No reward for improved 90-minute display as Watford lose at Liverpool

There had been some promising signs for the Hornets in the opening 30 minutes as the counter-attack suggested it could prove a productive route, while they were defending solidly. But a lapse in concentration at the back allowed Joe Allen to latch onto Christian Benteke’s knock down and give the hosts the lead in the 35th minute.

The visitors enjoyed more sustained possession from which they could build attacks after the break but the closest they came to equalising was when Simon Mignolet tipped an Odion Ighalo shot behind.

Instead, it was the home side who were to score a second as substitute Roberto Firmino proved to be the ultimate beneficiary from Ikechi Anya losing possession and an attempted save Heurelho Gomes is unlikely to look back on with particular fondness.

Despite Steven Berghuis’ impressive substitute’s appearance against Aston Villa last week, the Dutchman had to settle for a place on the bench as Quique Sanchez Flores again opted against shaking his team up and made just the one change. That saw Sebastian Prodl come into the starting XI in place of Juan Carlos Paredes which meant Craig Cathcart shifted across to right-back.

Jurgen Klopp vowed to make changes following the Europa League semi-final victory over Villarreal and he stuck to his word, with Mignolet, Alberto Moreno and Philippe Countinho the only players to keep their places from Thursday night’s team. Firmino and Daniel Sturridge were on the bench but half of the starting XI from three days ago were given the afternoon off, including Adam Lallana and James Milner.

The hosts saw plenty of the ball in the early stages but Watford had the first sniff an opening in the fifth minute when Troy Deeney slipped inIghalo, who had half a yard on Lucas Leiva but the Hornets striker couldn’t get the ball out of his feet quickly enough and the Reds’ stand-in centre-half was able to get in a challenge.

Prodl was forced into a stretching clearance to deal with a dangerous Coutinho cross from the left, but the visitors immediately countered at pace and again Ighalo threatened to work an opening but this time Martin Skrtel got across to deal with the danger.

The Hornets’ top scorer then opted for something a bit different, trying an ambitious effort from all of 30 yards which cleared Mignolet’s bar by a couple of feet.

The counter-attack was looking a promising weapon for the visitors in the opening stages and it almost worked to their benefit again when the ball was worked to Anya on the left and his cross broke for Almen Abdi in the 18-yard box, but the Swiss midfielder got under his shot and fired over.

It was then Liverpool’s turn to go close as the ball was played to Countinho on the left side of the Hornets’ box and the dangerous Brazilian weighed up his options before fizzing in a low cross-shot which was deflected wide of Gomes’ left-hand post.

The hosts continued to have the better of it for a spell and in the 18th minute Moreno fired a left-footed shot over after the right side of the pitch had opened up for Jordon Ibe when Watford conceded possession.

After an entertaining but fairly frentic opening, the game settled down for a few minutes until the Hornets again countered at pace and with purpose as Anya led the charge down the left, but the Scotland international opted to try his own luck on this occasion and fired an angled effort over.

Another threat of an opening came the way of the Hornets in the 30th minute when a lovely ball over the top from Jose Manuel Jurado threatened to put Ighalo in, but Skrtel again did his job and cleared behind for a corner. That set piece was half cleared to the edge of the 18-yard box where Abdi connected well with a right-footed shot and Mignolet would certainly have been pressed into action had Skrtel not blocked.

It was Liverpool’s turn to threaten next when Mario Suarez conceded a free-kick on the edge of his own penalty area, but Benteke went for power and could only find the wall with his set piece and the subsequent follow-up.

The home side did take their next opportunity in the 35th minute though, with what was a disappointing goal defensively.

Countinho clipped a free-kick into Benteke, who nodded it down and Allen was not picked up as he scuffed the ball past Gomes to put the home side in front.

Ben Watson saw a shot blocked – after hitting fresh air with his initial attempt – as the Hornets sought an instant reply, but having made the breakthrough Liverpool were soon on the hunt for a second goal and Prodl needed to get his body in the way of a Countinho strike after he had been allowed to advance with rather too much ease.

The Reds had the first opportunity of the second half when Jurado tried to pass inside to Anya, who slipped over, leaving the home side to move upfield at pace as Countinho released Benteke to his left. The former Aston Villa man came inside but opted against shooting, instead laying the ball across the six-yard box where Countinho tried to flick it home but put it wide.

Countinho threatened again soon after, coming inside before hitting a right-footed shot which Gomes dropped to his left to hold.

Flores decided to make his first change in the 52nd minute, bringing on Adlene Guedioura for the disappointing Suarez and a second followed five minutes later as Berghuis replaced Jurado.

Before the Dutchman entered the fray though, Watford went very close to equalising when the ball was worked in from the left and Deeney dummied it to Ighalo, who shifted his feet superbly to get away from Moreno but Mignolet was equal to his shot and did very well to tip it behind. Following the resultant corner, Guedioura went for a curler from outside the area but couldn’t get the ball to come back enough as it went wide.

Klopp swapped one Brazilian for another in the 61st minute as when Firmino replaced Coutinho and the substitute was soon trying his luck with a left-footed curler which Gomes held.

But the majority of the game was being played in the Liverpool half at this stage and in the 68th minute Watford spurned another chance to get back on terms when Abdi was tripped on the edge of the area by Allen. It was a great position for the midfielder to try and follow up his free-kick goal against Aston Villa with another, but this time he put it over the top.

It was to be Abdi’s last involvement as Nordin Amrabat, who was already preparing to come on, immediately replaced him, but the Hornets were continuing to knock at the door with Berghuis the next to have a shot which Mignolet held.

But with 15 minutes remaining the Europa League finalists made the points safe.

Anya was caught out as he tried to pass inside and Ibe seized on the lapse, finding Firmino who ran at the retreating defence before hitting a right-footed shot back across Gomes, who will have been disappointed not to have kept it out as it squirmed through his body and into the net.

Having conceded a second though, the Hornets had an opportunity to half the deficit soon afterwards as Ighalo was found on the right side of the 18-yard box but his shot was pushed behind at the near post by Mignolet.

But the Reds could have had a third with eight minute remaining when substitute Cameron Brannagan, who had come on for Sheyi Ojo a few minutes earlier, played in Benteke, but his attempted finish was blocked behind by Gomes.

Another late chance came and went for the home side when Firmino squared the ball across the six-yard box but Ibe was unable to convert coming in from the other side of the goal.

Next it was Benteke’s turn to miss the target; the striker unable to get over his header at the far post and convert a Brannagan corner down and past Gomes from the last chance of the match.

Liverpool: Mignolet; Flanagan, Skrtel, Lucas, Moreno (Randall 89); Stewart, Allen; Ojo (Brannagan 78), Coutinho (Firmino 61), Ibe; Benteke. Not used: Bogdan, Toure, Sturridge, Chirivella.

Watford: Gomes; Cathcart, Prodl, Britos, Anya; Abdi (Amrabat 69), Suarez (Guedioura 52), Watson, Jurado (Berghuis 57); Deeney, Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Nyom, Paredes, Ake.

Bookings: Britos for a foul on Benteke (59); Flanagan for a foul on Abdi (63); Berghuis for a foul on Abdi (73).

Attendance: 43,431.

Referee: Lee Mason