Game week 31 Predictions: Liverpool to beat Watford silly

Mohammed Salah bends one in against Watford in the first leg at Vicarage Road, who is stopping him at Anfield? (Photo credit: Liverpool Echo)

 Liverpool vs Watford
Anfield
12:30pm

The English Premier League is back! The razzmatazz of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and draws are behind us now and we can focus on the title run in, one that is a straight battle between Liverpool and Manchester City.

The Kops host Watford on Saturday in the lunchtime kickoff as they also prepare for a date in Europe in midweek, on paper you know Liverpool will beat Watford but if that was ever true to the bones, Liverpool would have gone a whole season unbeaten two seasons ago if not for the Hornets.

Nothing is cast in stone in football. Watford beat Liverpool 3-0 at the Vicarage Road stadium on the 29^th of February 2020, that damaged hopes for the Kops more than the pandemic that followed but they have since gotten their pounds of flesh from the Hornets.

This fixture is huge at both ends of the league table. The Hornets are in trouble and need a win here to help their cause against relegation while Liverpool must win to move above the champions on the league table albeit for a while, at least till City play Burnley away.

Liverpool have a way round Watford, sake for that ill-fated 3-0 debacle two years ago, Watford didn’t even register a single goal against Liverpool in any of the other four from the last five with the Kops ramming five past the London side twice in that run.

Liverpool can welcome back Trent Alexander Arnold to the fold after Klopp confirmed he is back running and training well, then you wonder if the injury was just to stop him from playing for England during the international break. They have a title to fight for, their best players must be protected.

Where does Liverpool’s priority lie? Looks like it’s the premier league and they will stop at nothing to fight it to the last day. Watford can focus on other fixtures but don’t be surprised if there’s an upset at Anfield, not likely but not impossible.

Mohammed Salah has scored twenty league goals again this season and he likes playing against Watford, they won’t find him interesting in this fixture. Luis Dias and Sadio Mane are the other outlets for the Kops, how can Watford stop them?

Verdict: Straight win Liverpool.