Post by Golden_Boy™ on Dec 21, 2006 14:30:29 GMT -1
Liverpool v Watford
Anfield
Saturday, 23 December
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live, and highlights on MOTD
Team news to follow later.
BIG-MATCH FACTS
LIVERPOOL against Watford brings together the clubs at the top and bottom of the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table. The Merseysiders are chasing a fourth successive League victory and are unbeaten at home, while the Hornets have not won away and are looking to add to their solitary maximum over Middlesbrough, since their return to the big time.
Anfield was shrouded in mist on Tuesday night, forcing the unwelcome postponement of the Carling Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. But fans have not witnessed a League defeat there in 25 outings, and a Christmas party atmosphere is expected. Manager Rafa Benitez will want his side to extend their six-match unbeaten League run through the holiday programme at Blackburn on Boxing Day, at Spurs four days later and home to Bolton on New Years Day to stay in pole position for a Champions League qualifying place.
Since clashing in the 1999-2000 Premier League season, these clubs have met just once. The Reds won both legs of the League Cup semi-final by one goal to nil in the season before last.
WATFORD are in grave danger of being the turkeys this Christmas. Defeat at Anfield will guarantee they go into the festive period at the bottom of the table, from where only one club has escaped relegation in the 14 previous seasons of the Premier League. Aidy Boothroyd's side have gained only two points out of 18, and lie one point adrift of Charlton at the foot, and six points short of safety. A draw, coupled with defeat for the Addicks at Middlesbrough, would see Watford off the foot.
The Hornets are averaging one goal per point this season, but have conceded twice as many goals as they've scored (11 netted, 22 leaked). They face another of the top four in Arsenal at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day, and entertain Wigan four days after that. On New Years Day, Boothroyd's boys must visit the banks of the Thames to play Fulham.
The Hornets won their only previous Premiership visit to Anfield. Thomas Mooney scored the solitary goal on 14 August 1999. But they then lost the reverse fixture by the odd goal in five.
REFEREE
Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Premiership referees' table
Phil Dowd's 2006-07 Premiership card count
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
LIVERPOOL
Club stats
Fixtures
3rd 31 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 3rd
Lowest could realistically fall: 6th
1. Off the pace by some 13 points, and 11 points behind the top two.
2. Gained 20 more points than Watford (31 to 11), with eight more wins (nine to one).
3. Won six of the last nine Premiership matches, including the last three against Wigan (a), Fulham (h) and Charlton (a), with an aggreagte of 11-0.
4. On the Premiership's longest current sequence of clean sheets (six) and not conceded a Premiership goal in 550 minutes (nine hours 10 minutes), since William Gallas netted Arsenal's third in the Londoners' 3-0 home win on 12 November.
5. Kept 10 clean sheets in the highest League - only Chelsea can match that.
6. Won all eight top tier games in which they have scored first - no club can match that.
7. Won all six Premiership matches in which ahead at half time.
8. Unbeaten in 25 home Premiership matches, winning 21 and drawing four since losing 1-4 to Chelsea on 2 October 2005. Won seven and drawn two of the nine home League games this season.
9. The 23 points gained from home top League matches, is only equalled by Chelsea.
WATFORD
Club stats
Fixtures
20th 11 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 19th
Lowest could fall: Bottom, four points adrift
1. Won one of 17 Premiership games, dropping 40 points.
2. Lost four and drawn two of the last six Premiership matches.
3. Scored only one goal in four League outings.
4. Own the joint poorest attack in the highest division. Scored 11 in 17. West Ham have also scored only 11, from 18 games.
5. One of four clubs without an away League win.
6. Offering the least value for money in the Premiership as far as goals per game is concerned. The 17 matches have generated 33 goals (11 for, 22 against) at an average of 1.94 goals per game.
7. Gone in at half time all square in 11 Premiership games - that's more than any other club.
8. Gained just three points on the road from a 1-1 draw at Wigan, and goalless draws at Charlton and Manchester City.
9. Boasting only five different scorers of top division goals - the equal shortest goalscorers list, alongside Charlton's.
10. The return of 11 points from 17 games is a mirror image of Watford's performance in their only previous Premiership campaign in 1999-2000, when they also had 11 points after 18 matches.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
LIVERPOOL
Squad profiles
Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with nine goals.
Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.
REINA and Steven GERRARD are the only players to have figured in at least a part of each of Liverpool's Premiership games this season.
Jermaine PENNANT spent two periods on loan with Watford when on Arsenal's books.
WATFORD
Squad profiles
Ashley YOUNG is Watford's top scorer with four goals.
YOUNG and Hameur BOUAZZA are the club's top Premiership scorers with three each.
Darius HENDERSON is the only player to have figured in at least a part of every one of Watford's Premiership matches this season.
If he plays, Jordan STEWART will be making his 50th League appearance for Watford.
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Liverpool 10 wins, Watford 3, Draws 1
Prem: Liverpool 1 win, Watford 1, Draws 0
at Liverpool only
League: Liverpool 6 wins, Watford 1, Draws 0
Prem: Liverpool 0 win, Watford 1, Draws 0
Anfield
Saturday, 23 December
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live, and highlights on MOTD
Team news to follow later.
BIG-MATCH FACTS
LIVERPOOL against Watford brings together the clubs at the top and bottom of the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table. The Merseysiders are chasing a fourth successive League victory and are unbeaten at home, while the Hornets have not won away and are looking to add to their solitary maximum over Middlesbrough, since their return to the big time.
Anfield was shrouded in mist on Tuesday night, forcing the unwelcome postponement of the Carling Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. But fans have not witnessed a League defeat there in 25 outings, and a Christmas party atmosphere is expected. Manager Rafa Benitez will want his side to extend their six-match unbeaten League run through the holiday programme at Blackburn on Boxing Day, at Spurs four days later and home to Bolton on New Years Day to stay in pole position for a Champions League qualifying place.
Since clashing in the 1999-2000 Premier League season, these clubs have met just once. The Reds won both legs of the League Cup semi-final by one goal to nil in the season before last.
WATFORD are in grave danger of being the turkeys this Christmas. Defeat at Anfield will guarantee they go into the festive period at the bottom of the table, from where only one club has escaped relegation in the 14 previous seasons of the Premier League. Aidy Boothroyd's side have gained only two points out of 18, and lie one point adrift of Charlton at the foot, and six points short of safety. A draw, coupled with defeat for the Addicks at Middlesbrough, would see Watford off the foot.
The Hornets are averaging one goal per point this season, but have conceded twice as many goals as they've scored (11 netted, 22 leaked). They face another of the top four in Arsenal at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day, and entertain Wigan four days after that. On New Years Day, Boothroyd's boys must visit the banks of the Thames to play Fulham.
The Hornets won their only previous Premiership visit to Anfield. Thomas Mooney scored the solitary goal on 14 August 1999. But they then lost the reverse fixture by the odd goal in five.
REFEREE
Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Premiership referees' table
Phil Dowd's 2006-07 Premiership card count
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
LIVERPOOL
Club stats
Fixtures
3rd 31 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 3rd
Lowest could realistically fall: 6th
1. Off the pace by some 13 points, and 11 points behind the top two.
2. Gained 20 more points than Watford (31 to 11), with eight more wins (nine to one).
3. Won six of the last nine Premiership matches, including the last three against Wigan (a), Fulham (h) and Charlton (a), with an aggreagte of 11-0.
4. On the Premiership's longest current sequence of clean sheets (six) and not conceded a Premiership goal in 550 minutes (nine hours 10 minutes), since William Gallas netted Arsenal's third in the Londoners' 3-0 home win on 12 November.
5. Kept 10 clean sheets in the highest League - only Chelsea can match that.
6. Won all eight top tier games in which they have scored first - no club can match that.
7. Won all six Premiership matches in which ahead at half time.
8. Unbeaten in 25 home Premiership matches, winning 21 and drawing four since losing 1-4 to Chelsea on 2 October 2005. Won seven and drawn two of the nine home League games this season.
9. The 23 points gained from home top League matches, is only equalled by Chelsea.
WATFORD
Club stats
Fixtures
20th 11 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 19th
Lowest could fall: Bottom, four points adrift
1. Won one of 17 Premiership games, dropping 40 points.
2. Lost four and drawn two of the last six Premiership matches.
3. Scored only one goal in four League outings.
4. Own the joint poorest attack in the highest division. Scored 11 in 17. West Ham have also scored only 11, from 18 games.
5. One of four clubs without an away League win.
6. Offering the least value for money in the Premiership as far as goals per game is concerned. The 17 matches have generated 33 goals (11 for, 22 against) at an average of 1.94 goals per game.
7. Gone in at half time all square in 11 Premiership games - that's more than any other club.
8. Gained just three points on the road from a 1-1 draw at Wigan, and goalless draws at Charlton and Manchester City.
9. Boasting only five different scorers of top division goals - the equal shortest goalscorers list, alongside Charlton's.
10. The return of 11 points from 17 games is a mirror image of Watford's performance in their only previous Premiership campaign in 1999-2000, when they also had 11 points after 18 matches.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
LIVERPOOL
Squad profiles
Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with nine goals.
Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.
REINA and Steven GERRARD are the only players to have figured in at least a part of each of Liverpool's Premiership games this season.
Jermaine PENNANT spent two periods on loan with Watford when on Arsenal's books.
WATFORD
Squad profiles
Ashley YOUNG is Watford's top scorer with four goals.
YOUNG and Hameur BOUAZZA are the club's top Premiership scorers with three each.
Darius HENDERSON is the only player to have figured in at least a part of every one of Watford's Premiership matches this season.
If he plays, Jordan STEWART will be making his 50th League appearance for Watford.
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Liverpool 10 wins, Watford 3, Draws 1
Prem: Liverpool 1 win, Watford 1, Draws 0
at Liverpool only
League: Liverpool 6 wins, Watford 1, Draws 0
Prem: Liverpool 0 win, Watford 1, Draws 0
They look like they're getting back to their best, 6 past Blackburn today 