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Liverpool served returning manager Claudio Ranieri a baptism of fire on his Watford debut, thrashing his side 5-0 at Vicarage Road in the Premier League on Saturday.
Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah bagged one apiece to take the unbeaten Reds top of the table. The Hornets were second-best throughout, but showed signs of improvement after Mane fired the visitors in front off a beautiful cross from Salah.
Nevertheless, the Reds were dominant all night, with Firmino doubling their advantage with the easiest of tap-ins just five minutes before half-time. The Brazilian was on target again soon after the restart before Salah produced another fine individual goal to add gloss to the scoreline.
Watford once again came to life halfway through the second period, creating some good chances. They also managed to rattle the crossbar, but couldn't find a consolation goal.
Firmino then capped off a five-star performance with another tap-in for his first domestic hat-trick since December 2018.
Liverpool are cruising at the top of the table with 18 points, although Chelsea can reclaim pole position with a win over Brentford later in the day. Watford, who succumbed to their second consecutive league defeat, remain in 15th place.
On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game:
#5 Irresistible Salah continues to sizzle for Liverpool
Mohamed Salah was involved in two goals on the night, scoring one and assisting one. The in-form Liverpool talisman continued his blistering run of form with two moments of exceptional quality, starting with his lay-off for Mane.
He stole clear of his marker and scampered a few steps forward before crossing for the Senegalese with a sublime outside-of-the-boot cross. It nicely evaded two Watford defenders and fell perfectly for Mane to finish the job.
Given how peerless he has been in front goal so far this campaign, Salah was never going to stop at that. A goal was always coming, and when it did, Liverpool fans were on their feet. He has now scored in eight consecutive games across competitions for the club.
Reminiscent of his strike against Manchester City a few weeks ago, Salah once again produced an unbelievable piece of skill.
He eluded a host of yellow shirts with superb ball control before finishing into the bottom corner with his magical left foot. Salah now has seven goals for the season and six against Watford.
#4 Ben Forster packs a punch
The scoreline is a clear reflection of how dominant Liverpool were. But even then, without Ben Forster between the sticks, it could've been seven, eight or even more for the visitors.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper showed nerves of steel against Liverpool's rampant attacking frontline. He dived into a few good saves, and kept the scoreline as low as he possibly could.
With a little more help from his defence, he could've made a real claim for the best performer's award, but that was not to be. Watford now have the second-worst defensive record in the league with 15 goals conceded in eight games. At this rate, Forster's heroics alone may not be enough to keep them up.
#3 Firmino rolls back the years for Liverpool
When he first arrived at Liverpool, Roberto Firmino's job was that of a natural striker - to score goals - which he did, abundantly. But following Salah's arrival, Firmino's role evolved into that of a false nine as the African duo (Salah and Sadio Mane) on either side shouldered the goalscoring burden.
However, on Saturday, the Brazilian rolled back the years with a vintage performance. He scored three goals in a match after a long time, two of which were pure poacher's finishes.
The first and the third were simple tap-ins, but credit to him for reading the match brilliantly and showing excellent awareness. Like a penalty-box striker, as he used to be back in the day, Firmino took his chances nonchalantly. In the process, Firmino became the first Brazilian to net multiple Premier League hat-tricks.
Entering the match, he only has one goal to his name in the Premier League, and following this hat-trick, the former Hoffenheim marksman has thurst his name among the Golden Boot contenders.
#2 Watford still adjusting to life under new manager
Claudio Ranieri patrolled the Watford dugout for the first time since being announced as their new manager. But he ended up suffering his worst ever Premier League defeat.
Is that a coincidence? It could be, but considering how all over the place Watford were at the back, it shouldn't be surprising.
The Hornets showed promising signs in the first half after falling behind, fighting hard for the ball and making dangerous forays forward. But it wasn't until the final quarter that the side put sustained pressure on Liverpool.
Cucho Hernandez and Tom Cleverly, looking to exploit the space down their left, managed to get forward and lay a few good crosses. Although none of them came to fruition, the attacking intent must have made Ranieri happy.
#1 Liverpool look like title contenders again
Liverpool's performance on the night was truly worthy of a side contending for the Premier League title. The Reds were absolutely rampant from start to finish, tearing Watford apart with ruthless attacking quality that we've come to see from them under Jurgen Klopp.
Last season was an anomaly, as the side witnessed a decline in form after two consecutive years at their best. But the Reds are now fit and firing again this season, functioning like a cohesive unit and in a rich vein of form.
Could they go all the way in the league this season? There's a good chance they could.
