Liverpool vs Watford. Premier League.
AnfieldAttendance53,163.
Sunday 6 November 2016 14:22, UK
Liverpool will be looking to stretch their run to 19 games unbeaten at home when Watford visit Anfield, live on Sky Sports 1 on Super Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp's side have won seven of their 10 Premier League matches this season, prompting talk of the club mounting a serious title challenge.
They sit joint-top of the table, level on points with Manchester City and Arsenal.
The goals have been flying in from all angles this season for the Reds and they have notched 34 goals in their 13 games in all competitions.
However, Watford head to Anfield having kept three consecutive clean sheets in the league and have lost just one of their last seven Premier League games.
Team news
Danny Ings will not be part of Liverpool's squad after undergoing surgery on an injury to his right knee that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old missed the majority of last season with cruciate ligament damage in his other knee and was yet to make a Premier League appearance this term as Klopp eased him back into action.
Klopp otherwise has no other injury issues and he expects James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can to be available despite suffering from bouts of illness this week.
Watford defender Sebastian Prodl will miss the game after picking up a muscle injury in the 1-0 win over Hull City.
Craig Cathcart (groin) and Isaac Success (muscle problem) are both out, while Stefano Okaka (hamstring) faces a late fitness test.
Opta stats
Only one of the previous 18 league meetings between these sides has ended in a draw, with Liverpool winning 13 and losing four.
Watford have won just one of their nine league visits to Anfield (W1 D0 L8), winning 1-0 in August 1999 thanks to a Tommy Mooney strike.
The Reds have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four Premier League meetings with Watford, though they did lose the other game 3-0 at Vicarage Road last season.
Nine different players have scored a goal for Liverpool in the Premier League so far this season (excl. OGs) - no side have seen a wider spread of goalscorers (Arsenal also have nine).
Liverpool have had 39 more shots on target themselves (69) than they have allowed their opponents (30) in the Premier League this season - the biggest differential after 10 games.
Since scoring two goals against Liverpool in Watford's 3-0 win back in December 2015, Odion Ighalo has scored just four goals in 29 Premier League appearances. Up to and including that game against Liverpool, he'd scored 12 goals in 17 Premier League apps.
Liverpool have covered the most distance in the Premier League this season after 10 games (1162.4km) while Jordan Henderson has covered more than any other player (118.8km).
Merson's prediction
Liverpool have been very good going forward but you need more than that to win a Premier League title, you can't be giving away the kind of goals they did against Crystal Palace. If you look at the first goal, you wouldn't be happy if that happened down the park on a Sunday morning!
It doesn't matter how well they're playing or how much they're dominating, I just can't see them keeping clean sheets, and that's the worry for me. But I don't see anything but a Liverpool win.
Watford had a good result against Hull but they haven't been firing lately. The confidence of their strikers looks a bit low, Isaac Success has been injured and Troy Deeney sort of carries the team and sets the example.
Paul predicts: 3-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Liverpool are strong favourites to pick up another three points with Sky Bet punters lapping up the 2/7. Watford can be backed for the upset at 9/1 while the draw is a 9/2 chance.
Soccer Saturday Phil Thompson is confident of a Liverpool victory and he's tipping up a 3-1 victory with Sadio Mane notching the opening goal. That can be backed at 33/1.
