Runaway Reds finally falter as Hornets sting history bid

Arsenal's class of 2003-04 can breathe easy: Liverpool will not be joining them as Premier League 'Invincibles'.

"Phew..." was the immediate reaction from Arsenal's Twitter account after Liverpool collapsed to its first league loss of the season on Saturday, a 3-0 defeat at relegation-battling Watford.

The loss to the Hornets ended a 44-match undefeated streak and a record-tying 18-match winning run for Liverpool in the league.

Jurgen Klopp's team headed to Vicarage Road as champion-in-waiting－with its record 22-point lead－and needing to get through 11 more matches to also become only the second side after Arsenal to complete a full season unbeaten since the start of the Premier League in 1992. Preston North End also went through the 1888-89 season undefeated.

Liverpool was five games short of matching Arsenal's 49-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004. That run ended when Arsenal lost 2-0 at Manchester United.

Few could have foreseen the manner of Liverpool's meltdown against Watford, which scored all of its goals in the second half through Ismaila Sarr (two) and Troy Deeney.

Thankfully for Liverpool fans desperate to see their team back on top of English soccer for the first time in 30 years, the loss is far from terminal.

Four wins from their last 10 games will see the Reds become champions for the 19th time.

"There is no reason for panic," Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said.

"The (unbeaten) record, and the talk of the records, is all media. We just try to win every game ahead of us."

The performance will be a major concern, though, coming soon after the reigning European champion's 1-0 first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.

Indeed, Liverpool's players have been far below their usual high standards since returning from the Premier League's first midseason break, having edged past last-place Norwich 1-0 and coming from behind to beat another team fighting relegation, West Ham, 3-2 on Monday.

The loss to Atletico was sandwiched between those league matches.

The absence of captain Jordan Henderson, who sustained a hamstring injury against Atletico, has been significant, while the defense looked ragged against Watford, with Dejan Lovren filling in at centerback for Joe Gomez.

Liverpool's next game is at Chelsea in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

"We want to strike back, we want to show what we've been doing the whole season," Van Dijk said. "That's the only way forward."

Klopp caution

Klopp insisted the title is not won yet.

"What the boys did so far is exceptional but it is not over," said the German. "We did not expect the number of games we won. It was never easy and it will never be easy, so now let's carry on."

Klopp has long been an advocate of a winter break amid the grueling English campaign to give his players a chance to rest and recuperate.

But a two-week break earlier this month appears to have disrupted the Reds' rhythm.

"Shape, form is not something we can take for granted. We fought against each every feeling in the body," added Klopp.

"We fought against everything and that's why we have that amount of points.

"The biggest surprise for me is that Watford is fighting to stay in the league. Now is the moment when everybody is fighting like crazy.

"We don't think it is the biggest catastrophe in world football. We feel the defeat really and now we have the chance to show the reaction again."

Hornets boss Nigel Pearson is all too aware of the importance of backing up a famous win for the remainder of the season.

"It's such an important win for us. But it is one win," said Pearson.

"They are such an outstanding side, we had to get our performance right and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.

"We threatened with the ball and defended with discipline, energy and commitment. That's been the message from day one.

"It's in our own hands, and we have to deliver that performance week in, week out."