Watford v Liverpool: Live matchday blog
Liverpool took a step towards a top-four finish after Emre Can's stunning overhead kick gave them a 1-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.
The manager's view
To read what Jürgen Klopp made of Liverpool's Watford win, Emre Can's stunning goal and our top-four hopes, click here.
Philippe Coutinho injury update
Jürgen Klopp provided the latest on his stricken No.10 in his post-match press conference.
On Prodl's chance: "I said to the boys after, if you want to kill me, that's probably the way to do it."
Klopp: "[Emre] is very important for us and if he can score goals like this, it makes even more sense.
Klopp: "[Southampton] will be another hard game for us. But tonight, nobody can take these three points away from us and now we have time to prepare."
Klopp reveals Coutinho was forced off with a dead leg.
Post-match press conference
Jürgen Klopp: "In the end we could've scored one, two more. It went really like we wanted and it feels pretty good."
Stats all, folks
Digest the numbers from that while we get our breath back...
Full Time
Watford 0-1 Liverpool
Well, heart-in-mouth moment aside at the end, the Reds fully deserved that.
What a goal from Emre Can and a brilliant battling performance to boot.
What a let-off.
A ball is lobbed into the Liverpool box the visitors just can't get it away before it drops to Prodl at the back post.
The Watford man is all set to claim a point but blasts his effort off the bar and the Reds clear. We'll take that!
Watford getting the ball forward at every opportunity but Liverpool are repelling everything as injury time ticks down.
Sturridge pinches the ball high up the pitch and gets a right-footed effort away but the 'keeper saves again.
Unlucky.
Joel Matip somehow ends up as the furthest player forward for Liverpool as he is slipped in one on one.
Gomes is equal to his shot, though, and Watford get the corner away as well.
Substitution
Another sub for the Reds as Adam Lallana, who has put in an incredible shift on his return, is replaced by Ragnar Klavan.
Substitution
Daniel Sturridge enters the fray in place of Divock Origi.
The hosts also make a change, with Nordin Amrabat making way for Stefano Okaka.
Full of confidence from his earlier strike, Emre Can tries one from distance, but this one flies over the bar
Liverpool defend a corner well and have an opportunity to break, which they take brilliantly.
Unfortunately, the final pass goes into Lallana and he can't sort his feet out quick enough to get a shot away.
Substitution
Etienne Capoue's night is over as he makes way for Isaac Success.
Liverpool repel a cross into the box but the clearance only goes as far as Capoue, whose subsequent strike is over the bar.
It looked like Mignolet got a touch on that but the referee doesn't think so and awards a goal-kick.
A fine ball in behind from Matip sets Origi away but the Belgian can't get enough purchase on his low shot.
Liverpool have made an excellent start to the second half.
Origi works space on the left and fires a shot to the left of Gomes but the Watford 'keeper produces a fine full-length save to keep it out.
Yellow Card
Prodl goes in the book for a trip on Firmino after a clever touch from the Brazilian looked to have set him away.
Kick-Off
Liverpool get us back under way at Vicarage Road.
Match shot
Still not quite over that goal.
The numbers
Check out our Opta widget below to see how the two teams measured up in the first half.
Shouting the odds
Watford 22/1
Draw 11/2
Liverpool 2/13
Half Time
Watford 0-1 Liverpool
What an end to the half for the Reds. Plenty to do still but that's not a bad way to end a hard-fought first period here at Vicarage Road.
Goal
Watford 0-1 Liverpool (Can)
Wow. Just wow. That is genuinely unbelievable from Emre Can.
The ball is laid back to Lucas on the right-hand side around 35 yards from goal and he lofts a somewhat hopeful cross in toward his fellow midfielder, who you expect to try and control it before laying off to a better-placed colleague.
Instead, he produces the most incredible bicycle kick, lofting the ball acrobatically over a stranded Gomes and into the top corner to give the visitors the lead.
Goal of the season?
Three minutes to be added on at the end of this half.
Off the bar!
A corner is cleared by Watford but only as far as Lallana,who produces an incredible volley on his left foot that rattles the underside of the crossbar and comes out. So unlucky
The Reds building pressure now, with Origi sending in a low cross that is collected by Gomes after Watford were penned in.
Few chances of note for either side so far, with the midfield battle the focus at the moment.
Liverpool holding their own but they'll want to get into more dangerous areas before the half is out.
Substitution
An injury for Watford now, with Miguel Britos forced off and replaced by Christian Kabasele.
Match shot
Let's hope it's nothing too serious for this man.
Substitution
Philippe Coutinho's evening is over, with the Brazilian replaced by the returning Adam Lallana.
Concern for Liverpool with Coutinho currently limping around the pitch after a hefty challenge - it doesn't look like he'll be able to continue.
Early chance for Liverpool as Coutinho curls in a free-kick from 35 yards and Emre Can meets in the box.
Unfortunately, the German can only loop his head over the bar.
Kick-Off
Watford get the game under way - come on you Reds!
Moments away
Some moody orchestral music being pumped out at Vicarage Road and the teams will be with us in a second.
As ever, the Reds' travelling support in fine voice.
A reminder of tonight's teams...
Inside the Reds' dressing room...
The Reds arriving at Vicarage Road...
TEAM NEWS
Jürgen Klopp has named an unchanged starting line-up at Vicarage Road, but Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge both return to Liverpool’s substitutes’ bench following their respective injuries.
Lallana has missed the Reds’ last five games due to a thigh problem, while Sturridge was absent for last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace with a hip complaint.
Ragnar Klavan is also named among Liverpool’s subs after illness and a ligament problem forced him to miss the last two matches.
Liverpool team: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner, Lucas, Wijnaldum, Can, Coutinho, Firmino, Origi.
Subs: Karius, Moreno, Klavan, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Lallana, Sturridge.
The boss completing his pre-match media duties...
See below for a reminder, should you need it, of the situation at the top of the Premier League.
Victory for the Reds tonight would take us one step closer to Champions League qualification...
Weather
LATEST WEATHER NEWS
A wee weather update for the many, many fans who log onto this blog on a match-by-match basis to view them.
Well, the heavens have opened here at Vicarage Road and it is absolutely pouring down. A far cry from the sunshine that greeted the Liverpoolfc.com team upon our arrival here at 5pm.
We'll keep you posted.
John Barnes' view...
Former Liverpool No.10 Barnes, a legendary figure at both Anfield and Vicarage Road, is interviewed in tonight's matchday programme.
He feels that the incentive of their pursuit of a top-four finish may give the Reds a slight advantage tonight...
"One could argue that Liverpool need the three points more than Watford, so I'm actually expecting Liverpool to edge it in a tight game," says Barnes.
The stage is set...
'It makes sense only to think about the next game'
Klopp feels the Reds may have to win at least three of their four remaining matches to achieve their objective of a place in the Premier League top four - but the boss strongly warned against considering anything other than tonight's game.
"That's how it is. We know all this. But the only way to do this is to win the next one, and that's what we should try," said the German.
"We are only in this position because we have been really serious in preparing for all the games. We didn't win all of them, but we are in a good position and now that's what we have to use."
On this day...
... in 1980, a young man by the name of Ian Rush completed a transfer to Liverpool from Chester.
660 games, a record 346 goals and 14 major honours followed.
Legend.
The odds are in
Our partner BetVictor is offering the following match prices...
Watford - 21/4
Draw - 10/3
Liverpool - 4/7
Click here if you fancy a flutter.
Opposition view
Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri believes there'll be anger on both sides before a ball is even kicked this evening, with the six goals his team shipped at Anfield still on his mind.
"Liverpool will be angry after losing at home but I hope my players will be more angry as we lost at Hull and conceded six goals at Anfield," he commented.
"We are still not mathematically safe but we are very near safety and that is our target. Every match is important and we want to do better and better and value every performance."
Visitors' guide to Vicarage Road
If you're attending the match tonight, helpful details on travel and the stadium are available at Watford's official website.
What's your Goal of the Season?
There's still time to have your say on Liverpool's finest strike of 2016-17, with voting open until 11.59pm BST today. Pick your favourite from the shortlist of 10 in the video below by clicking here.
A rallying cry from the dressing room...
Stat attack
Roberto Firmino could tonight emulate a feat last achieved by Luis Suarez three years ago - scoring in three successive Premier League away games for Liverpool. The Brazilian was on target with winners at Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, of course.
Plus, did you know...
- The Reds have won seven of their previous eight meetings with Watford in all competitions, and 10 of the last 12
- Klopp's men have secured more points away from home so far this season (29) than they did in the whole of 2015-16 (28)
- Liverpool have scored 70 Premier League goals to date this term - only the second time in the past 29 campaigns they have reached that total after 34 games
If you missed the latest instalment of our 'Pure Liverpool' video series celebrating the launch of the 2017-18 home kit, take a couple of minutes today and enjoy seven-year-old Max's meeting with Coutinho...
Inside Melwood
Our photographers were at the training ground on Saturday afternoon to snap the squad's session - here are some of our favourites from the gallery...
Weather
Listen up, weather update fans...
It's a cloudy start to the day in Watford, though the temperature is a reasonable 11 degrees and forecasts suggest that will remain the case through to kick-off. We'd advise taking a coat if you're travelling to Vicarage Road.
Should things change, we'll offer an immediate alert.
'He's my favourite player at Liverpool'
Barnes was in the LFCTV studio last week and the Reds legend explained just how highly he rates Philippe Coutinho as a No.10...
Switching Sides
John Barnes played for both Liverpool and Watford, of course. And ahead of the game, LFC Xtra remembers 10 men to have represented each club down the years. Click here to read more.
The last meeting
Liverpool were in imperious form when the sides met at Anfield earlier in the season, claiming a handsome 6-1 victory over the Hornets. Watch the best of that game again on LFCTV GO below..
See everything the manager had to say at Friday's media briefing on LFCTV GO...
Team news
The key points, fitness-wise, from the manager's pre-match press conference were that Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge are in contention for the trip to Watford after returning to team training.
Potential appearances from the pair will be carefully considered after their spells out with thigh and hip injuries respectively, though Klopp admitted his happiness with having them both as options.
Take a closer look at how the two sides have been performing in the Premier League this season with our Opta data tools below, which offer a range of stats on the overall team performance and that of individuals in 2016-17. Cool, eh?
Here's how the top six looks ahead of kick-off...
If tonight's fixture wasn't already important enough, Sunday's results in the Premier League have added extra motivation for Jürgen Klopp's team to do the business.
Draws for Manchester United and Manchester City, plus defeat for Arsenal, meant Liverpool remained in third place ahead of their own game and, vitally, have Champions League qualification back in their own hands.
Hello and welcome to our matchday blog on a crucial day in Liverpool's season.
The Reds take on Watford at Vicarage Road in a Premier League clash that could have significant implications for their hopes of reaching the top four this term.
We'll be providing live updates throughout the day right here (you don't even have to refresh the page) before bringing you all of the action as it happens and post-match verdicts from the stadium.
Stick with us.