Liverpool vs Watford preview

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Liverpool vs Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.

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Team news

Dejan Lovren is absent for the hosts after limping off early for the second match in a row. Joe Gomez may get the nod anyway as Joe Matip and Fabinho remain sidelined through injury.

Changes are likely follow Liverpool's midweek match, with Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner pushing for a recall. Adam Lallana may also return after missing two matches.

Watford will be without Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Sebastian Prodl and Jose Holebas. Daryl Janmaat could start after recovering from a knee injury while Craig Dawson is back in contention.

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How to follow

Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

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Opta stats

• Liverpool have won six of their last seven Premier League games against Watford (D1), netting 25 goals and conceding just four in those matches.
• Since winning 1-0 in their first ever Premier League visit to Anfield in August 1999, Watford have lost their last five away against Liverpool by an aggregate score of 1-20.
• Liverpool's last three home Premier League games against Watford have seen them win 6-1, 5-0 and 5-0. No side has ever won four consecutive home games by a margin of 5+ goals against an opponent in top-flight history.
• This is the 35th meeting between the top and bottom sides in Premier League history, with the side starting top winning 24, drawing six and losing just four. However, one of those defeats was for Liverpool in their only such match in the competition (1-2 vs Spurs in November 2008).
• Liverpool are guaranteed to be top of the Premier League table at Christmas - the last three occasions of a team failing to win the title having been top at Christmas have been Liverpool (2008-09, 2013-14 and 2018-19). The only side to be top of the league table at Christmas in consecutive years and fail to win the title both times was Everton in 1894-95 and 1895-96.
• Liverpool have won their last 15 home top-flight matches - they've only had one longer run at Anfield in their history, winning 21 in a row between January and December 1972.
• Watford have lost their last 12 top-flight matches against teams starting the day top of the league, a run stretching back to 1986. They've lost all 10 of these games in the Premier League.
• Watford have failed to score in a league-high nine different Premier League games this season, while Liverpool are the only side to have scored in all 16 of their games. It's the Reds' best scoring start to a top-flight campaign since 1933-34, when they netted in each of their first 21 matches.

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Charlie Nicholas' prediction

The games that have come Liverpool's way have been excellent - they haven't needed to be at their best. They appear to look vulnerable but then they win. It isn't luck. There is a certain amount of ability and desire with them that we can see is driving them forwards. People don't think they can keep going like this but when you are going against a team with a manager who is trying to lift things, it does suit you. Troy Deeney, Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure are the key players for Watford and always the ones you could rely on, but question marks are surrounding the likes of Jose Holebas and Adrian Mariappa.

Liverpool can afford to rest two out of the three front players and still have enough to get three points. Mohamed Salah has scored in successive matches but hasn't been playing well and Roberto Firmino has not been brilliant. Sadio Mane has been carrying them. I see a very comfortable afternoon nevertheless. It may take them time to break Watford down though.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

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