WATFORD 0-3 LIVERPOOL: REPORT

Liverpool have continued their excellent unbeaten record in the Premier League with a convincing 3-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino in the second-half were enough for Jurgen Klopp's men.

Jordan Henderson was sent off for Liverpool late on, as the captain was shown a second yellow card with less than 10 minutes left.

The 3-0 scoreline was perhaps a little flattering on Liverpool, with Watford restricting the visitors to very little in the first-half.

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HOW IT HAPPENED -

The first-half consisted of very little chances, really - with Watford dealing well with Liverpool's dynamic front trio of Firmino, Salah and Sadio Mane.

Watford had the ball in the net early on when Gerard Deulofeu beat Alisson but also beat the offside line.

A clever corner routine from the Reds was met by a completely free Salah, whose header was saved well by Ben Foster.

In the second-half, the urgency from Liverpool was clear to see - with their build-up play in the first-half far too slow.

Salah gave the Reds the lead with just under 25 minutes remaining, when he turned in Mane's low-cross, with some disappointing goalkeeping by the usually-reliable Foster.

Liverpool had a two-goal advantage not long after when Alexander-Arnold's 25-yard free-kick left Foster stranded in the Watford goal. Fantastic technique from the 20-year-old.

Source: The Independent

Henderson was sent off late on for a second yellow card, minutes after being warned about his actions. The Liverpool skipper will now miss next weekend's Merseyside Derby against Everton.

A speedy counter-attack, led by the ever-energetic Andy Robertson found Mane, whose shot was saved; but only to Firmino - who headed home for his first goal in eight Premier League matches.

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MATCH STATISTICS -

Possession: Watford 36% - 64% Liverpool

Shots: Watford 5 - 10 Liverpool

Pass Accuracy: Watford 69% - 83% Liverpool

Chances Created: Watford 4 - 6 Liverpool

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THE MANAGERS -

Watford boss Javi Gracia believes that the scoreline didn't truly reflect how the game was played.

"The game was closer than the scoreline," Gracia claimed. "We tried, we did a good defensive job for 66 minutes and after that the game changed.

"We had opportunities and didn't take them. Everyone knows Liverpool are a great team.

"I prefer not to speak about the refereeing decisions. We accept something that is difficult to accept - but we do it and there is nothing else we can do.

"We could do better in the first-half on the counter-attack but playing against Liverpool is always very demanding. I am optimistic, I can feel the ambition of the club and I feel happy training here."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised his side's "stubborn" performance at Vicarage Road.

"We played stubborn," Klopp explained. "They defended and counter-attacked and we had a few really good moments we didn't score, which is not a big problem if we stay on track.

"How we closed down the game was just brilliant, especially the third goal. The first goal was brilliant football and the free-kick from Trent (Alexander-Arnold) was a dream. It was a good game against a good side."