Watford and Liverpool supporters are very much looking forward to their meeting in the Premier League on Saturday, with both teams heading into the clash off the back of differing recent results.
Javi Gracia’s Hornets made a fast start to the new season in winning their opening four league matches, but they have since then managed just two victories from a possible eight, and go into Saturday’s meeting with the Reds having won neither of their previous two league encounters.
Yet things are looking a lot brighter for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool given they beat Fulham 2-0 just before the international break to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, with their tally of nine wins and three draws seeing them sit just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
And both sides will be hoping for even greater improvement as the campaign wears on after a summer of spending, with Gracia luring Gerard Deulofeu to Vicarage Road on a permanent deal, while Xherdan Shaqiri left relegated Stoke City to team up with Klopp at Anfield.
And it’s these two hugely talented attackers that are of the keenest interest, so let’s take a look at how the duo compare…
Gerard Deulofeu
Former Everton star Deulofeu hasn’t quite seen his career take off in recent times despite returning to Barcelona in 2017, only for the Spanish giants to loan him out to Watford for the second half of last season.
And with a goal and an assist in his seven appearances for the Hornets, manager Gracia sought to lure him back to Vicarage Road this time on a permanent basis, a move from which the Hornets chief is slowly but surely reaping the rewards.
And that’s because, while the 24-year-old missed Watford’s first seven games of the season through injury, he has since then been involved in all of their succeeding five to suggest that he is firmly in Gracia’s thoughts, perhaps because he has scored once and laid on one assist in that time to help the Hornets to two wins and a draw in those five matches.
And in excelling in their 3-0 success over Huddersfield Town, it appears that Deulofeu is beginning to deliver that undoubted potential on a more regular basis – if he can continue to do that, he will become a massive asset to Gracia as the season wears on.
TT Verdict: B+
Xherdan Shaqiri
Shaqiri enjoyed his best season at Stoke last time round in bagging eight goals and laying on seven assists for the Potters, which is why their eventual relegation was always likely to see the Switzerland international move on come the summer.
And it was Klopp’s Liverpool who sealed a bargain £13.5 million deal for the 27-year-old winger, which is already looking like money very well spent indeed given the Swiss star has scored twice and laid on three assists in 11 appearances for the Reds this term.
Significantly, the 27-year-old’s arrival has given the Reds chief another hugely accomplished option in the forward ranks, thus giving the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah something to think about, at the same time offering Klopp the opportunity to be able to rotate his side without losing too much of their star quality.
And with Shaqiri showing just as much drive off the ball as he has on it, a far cry away from what we saw for much of his Stoke career, Klopp has completely reinvigorated the winger into a Liverpool asset – all for just £13.5 million.
TT Verdict: A
The Verdict
Clearly, both Gracia and Klopp sought further attacking reinforcements during the summer in a bid to take their respective sides forward this season, and both Deulofeu and Shaqiri have shown signs that they might do just that.
The former hasn’t exactly set the world alight following his first stint in English football with Everton, but the last few weeks has seen him produce the level of performance we all know he has in him, while Shaqiri has shown signs that he will push the renowned Liverpool front three for a starting role.
Yes, Deulofeu is beginning to deliver the goods for Gracia to suggest that the Hornets have themselves a gem, but it’s hard to look past the masterstroke Klopp pulled off in luring Shaqiri to Anfield – a player with immense ability just waiting to flourish in a forward-thinking side.
Watford and Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!
