Gini Wijnaldum reveals key to 'massive' Watford win
Georginio Wijnaldum cited collective patience as the key to a 'massive win' for Liverpool after they struck three times in the second half to beat Watford 3-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday and maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
In an intense encounter, the Reds applied heavy pressure to their hosts as they went in search of the opener – but they needed to wait until the 67th minute to break the deadlock through Mohamed Salah’s ninth goal of the campaign.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s sublime free-kick doubled their advantage shortly after and although Jordan Henderson’s red card gave the Hornets some hope of a late comeback, Roberto Firmino made certain of the outcome when he headed in a third.
“It’s a massive win because it was a really tough game,” Wijnaldum told Liverpoolfc.com following the final whistle. “They made it really difficult for us to play our football and find the gaps, find the free men and create chances.
“[In the second half] we just kept playing like we did in the first, but sped it up a little bit. We scored three goals, so it was a good game.”
LFCTV GO: Gini reflects on Reds' Watford win
The result ensured Liverpool consolidated second position in the Premier League table after 13 matches, two points behind leaders Manchester City.
Persistence ultimately proved decisive for the Reds and Wijnaldum feels it’s a facet of their game the team have developed during their time working together.
“It’s something we are doing better - keeping the patience because we have quality here,” the No.5 continued. “We will always create chances and need to be patient.
“We are still learning in that process and we did it quite well [at Watford]; we were patient and not getting frustrated because they were defending deep.
“You could see at the end we were creating more chances than at the beginning when they were fresh, but the longer the game went it was more difficult for them.”
Moments before Salah’s opener, the visiting support inside Vicarage Road reacted to Wijnaldum winning a corner in front of the stand they were located in with a loud roar of encouragement.
The Netherlands midfielder feels those travelling Reds played their part in making certain the three points returned to Merseyside on Saturday evening.
He said: “You know, in the moment when it’s really tough in the game, you always want that little bit of support and I have to say they did it quite well.
“They didn’t need me to do that [gee them up] because they were supporting us from the first minute, so it’s always good to hear them and give you a boost in the game.”