Watford hammer Liverpool
Liverpool's hopes of remaining unbeaten for an entire Premier League season were ended in sensational style by a rampant Watford at Vicarage Road.
02 March 2020 | Sports
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has lamented an “unacceptable” display after the team's run of 44 games without defeat in the Premier League ended with a shock 3-0 loss away to struggling Watford on Saturday.
“First of all, credit to Watford, they deserve it. It's a tough one to take, but that's football,” van Dijk told Sky Sports after the stunning reverse at Vicarage Road.
“We have to improve and we will.”
Reigning European champions Liverpool, bidding for their first title of the Premier League era, were undone by Ismaila Sarr's second-half double and a 72nd-minute goal from Troy Deeney.
The defeat ended Liverpool's hopes of winning their first English championship crown in 30 years with an unbeaten season, as they lost in the league for the first time since January 2019.
“We have to improve, we have to do better,” said van Dijk, with Liverpool still a mammoth 22 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the current English title-holders, despite this defeat.
“It's not acceptable to lose 3-0 here.”
Saturday's remarkable loss put paid to Liverpool's hopes of equalling Arsenal's celebrated 'Invincibles', who enjoyed an unbeaten campaign while winning the 2003/04 Premier League title as part of a sequence of 49 top-flight matches without defeat.
Dutch international van Dijk said: “Losing hurts, the records are only for the media. We want to win our next game against Chelsea in the FA Cup tomorrow; we want to strike back straight away.”
Victory saw Watford climb out of the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference alone, and elated goalkeeper Ben Foster said: “It's easy if you do it like that. We had a game plan and stuck to it really well.”
NAMPA/AFP
“First of all, credit to Watford, they deserve it. It's a tough one to take, but that's football,” van Dijk told Sky Sports after the stunning reverse at Vicarage Road.
“We have to improve and we will.”
Reigning European champions Liverpool, bidding for their first title of the Premier League era, were undone by Ismaila Sarr's second-half double and a 72nd-minute goal from Troy Deeney.
The defeat ended Liverpool's hopes of winning their first English championship crown in 30 years with an unbeaten season, as they lost in the league for the first time since January 2019.
“We have to improve, we have to do better,” said van Dijk, with Liverpool still a mammoth 22 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the current English title-holders, despite this defeat.
“It's not acceptable to lose 3-0 here.”
Saturday's remarkable loss put paid to Liverpool's hopes of equalling Arsenal's celebrated 'Invincibles', who enjoyed an unbeaten campaign while winning the 2003/04 Premier League title as part of a sequence of 49 top-flight matches without defeat.
Dutch international van Dijk said: “Losing hurts, the records are only for the media. We want to win our next game against Chelsea in the FA Cup tomorrow; we want to strike back straight away.”
Victory saw Watford climb out of the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference alone, and elated goalkeeper Ben Foster said: “It's easy if you do it like that. We had a game plan and stuck to it really well.”
NAMPA/AFP
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