This season's Premier League has reached its 31st round, and the competition for the title has entered the sprint stage. Liverpool welcomed Watford at Anfield. In the end, Klopp's side beat Watford 2-0 at home to take a ten-game winning streak in the league. After winning this decisive match, Liverpool continued to maintain a strong momentum in the title race, and the sword pointed to the title.
In terms of starting lineup, Klopp made several positional adjustments. It seems that he is very cautious about the physical condition of the players, especially for those with vulnerable physiques. After all, in the closing stage of the season, once the team has a large-scale injury again, the impact on the team's championship situation is likely to be decisive. In this game, Salah, Jota and Firmino formed a "trident", with Luis Díaz and Mane on the bench. In midfield, Klopp unexpectedly lined up a combination of Thiago, Curtis Jones and Henderson, all three players who had no problems with the organization of the pass but clearly had shortcomings in terms of defensive intensity. In the backline, Alexander-Arnold, who had returned from injury, was left on the bench, Joe Gomez started, and other players in the backline included Robertson, Van Dijk and Mattip. Alisson was still standing in front of the goal.
After the game began, although playing away from home, Watford did not completely shrink in the backfield defense. They put a lot of pressure on Liverpool in midfield. For Watford's tactical choices, the Liverpool players seem to be a little ill-prepared. It is difficult for them to form a threatening offensive on the offensive end, but the other side controls the situation on the field. Especially on the right, Joe Gomez, who rarely has a chance to start, seems to be not doing a good job of balancing the attack and defense ends. He made a pass error in the front and formed a quick counter-attack after being cut off by the opponent. The opponent drove straight in along the right side, forming a very threatening shot. Thanks to Alisson's excellent performance, Liverpool did not suffer a score-lagging ending. Judging from the performance on the pitch, the Liverpool players did not seem to be in good physical condition after the national team match day, and the pace on the field was not fast.
From a tactical point of view, Liverpool's team lacks a pure defensive back in the absence of Fabinho's start, so it is obviously a little weak in terms of defensive strength. In terms of formation, Thiago stood at the back and the team used his excellent passing and scheduling skills more to comb the attack. But defensively, his body is a bit thin, and henderson and Curtis Jones around him don't help him too much. Against players with excellent impact from the opposing Sal, their defensive system was once a bit of a storm. On the offensive end, Salah's form after the opening was not optimal, and he tried several breakthroughs on the right side in a row, but the effect was relatively average. In addition, the young Curtis Jones was placed in the front of Klopp for this game, but the gap between his passing and other players is very obvious compared to players such as Thiago.
He also didn't do a good job of timing passing and shooting. In addition, in cooperation with Salah, he is somewhat "out of tune" with Salah in terms of passing strength and running line. He was also the worst player in the team's game. However, at the crucial moment, the role of the star was still revealed. Thiago organised an attack in midfield, Henderson received a pass and then passed it to the right, Joe Gomez, who had been average in the first half of the first half, delivered a very accurate cross, and Jota, who astutely wrapped it up in front of goal, once again took advantage of his ability to grab the point, using a header to give Liverpool the lead. After taking the lead, Liverpool, who had relaxed their minds, gradually took control of the game and had a clear advantage in possession. Although it is still difficult for them to create good enough scoring opportunities in terms of attack, because they are fully in control of the rhythm of the attack, Watford's possession is very limited without rushing to attack, and it is naturally difficult to get effective opportunities.
Salah's form remained unsettled after the start of the second half, and it was difficult for him to play his rightful role on the right. At the same time, Watford also focused their attack on their own left side, which is liverpool's right side. Because Salah's contribution to defense was relatively average, Joe Gomez was under more pressure as a result. Watford made frequent breaks on Liverpool's right flank in the second half and once had several good chances, but liverpool would have been equalised if it were not for the average ability of the forward players to take advantage of them. However, Liverpool eventually relied on Fabinho's goal to extend the score to 2:0 and score three points.
From the perspective of the whole game, because the physical condition is not ideal, The pace of Liverpool's game is not fast. But they've done a pretty good job of rhythm control, and they can be "comfortable" in attack, which is the most important trait of a top team and the "killer skill" that Klopp has led the team to compete for the championship this season. In terms of players, Thiago has come up with a "master", almost omnipotent on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, and if he can maintain such a state, he will become the biggest reliance of the team this season. (The picture comes from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact to delete)