JOTA LOTTA BOTTLE!
Klopp fired-up for title bout: We will not hide... next Sunday’s clash at Etihad is the BIG ONE
JURGEN KLOPP shrugged off suggestions Liverpool might be feeling the pressure of their quadruple bid after labouring to a win over Watford.
The Reds briefly moved top of the Premier League as a Diogo Jota header and a Fabinho penalty earned them a somewhat nervy victory over the Hornets – only for Manchester City to return to the top a few hours later with their win at Burnley.
Liverpool remain in the hunt to add the League, FA Cup and Champions
League to February’s League Cup success but, rather than worrying about potential slip-ups in any, Klopp is just embracing a thrilling run-in.
The Liverpool boss said: “I really appreciate the situation we are in.
“I told the boys on Friday that if somebody had told us in the summer that by early April we would be in this situation – in all competitions and won one trophy, with a full squad available – we all would have taken it.
“The only better situation could be if we were 20 points ahead of City but that’s not possible!
“I enjoy the situation, we are not favourites in any of the competitions we are in but who cares? We will give it a try.
“To keep it a title race, we have to win our football games, otherwise it will be really tricky.
“The next Premier League game, obviously, is a big one, we will not hide from that.”
The stakes could hardly be higher than for that showdown with City, at the Etihad next Sunday.
Yesterday, as Klopp had requested, a boisterous Anfield crowd set the tone for a surprisingly energetic start to an early kick-off.
But Watford, too, were up for the fight, and after weathering an early storm started to show promise of their own in an attacking sense.
Ismaila Sarr was the first to go close with an ambitious shot from a d bouncing ball over 25 yards from the p Kop-end goal before Cucho i Hernandez headed a promising nearpost L corner into the hands of Alisson. s
The best chance of all, though, fell to Juraj Kucka, who was played in f clear on goal but failed to beat the a onrushing keeper. s
And that failure was rapidly is punished as Joe Gomez – standing in for Trent Alexander-arnold – a produced a cross that his fellow h
efender might have envied. And the rolific Jota needed no second nvitation to head home and set iverpool on their way to a 10th uccessive Premier League victory.
Of the Portugal ace, whose superb orm since signing has perhaps come s a surprise to some, Klopp later aid: “A great goal, absolutely, and he that guy - a centre-forward.
“It was, for sure, always in him. But t Wolves he had a different job and e did that job so good that we thought, ‘We want him’. Since he came in he’s improved a lot.”
Jota in fact almost had a second goal before the break, Ben Foster doing well to close the angle after a delicious Joel Matip flick had opened space on the left of the box.
But Liverpool’s failure to secure the comfort of another goal would largely set the tone for what was a nervy second half.
It was Watford who had the better of the opportunities, Joao Pedro curling inches wide of the far post after good work from the lively Sarr.
Meanwhile, the hosts’ failure to make anything of a breakaway late on summed up what was an occasionally careless performance going forward.
Liverpool would get their chance to seal it, however, and in slightly fortuitous circumstances. A lengthy VAR check leading Stuart Attwell to point to the spot to punish Kucka for grappling with Jota.
Fabinho subsequently dispatched the spot-kick with customary cool, but not everyone in Anfield was delighted with that state of affairs.
Watford manager Roy Hodgson said of the decision: “It’s the only sour moment for me.
“VAR has done a lot of very good things since it’s been in English football, this year better than last.
“But I find it hard to accept. The referee didn’t see it, Jurgen asked me what was happening, no Liverpool player complained. It leaves a rather unpleasant taste in the mouth.”