Liverpool go top of Premier League with victory over Watford

Liverpool turned up the title race pressure on Manchester City as they went top of the Premier League table for the first time since September with a 2-0 win over Watford.

Diogo Jota’s 20th goal of the season in the first half was followed by a late Fabinho penalty to send a message the short distance up the road to Turf Moor where City were about to kick-off against Burnley.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, watching from the bench, could not have failed to be impressed not necessarily by the first goal – which has become quite commonplace now for Jota – but with the quality of the assist.

His stand-in Joe Gomez, making only his second Premier League start of the season, produced a cross of which his England team-mate would have been proud, whipped in to the near post in a space between centre-half and right-back.

Jota does not need much of an invitation to get on the end of such gifts, having scored more Premier League headers (seven) than anyone since joining Liverpool in September 2020.

Only team-mate Mohamed Salah (20) has scored more in the top flight than the Portugal international’s 14, which secured a 10th successive home win for only the ninth time in the club’s history.

A 14-point deficit in January had been turned into a two-point advantage ahead of City’s 3pm start, teeing up their tantalising clash at the Etihad next Sunday irrespective of the outcome at Turf Moor.

Manager Jurgen Klopp had called for players and fans to be at their best for a traditionally difficult early Saturday kick-off but it was the visitors who had the better early chances, with Ismaila Sarr volleying over, Cucho Hernandez flicking a header straight at Alisson Becker and Juraj Kucka also being denied one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

But moments