EPL
Watford vs Liverpool: Why the Reds must be wary of Gerard Deulofeu
The Reds travel to the Vicarage Road on Saturday to battle Watford in a must-win affair.
They are not just aiming for the three points, they are equally looking to extend their unbeaten run to 13 Premier League games.
On paper, the Reds shouldn’t have any problem defeating Javi Gracia’s men but no one can predict an outcome of any football fixture as there are room for surprises and unexpected results.
If Jurgen Klopp must continue his impressive start to the season by picking up maximum points against Watford on Saturday, he must tell his players to be wary of former Everton star Gerard Deulofeu.
The Spaniard is now in top form after a woeful start to the campaign. He scored a beautiful goal– his first of the season — against Huddersfield Town two weeks ago before following it up with another assist against Southampton before the international break.
His uninspiring start to life at Vicarage Road could be traced to the injury he suffered at the start of the season but that seems to be behind him. He looks sharp, active and ready to get the goals against Liverpool.
His partnership with Holebas and Isaac Success at the final third is lethal and deadly enough to cause havoc to any defence in the League.
How to Curtail Gerard Deulofeu’s threats
Liverpool defenders must know that they have a very huge job on their hands on Saturday if they must come out unscathed by the Hornets’ impressive strikers. Hence, they should come out with a strategy that will help them succeed in their mission to protect their awesome record.
One way to prevent Deulofeu from having a great game on Saturday is by keeping a close watch on him throughout the encounter so as to mark him closely. They must deny him any space to dribble nor make any attacking runs.
Deulofeu is a very pacy and technically sound player who always shoots at goal at the slightest opportunity, thus, the Reds mustn’t give him any breathing space during the game.
Though the Reds have been solid at the back so far, Virgil van Dijk must ensure that his young partners — Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson — are active and focus throughout the game as that’s the only way to prevent the Spaniard from making any meaningful impact.
Having said that, the Reds must also keep a close watch on Nigeria international Isaac Success who is back to his best.
The 22-year-old striker was unconvincing in his first season with the team but he’s now a changed and responsible player. His quality is never in doubt and he could cause the Reds so many problems on Saturday if not closely marked
