He doesn't
want to talk about it. He'll roll his eyes or puff out his cheeks or
pull one of those faces to try and change the theme. His players do the
same when the subject is raised with them, too.
But
for all that Jürgen Klopp won't involve himself in discussions about
Liverpool's credentials, he may soon find the stance he has taken
impossible to retain. With each passing week and with every thumping
victory, this team is do nothing to discourage chatter that they will
challenge for the title.
Here
they were presented with an opportunity to lead the pack going into the
latest international break. Here their critics wondered whether this
would be the weekend when they took a false step and conceded the
initiative to Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal.
Yet here
they were in all their attacking splendour, ripping Watford to shreds
with a sizzling performance that yielded six goals and might have
produced double figures had it not been for a combination of the
woodwork and some erratic finishing.
'Congratulations
to Liverpool because I am very, very impressed,' said Watford manager
Walter Mazzarri. 'It is not only their psychology and their tactical
play but on their running, their pressing… they are really a great
team.'
Nobody
was in a hurry to argue. Watford arrived on Merseyside unbeaten in four
matches, having not conceded a goal for 298 minutes. They had climbed
up to seventh with organisation and obduracy key virtues and were not
going to come bearing gifts.
Klopp had
envisaged this being a difficult afternoon but, instead, in turned into
one of the best he has enjoyed since he was appointed 13 months ago,
with Liverpool scoring six for the first time since they massacred Aston
Villa on Valentine's Day.
This
was so much more impressive, though. This was a collaboration of Red
shirts swarming forward, spreading chaos on their way. On one side
Philippe Coutinho was casting magic spells, on the other Sadio Mane was a
persistent, pacey threat. Through the middle, Roberto Firmino spread
fear.
Starting
with Mane's glancing header from Coutinho's 27th minute cross,
Liverpool's attacking trident scored four and in the process moved their
combined total since the start of the season to 16. Is there a better
front three in the Premier League at present? No.
What
makes them so difficult to contain is their unpredictability. None of
them have a set position, each have a licence to drift into the areas
they can cause damage. Watford's defenders had no idea where they were
going to go from one minute to the next so how could they contain them?
And
to think there were some natives in the crowd who voiced their
anxieties about the way Liverpool had started; there were groans within
the opening 20 minutes after Firmino, Lucas Leiva and Coutinho all
squandered acceptable opportunities.
The
pessimists foresaw a scenario where Liverpool failed to score and then
conceded at a set piece, with either Troy Deeney or Odion Ighalo
inflicting the damage. What they ended up seeing was an attacking
performance on par with anything Liverpool conjured when Luis Suarez was
at the club.
Once
Mane had lifted the tension, Liverpool relaxed and the lead was doubled
on the half hour when Coutinho scuttled on to a pass from Firmino and
used Watford defender Younes Kaboul as a shield, firing a drive through
his legs that nestled in the corner of the Anfield Road net.
Mane has been in terrific form for the Reds this season and wheeled away in delight with Philippe Coutinho
Watford
suffered the blow of seeing Heruleho Gomes carried off with a serious
knee injury but the goalkeeper's replacement, Costel Pantilimon, would
have known he was about to enter the Lion's Den. Liverpool were just
building up a head of steam.
Two
became three on the stroke of half-time, when Emre Can scored for the
second game in succession, applying the emphatic finish to Adam
Lallana's inviting cross and within 12 minutes of the re-start,
Liverpool's fourth goal arrived when Firmino finished another Lallana
centre.
Number
five was the most simple of the afternoon, Mane tapping in his second
from a few yards out after Firmino latched onto a wonderful pass from
Jordan Henderson and turned Jose Holebas inside out before firing a ball
into the Senegal international.
If
there was a criticism to be aimed at Liverpool, it was the fact they
allowed Watford to score through Daryl Janmaat during a sloppy 10 minute
spell in which goalkeeper Loris Karius made two further good saves, the
pick of which came from a bending Deeney shot. One Premier League clean
sheet in 11 matches is a record that must be improved.
Klopp,
however, would not quibble too much and after Daniel Sturridge rattled
the bar with two efforts, Gini Wijnaldum, another substitute, became
Liverpool's 13th different goalscorer of the campaign to complete the
demolition, pouncing in the six yard box.
In
his programme notes, Klopp made a point to those on the outside who
have been tipping Liverpool as title candidates, saying he had 'noticed
people are singing nice songs about us at the moment' but he will
noticed the song that came from the Kop in the 90th minute, also.
'Liverpool! Top of the League!' they hollered repeatedly. 'Liverpool, Liverpool! Top of the League!'
How
long will they stay there? Klopp might feel it is a pointless question,
with so many twists and turns to come. But on this evidence, Liverpool
won't be relinquish that position any time soon. Their potential – and
their credentials – are there for all to see.
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