Watford v Liverpool LIVE reaction: Reds run riot at Vicarage Road to win 5-0 as Roberto Firmino nets a hattrick with Mohamed Salah in fine form throughout

Liverpool top the table after a dominant 5-0 win away to Watford at Vicarage Road as Roberto Firmino netted a hattrick and Mohamed Salah performed wonders again.

Sadio Mane scored the first after a fine assist from Salah early on, before Firmino tapped in from close range to see the Reds lead by two going into the second half.

Firmino poked in the third of the day before Salah worked his magic yet again to trick his way through and curl it into the bottom left to make it four before the Brazilian tapped in his third before the final whistle

4 Liverpool players who must perform for Reds to win vs Watford today

Liverpool are without several key players against Watford today. With that in mind, here are four who simply must step up.

Liverpool will miss quite a few first-team players against Watford. Injuries and international commitments have gotten in the way, limiting what Jurgen Klopp can do with his side.

The result is that several players will feel the pressure in this one. Here are four we think really stand out.

Firmino’s hat-trick and Salah’s scorcher lead Liverpool rout of Ranieri’s Watford

At the kick-off, it was all about Claudio Ranieri. By the end it was all about Mohamed Salah, because nowadays virtually everything is. Nobody in the top flight is operating on quite the same plane as Salah, who is producing some of the best and most consistent football seen at this level in the modern era. Anyone preparing charges of hyperbole would surely be persuaded by a viewing of his past 10 performances: they have brought 10 goals but there has been so much more and he came close to surpassing himself here.

That is all the more remarkable given that, in more run-of-the-mill company, all manner of other narratives could have dominated. Never mind a ghastly Watford performance in Ranieri’s first game as head coach; Liverpool could bask in Roberto Firmino’s first hat-trick since December 2018 or, just as worthily, in Sadio Mané’s 100th Premier League goal. Salah’s part in the latter had demonstrated he is operating towards the point of maximum expression but nine minutes into the second half he rendered it a footnote.

Mohamed Salah hits wonder goal as five-star Liverpool demolish Watford

Claudio Ranieri may be much-loved for his unshakable optimism, but even he will fail to glean any positives from the carcass of this wretched return to English football. The Italian was a helpless bystander as he watched his new Watford side ravaged, ruthlessly and resoundingly, by Liverpool at Vicarage Road on Saturday, and the eventual scoreline of 5-0 was if anything lenient.

Mohamed Salah confirms what he should already know about Liverpool future

Not content with cementing his position as undoubtedly the greatest player in the world right now, the Liverpool forward has evidently taken it upon himself to make the goal of the month award his own concern by scoring the perfect Premier League strike.

You’d have thought Salah would have been satisfied enough with his astonishing effort against Manchester City a fortnight ago that staked a genuine claim for the honour.

Liverpool’s Salah 10/10 after stunning goal; Firmino hat trick as Watford are thrashed

Liverpool may have had players missing, but they beat Watford convincingly as Sadio Mane opened the scoring after nine minutes with a wonderfully taken goal following Mohamed Salah‘s brilliant pass.

Liverpool’s second came in the 37th minute as Roberto Firmino tapped in a James Milner cross, before then scoring again in the 52nd minute.