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By Neil JohnstonBBC Sport
Last updated on 17 minutes ago.From the section Premier League
Only Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin (eight) has scored more headed Premier League goals than Diogo Jota (seven) since the start of the 2020-21 seasonLiverpool beat struggling Watford to complete a remarkable return to the top of the Premier League - for a few hours at least.
The Reds trailed Manchester City by 14 points on 15 January, but a 10th straight league win at a raucous Anfield took them above Pep Guardiola's side, whom they meet on 10 April.
Diogo Jota's 20th club goal of the season - and his third in as many appearances in a red shirt, 34 seconds after Alisson made a huge save to deny Juraj Kucka - helped seal a tense win.
Portugal forward Jota jumped between two Watford defender to meet a cross and head past Ben Foster as Joe Gomez marked only his second league start of the season with an assist.
Fabinho's late penalty - after Kucka's rugby-style challenge on Jota - secured the points.
Despite sealing a potentially significant win, Liverpool were not at their fluent best.
Joao Pedro wasted a glorious chance to equalise in the second half as Watford remain third from bottom, three points from safety.
Liverpool are two points ahead of City, who face struggling Burnley at Turf Moor at 15:00 BST.
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Liverpool
Squad number1Player nameAlisson
Squad number12Player nameGomez
Squad number32Player nameMatip
Squad number4Player namevan Dijk
Squad number26Player nameRobertson- Squad number17Player nameJones
Squad number14Player nameHenderson- Squad number6Player nameThiago Alcántara
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah
Squad number9Player nameRoberto Firmino- Squad number20Player nameDiogo Jota
- Squad number3Player nameFabinho
Squad number7Player nameMilner
Squad number10Player nameMané
Watford
Squad number1Player nameFoster
Squad number21Player nameKiko Femenía
Squad number27Player nameKabasele- Squad number22Player nameSamir
- Squad number14Player nameKamara
- Squad number6Player nameLouza
- Squad number23Player nameSarr
- Squad number19Player nameSissoko
- Squad number33Player nameKucka
- Squad number29Player nameCucho Hernández
- Squad number10Player nameJoão Pedro
- Squad number7Player nameKing
Squad number8Player nameCleverley- Squad number25Player nameDennis
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 12GomezBooked at 45mins
- 32Matip
- 4van Dijk
- 26Robertson
- 17JonesSubstituted forFabinhoat 62'minutes
- 14Henderson
- 6Thiago AlcántaraSubstituted forMilnerat 90'minutes
- 11SalahSubstituted forManéat 69'minutes
- 9Firmino
- 20Jota
Substitutes
- 3Fabinho
- 5Konaté
- 7Milner
- 10Mané
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 21Tsimikas
- 23Díaz
- 62Kelleher
- 66Alexander-Arnold
Watford
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Foster
- 21Femenía
- 27Kabasele
- 22Samir
- 14Kamara
- 6LouzaSubstituted forCleverleyat 78'minutes
- 23Sarr
- 19Sissoko
- 33Kucka
- 29HernándezBooked at 59minsSubstituted forDennisat 78'minutes
- 10João PedroSubstituted forKingat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Ngakia
- 7King
- 8Cleverley
- 11Masina
- 12Sema
- 15Cathcart
- 25Dennis
- 26Bachmann
- 39Kayembe
Live Text
Match ends, Liverpool 2, Watford 0.
Second Half ends, Liverpool 2, Watford 0.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Liverpool).
Samir (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Diogo Jota (Liverpool).
Juraj Kucka (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Liverpool. James Milner replaces Thiago.
Goal! Liverpool 2, Watford 0. Fabinho (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
VAR Decision: Penalty Liverpool.
Penalty Liverpool. Diogo Jota draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Juraj Kucka (Watford) after a foul in the penalty area.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Christian Kabasele.
Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Thiago.
Offside, Watford. Juraj Kucka tries a through ball, but Emmanuel Dennis is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
Substitution, Watford. Emmanuel Dennis replaces Cucho Hernández.
Substitution, Watford. Joshua King replaces João Pedro.
Substitution, Watford. Tom Cleverley replaces Imrân Louza.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Kiko Femenía.
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