Watford v Liverpool: Team news, predictions & odds


The match pack for Watford v Liverpool includes team news, statistics, manager quotes, odds & our prediction.

The game kicks off at 2000 BST at Vicarage Road, live on Sky Sports 1.

Watford v Liverpool: Our prediction


2pts Watford to beat Liverpool at 6/1 - home form is sound and Liverpool always vulnerable in this type of fixture

Our Ben Coley writes... On the modern punting battlefield, genuine surprises are increasingly rare, but I didn't expect to see 6/1 available about Watford beating Liverpool on Monday night.

The Hornets are unmistakably hit and miss, but the prospects of a hit dramatically increase at home, where they've won as many matches as Manchester City and more than Manchester United.

Eight wins and four draws from 17 is a very solid return, the foundations of their bid for a top-half finish which is very much within reach, having all but secured their Premier League status for another season.

While a three-match winning run at Vicarage Road needs qualifying - their opponents have been Sunderland, West Brom and Swansea - three clean sheets across these games is impressive and if you go back further, they have seen off the likes of United, Everton and Leicester on home soil.

All of which is to say they're overpriced in the type of game Liverpool can so often find a way to lose.

Clearly, Jurgen Klopp's men have plenty of incentive as they pursue Champions League football, but last Sunday offered a reminder that they're vulnerable to these in-form, bottom-half outfits having lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace.

All seven league defeats this season have come against sides outside the top seven: they simply are not as effective in these games as they are against their closest rivals.

Liverpool are missing a key man in Sadio Mane, out for the season, and have failed to win over half their away games both with and without him, losing at Hull, Leicester, Bournemouth and Burnley. Again, precisely those in-form, bottom-half sides they were favourites to beat.

When you take on a side like Liverpool, you do so knowing that they could make you feel a little foolish, yet there isn't a single away game this season they've had wrapped up early: only twice half they won by more than one on the road and on both occasions, approaching the hour mark they were just a goal up. What's more, both sides were seriously vulnerable at the time.

As such, it's really difficult to see why Liverpool should be shorter at 8/15 to win the game than Watford are with a two-goal start (8/13), while the hosts also look good value in the double-chance market at 17/10.

Watford are 4/1 draw-no-bet but it's Liverpool's ability to shoot themselves in the foot which makes the case for simply backing the home side easy to make.

Granted, the Reds haven't lost consecutive league games this season, but it would be very much within profile for them to do so now, when points are needed and their run-in appears kind.

That Liverpool could also be without Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana makes this an all the more winnable game for Watford, who might also be inspired by the exploits of fan Anthony Joshua on Saturday night.

Troy Deeney was posing for photos with the world heavyweight champion after his defeat of Wladimir Klitschko and having scored in six of his last 10 league games, including four of his last five appearances at Vicarage Road, is a tempting 3/1 shot to strike again here.

It was interesting to hear Deeney heap praise on manager Walter Mazzarri during a fascinating BBC Radio Five Live interview, in which he described the increased intensity of this week's training sessions which he thinks will guarantee a response to a limp effort at Hull.

In that respect, it's probably a positive that Watford have a big, televised game to get up for and if they do get about Liverpool, as they did when winning this fixture 3-0 last season, there must be every chance they can cause an upset.

Certainly, that chance appears more like 7/2 or 4/1 than the generous 6/1 being quoted, so while there are side markets worth exploring, the best bet here is obvious.

Too much has perhaps been made of Watford's 6-1 defeat at Anfield, the result of meeting Liverpool on a going day and without many first-team players.

This will be a near full-strength Hornets side and the possibility of meeting Liverpool on a bad day makes a home win the only option.

Prediction: Watford 2-1 Liverpool

Watford v Liverpool: Team news


Watford defender Craig Cathcart is a doubt for Monday night's visit of Liverpool because of a knee problem.

Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami, who has just returned to the squad after a spell out with a hamstring injury, will also be monitored.

Younes Kaboul (hamstring), Roberto Pereyra (knee) and forward Mauro Zarate (anterior cruciate ligament) all remain sidelined. 

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has a chance of being fit for Monday's trip to Watford after returning to first-team training for the first time since his groin injury a month ago.

Striker Daniel Sturridge is also involved with the first team again after missing Sunday's defeat to Crystal Palace with a sore hip.

Captain Jordan Henderson (foot) is still not fit to return while Sadio Mane, Ragnar Klavan and Danny Ings (all knee) are long-term absentees. 

Teams

Watford (from):  Gomes, Britos, Janmaat, Prodl, Holebas, Amrabat, Cleverley, Capoue, Niang, Doucoure, Deeney, Pantilimon, Okaka, Zuniga, Success, Mariappa, Behrami, Kabasele, Cathcart. 

Liverpool (from): Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Milner, Can, Lallana, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Origi, Coutinho, Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Moreno, Lucas, Grujic, Woodburn, Sturridge, Brewster. 

Watford v Liverpool: Manager quotes


Walter Mazzarri (Watford)

On keeping focus: "I am not looking at other people's problems with the table. I am only interested in my team.

"I want them to fight for every ball and to concentrate lots."

The Watford boss added: "I want my players go on the pitch thinking they are in the Champions League final and then we will see afterwards how we have done." 

On the verdict of Watford owner Gino Pozzo: "On the basis of what has happened through the season, when you see all the injuries we have had, I think he is quite happy.

"Our target was to be mathematically safe and we still are not mathematically safe, (but) we are very near safety and that was our target for this season.

"We want to do better and better and value every performance.

"It is clear that when we lose games we should have won, we are not very happy." 

On facing Liverpool: "They (Liverpool) be very angry, because they lost at home (to Crystal Palace).

"(But) I hope my players are more angry than them, because we lost our last game and (also) conceded six against Liverpool (at Anfield) earlier this year." 

Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

On the rest of the season: "Is there more pressure? No.

"It's the pressure you create by your performances and if we would have now 50-something points we would fight for nothing.

"Will there come pressure? Yeah, of course, on Monday before the game, nobody will feel like it is a friendly game, it's a very important game."We need to be ready for this but we were often enough ready for this so nobody should be in doubt that we will fight there.

"In this moment, everything for us is possible, and that's what we should try to show.

"I think when we met here months ago, when we were first or second in the table, I said the only thing we can do is to be in the battle for the interesting positions at the end of the season.

"The end of the season is now, of course, it is the last month of the season and we are in the battle. So what else do we want?

"Yes, it would be nice if we had 10 points more and fight with Chelsea for the title, but that's not for us obviously in this moment.

"So we have to fight for what we can fight for and that's a Champions League place. That's really, really interesting, to be honest." 

On Dejan Lovren's new contract: "Dejan is a big presence for us on the pitch and in the dressing room - this is wonderful news that he has committed to LFC for such a long time.

"It is our intention to build this squad around the great talent we already have.

"We want to keep our core together. I am really pleased Dejan has become the latest to recognise that Liverpool is a place where players can achieve their dreams and goals.

"He is an outstanding defender and someone who, I believe, still has his best times to come as a player. He has all the assets a top centre-half needs in the modern game.

"He has already enjoyed some great moments at this club, but he, like all of us, is hungry to win trophies for LFC.

"I love this hunger and desire and look forward to seeing it translate to great performances for the team in the coming years." 

Watford v Liverpool: Opta facts


Watford have lost five of their last six games against Liverpool in the Premier League, winning the other, 3-0 in December 2015. 

Liverpool have won 10 of their previous 12 meetings with the Hornets in all competitions, losing just twice. o Watford last won back-to-back home games (all comps) against Liverpool in May 1983, as Graham Taylor’s side ran out 2-1 winners. 

Roberto Firmino has had a hand in four goals in his last two Premier League matches against Watford (two goals, two assists), although both appearances came at Anfield. 

All six of Liverpool’s Premier League defeats this season have come against teams outside of the current top seven. 

In fact, the Reds have won just 40 points from 22 Premier League games against teams outside the top 7 this season (1.82 per game), compared to 26 points from 12 games against the current top 7 (2.17 per game). 

This will be the 11th Premier League game that Watford have played on a Monday and of the previous 10, they have only once one (W1 D4 L5) – this came against Portsmouth in April 2007 (4-2 at Vicarage Road). 

Troy Deeney has scored against 41 different opponents in all competitions during his Watford career, but he’s never scored in his three previous appearances versus Liverpool for the Hornets. 

Liverpool will be looking to win three successive Premier League away games under Jurgen Klopp for only the second time, with the previous occasion coming in October 2016. 

Philippe Coutinho has scored in four of his last five Premier League appearances for Liverpool, while he also scored in the reverse fixture for the Reds against Watford back in November.     

Watford v Liverpool: Sky Bet odds


Liverpool are Sky Bet’s 8/15 favourites for the victory with Watford priced at 5/1 while the draw is 16/5. Jurgen Klopp’s men remain odds-on for a top-four finish despite last weekend’s loss, while their hosts are 15/2 for a top-half finish. Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi share favouritism in the first goalscorer betting at 4/1 apiece while Troy Deeney is considered the Hornets’ main threat at 8/1 to net first.  

Click for Sky Bet's Watford v Liverpool odds!


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