Premier League: Four Key Matches That Defined the Relegation Battle
1. February 29, Watford snaps Liverpool’s incredible unbeaten run
Watford wanted to make a big move. They ended last season in 11th position, which was their best Premier League finish. However, the Hornets wanted more and were prepared to take a chance. More specifically, they were ready to spend money.
In the summer transfer window, they signed a then 21-year-old Senegalese forward by the name of Ismaila Sarr for a club-record $33 million. Though Sarr had shown promise in Ligue 1 as a goal-scoring threat, many wondered if this deal would pay off.
Going into a rare leap year day match at Vicarage Road, the Hornets were mired in 19th position in the Top Flight. Sarr had been brought in slowly and suffered some minor injuries and, as a result, had only netted three goals and had two assists.
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Liverpool came into the match undefeated in the Premier League. They had not lost a league match since January 3rd, 2019. The only blemish on LFC’s league record was one draw earlier in the season.
Very few people gave Watford a chance.
I wrote a column doing a deep statistical dive into the match, which can be found here. In the first half, the Hornets had held firm on defense, only allowing the Reds one shot on goal. Liverpool’s xG was 0.02.
Ismaila Sarr scored the first goal of the match in the 53rd minute. The goal was a gut punch for the league leaders. Six minutes later, Sarr knocked in the second goal, which was the knockout punch.
In the 71st minute, Troy Deeney put in the final goal of the match, putting Watford up 3-0 as the Vicarage Road faithful were in delirium. The final whistle blew, and Liverpool’s undefeated streak was over. Watford 3, Liverpool 0.
Next. Rodriguez looks sure to be Arsenal-bound this summer. dark
Watford held the Reds to an xG of 0.21 on just one shot on target. Their record transfer had scored a brace against arguably the best team in Europe. It was the Hornet’s best performance of the season. It was the best performance of any of the clubs in the relegation battle.