Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy helped Liverpool erase the pain
of their Carling Cup humiliation with a 3-0 hammering of
Watford.
Crouch, Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt started together in attack for the
first time as Rafa Benitez boldly decided to change Liverpool's
formation, with three in defence and Steve Finnan and Fabio Aurelio
as wing-backs.
Crouch was the only striker to receive much service in the early
stages as Liverpool started the game sluggishly, but the result was
never in doubt after the first goal and The Reds finished the game
with a swagger.
Steven Gerrard smashed a 25-yard effort just wide of Ben Foster's
right-hand post after six minutes, but it seemed an age before
Liverpool found their rhythm and they had to rely on set-pieces to
threaten early on.
Watford's defensive frailties were highlighted at free-kicks as
Crouch was twice allowed to peel away to the back post to collect
Gerrard's delivery, and on the second occasion he tested Foster
with a low volley.
From the resultant corner Aurelio saw a goal rightly chalked out
for offside as he turned in Finnan's mis-hit cross-shot, before
Crouch headed straight at Foster from Finnan's cross moments
later.
Watford only threatened sporadically but almost took the lead after
25 minutes as Hameur Bouazza sprinted in from the left and fired a
shot inches wide of the post from just outside the area.
Liverpool broke the deadlock after 34 minutes as Crouch and Finnan
combined to set up Bellamy. Crouch twice looked as though he had
lost possession as he battled his way through towards goal, but his
perseverance paid off as Foster rushed out and failed to gather the
ball. It squirted out to Finnan and, with Foster stranded, he
cleverly picked out Bellamy in the six-yard box to give him the
simplest of tap-ins.
Tommy Smith had a glorious opportunity to equalise for Watford as
he was played in to the penalty area down the right, but he showed
no composure as Reina approached and his shot across goal was so
far wide of the mark it trickled out to hit the corner flag.
Watford were punished for Smith's miss as they found themselves 2-0
down after 40 minutes. Kuyt's header released Bellamy and, although
the Welshman's strike was brilliantly parried by Foster, the ball
bounced into Crouch's path and he headed into an empty net.
As the second half got underway Adrian Boothroyd brought Will
Hoskins on for his Watford debut and Ashley Young quickly forced a
fine save out of Jose Reina with a long-range drive.
However, any fleeting hopes Watford had of staging a comeback were
snuffed out after 48 minutes as Crouch grabbed his second and
Liverpool's third.
Aurelio fed Bellamy down the left and he was given time to cut the
ball across goal to the unmarked Crouch 12 yards out. Full of
confidence, the giant forward slotted his first-time shot coolly
into the bottom left corner.
With Liverpool in full flow and the Watford backline in tatters a
goal looked likely every time The Reds broke forward, but Gerrard
squandered a glorious opening as he blazed high and wide from
inside the area.
Crouch was denied his hat-trick by a fine stop from Foster before
being replaced by Jermaine Pennant after 69 minutes.
To their credit Watford continued to play positively, and Jordan
Stewart's dipping half-volley from almost 30 yards was only kept
out by the angle of post and crossbar.
Bouazza also came close to restoring some pride to the scoreline as
his powerful free-kick was well held by Reina, and Watford saw a
bit more of the ball in the closing stages as Liverpool took their
foot off the gas.
Liverpool remained in control until the final whistle though and
Bellamy, John Arne Riise and Aurelio all tried to pile more misery
on Watford late on.
They had to settle for 3-0, a more than accurate reflection of
their dominance, and Benitez will have been relieved to see his
side return to winning ways.