first half with Gerard Deulofeu proving Liverpool's main tormentor before he was taken off by stretcher with a knee injury.
Yet it was only when Sarr struck twice just before the hour mark and then turned provider for Deeney to shoot home a third that the 'mission impossible' became a reality.
The team news will be confirmed at around 4.30pm but here's what we know so far:
Ismaila Sarr looks set to start for Nigel Pearson's Watford after returning from injury against Manchester United last week.
Right-back Daryl Janmaat returned to training earlier this week but isn't expected to play.
For Liverpool, James Milner is absent again as he continues to recover from a slight muscle problem. He is expected to be back for Liverpool's FA Cup tie with Chelsea on Tuesday.
Also out are Jordan Henderson and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Liverpool are only 12-points away from securing the Premier League title and they'll see today's game as a great chance to pick up three of them.
Watford haven't won since January 12th and picked up just two points in five league games since. Liverpool remain unbeaten in the league this season only dropping points in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United back in October 2019.
Watford make two changes from the team that started against Manchester United last time out. Femenía and Sarr come into the starting line-up with Dawson and Pereyra dropping out.
There are two changes for the league leaders as well. Lovren starts at centre-back as Gomez is ruled out due to a fitness issue. Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Keita who has a sore hip.
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, is expecting a 'tough and very physical' game when his side face Watford at Vicarage Road later today but he says his side will be prepared for it:
"We have to be 100% ready for these fights. That's what I love about my boys, when it's not clicking they don't lose desire, it is the other way.
"It will be tough and very physical - they'll show how much it means for them, we have to make sure we show what it means for us."
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have some great memories against Watford. Under Klopp, they've scored more goals against the Hornets than versus any other side, 27 in nine games.
Watford, for their part, have lost a club record 19 top-flight games to Liverpool who are unbeaten in the last eight meetings between the sides.
The four most recent matches have seen Liverpool rack up an aggregate score of 15-0. We could be in for some goals today.
The Hornets are desperately in need of some points. They won four of their first six matches under Nigel Pearson but haven't won in five games and keepm dropping down the table.
In their last six matches that have scored just five goals and have conceded nine times in their last four matches.
If Liverpool defeat Watford today they will set the record for the most consecutive wins in the top-flight with 19 and they'll remain undefeated in the league this season.
Nigel Pearson on Watford setting their own agenda and saving their season:
"We have got our own agenda and that is to save our own season. If the players can prove they are capable of playing against the best side in the country - I think that's the motivation the players need.
"We have to win games for our own season - not to change history for another club. It's about our season, our circumstances.
"If you go into games writing them off because you are playing against a top side, you limit your opportunities to pick up points. We have to go out there and give it our best. If we are at our best, and they are not, then who knows."
The teams head out of the tunnel and onto the pitch for the pre-match handshakes. Troy Deeney leading out Watford with Virgil van Dijk captaining Liverpool as Jordan Henderson remains injured.
3 mins: Firmino squeezes into the box with the ball and tries to find Oxlade-Chamberlain with a short pass. The Ox just about gets to the ball before he's closed down and Watford can clear it away.
6 mins: van Dijk fires a cross field ball out to Alexander-Arnold who plays it back into the centre of the pitch. Liverpool are slowly pushing their way further and further up the pitch as Watford drop back to defend.
Oxlade-Chamberlain makes a run into the box and Alexander-Arnold finds him with a ball over the top. The Ox is closed down and he manages to tap the ball to Liverpool's right back whose attempted cross goes out for a goal kick.
