The dreadful defending continues, but Liverpool did pretty alright without Philippe Coutinho, even if it did not result in a win. On the opening weekend of the season, with the Coutinho-to-Barcelona transfer cloud hanging over them, Liverpool turned on the attacking style in the second half and looked like heading to a brilliant come-from-behind win over Watford in the English Premier League on Saturday, only for a late, late equaliser to spoil that particular Reds party.
Hours after Arsenal beat Leicester City 4-3 in a ridiculous Premier League opener, Liverpool and Watford were involved in another one, this time at Vicarage Road, with the Reds and Hornets settling for a 3-3 draw.
The EPL might not be the greatest when it comes to defensive quality, but no league holds a candle to the Premier League when it comes to entertainment value.
And the entertainment in this match started in just the eighth minute. Unsurprisingly, it was through comical defending from Liverpool on a set-piece.
A corner was curled in from the right, and as Roberto Firmino watched, hoping the ball would just magically be cleared from four yards, Stefano Okaka ran in unrivalled to power home the header and give Watford the lead.
Liverpool didn't look to be at the races in the first half, but yet they found an equaliser just before the half hour through a brilliant move as Alberto Moreno, Sadio Mane and Emre Can combined with Mane slotting home with aplomb after taking a wonderful flicked pass from Can.
The lead, though, lasted just three minutes as Watford, deservedly, went back into the lead. Again, it was poor defending and this time the beneficiary was Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Something needed to change for Liverpool in the second half, and it did, with the front three of Mane, Firmino and Mohamed Salah finding their mojo.
The equaliser came via a penalty, after Salah was brought down by the Watford goalkeeper Hurelho Gomes, with the Brazilian then unable to stop his compatriot Firmino from slotting home the spot-kick.
Firmino then turned provided for what seemed to be the winning goal, albeit a little luckily. A long pass from Dejan Lovren allowed the Brazilian to run in behind a static Watford defence, and while his chip over Gomes was creeping wide of the goal, Salah, anticipating just that, ran in from the other side to tap home into an empty net to complete the turnaround in the space of two minutes.
The summer signing's first Premier League goal for Liverpool looked like it was enough for Jurgen Klopp's side to take all three points, but that defending let them down again, as Watford, via a corner and a suspicion of offside, forced the ball in right at the end through Miguel Britos.
On the bright side, though, this match showed, Liverpool, who had quite a few chances to put the game to bed after the Salah goal, have the ammunition up front, with or without Coutinho, even if that defending remains awful.
Result: Watford 3-3 Liverpool.
Scorers: Watford: Stefano Okaka 8, Abdoulaye Doucoure 32, Miguel Britos 90+3. Liverpool: Sadio Mane 29, Roberto Firmino 55, Mohamed Salah 57.
Other results: Chelsea 2-3 Burnley; Crystal Palace 0-3 Huddersfield Town; Everton 1-0 Stoke City; West Brom 1-0 Bournemouth; Southampton 0-0 Swansea City.
