Roberto Firmino sends Jurgen Klopp timely reminder as Mohamed Salah stars in Liverpool win

In pictures: Liverpool hammer Watford

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

All the talk after Liverpool’s thrashing of Watford on Saturday will be about Mohamed Salah, whose incredible purple patch of form shows no sign of slowing down. But Salah’s genius should be taken as a given now – and as such Jurgen Klopp should take more pride in another player’s performance at Vicarage Road.

Liverpool have made a brilliant start to the Premier League season. They are the only unbeaten side and their 5-0 hammering of Watford sent Klopp’s side top of the table ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Salah’s form has been mesmerizing. Virgil van Dijk is back from injury. Trent Alexander-Arnold is at his creative best.

But one factor of Liverpool’s trademark play has been missing in the early stages of the 2021/22 season: Roberto Firmino.

Firmino has featured fairly regularly for the Reds this season, but a hamstring injury has been a constant nagging problem for the Brazilian striker.

He limped out of the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on August 28 and has not looked at his best ever since returning from his lay-off, playing mainly off the bench.

JUST IN: Chelsea chief Granovskaia may need to reverse summer transfer decision

However, after a much-needed two-week international break, those cobwebs were blown away against an inviting Watford side who strangely exhibited the exact opposite of the fabled new manager bounce.

Claudio Ranieri’s side were awful, but they were up against a Liverpool team which were at their best right from the first whistle, despite Klopp’s continued protestations about the early kick-off time.

It didn’t take long for Salah to show a piece of magic. The Egyptian picked up a loose ball, span behind Danny Rose and played a inch-perfect outside-of-the-boot pass into Sadio Mane, who finished first time past Ben Foster.

DON’T MISS

Man City’s stance on Raheem Sterling transfer as star eyes Barcelona

Arsenal’s insane XI if Bale and Calvert-Lewin complete January swoop

Tottenham boss Nuno responds to Keane and Neville criticism of Kane

Liverpool were utterly dominant with the Hornets unable to even hold onto the ball for any sustained period of time.

Their dominance was rewarded when Mane worked an overlap with the ageless James Milner, who crossed for Firmino to tap in. It was a simple finish, but a much-needed one for Firmino, who was making just his second Premier League start of the season.

Ranieri shuffled his pack at the break but it was more of the same.

Firmino gobbled up a rebound after Foster parried from Craig Cathcart’s inadvertent attempt to goal to make it 3-0 before Salah produced another goal of the season contender.

Accepting a square pass from Firmino, Salah jinked past a crowd of Watford defenders before putting Cathcart on his backside and cutting inside to curl past Foster.

It was the lowest of low key assists from Firmino but still showed his importance to the side.

He capped a brilliant afternoon by tapping in Neco Williams’ cross to complete his hat-trick in injury-time.

In the majority of games, Klopp has fielded Diogo Jota in between Mane and Salah this season. The Portuguese forward has looked the part, scoring three goals in nine games, but he is a completely different style of player.

Jota is a clever inside forward capable of drifting into space and timing his runs into the box. Firmino’s style has made him the lynchpin for Liverpool’s attack for the past three seasons: he holds up the ball, brings his team-mates into play and more often than not finds himself in the right place at the right time.

Firmino is the archetypal team player. Yet he still recorded nine goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season.

Now he is back from injury and firing, Klopp has two fantastic options on his hands. He has the choice of picking horses for courses.

Jota may well still be the clever choice against teams that provide space in behind and in games where fast transitions and breaks are key.

But against deep-set defences where Liverpool will dominate possession, Firmino has shown time and again that he is the man for the job.

His return against Watford means he now has six goals in seven games this season – five appearances of which have come off the substitutes’ bench.

Not bad for a non-scoring striker.

Source: Read Full Article