Talking pointsJoe does a Trent, Diogo's 20, awesome Alisson and more

Diogo Jota’s first-half header put the Reds in front on Saturday lunchtime, before Fabinho’s late penalty wrapped up another crucial three points in the Premier League.

Here are five talking points on the action from L4…

One down, seven to go

This was the first of eight games across three competitions scheduled in April and a huge, season-defining month has begun in ideal fashion.

Liverpool have now compiled 10 consecutive victories in the Premier League: a sequence that has enabled them to reel in Manchester City at the top of the table.

Immediate focus now turns to Tuesday’s trip to Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final – and then, it’s the Etihad.

Next Sunday’s meeting with City has more than a hint of ‘title decider’ about it – and should the Reds manage to make it 11 top-flight wins on the bounce, they will be in pole position to regain the crown they claimed two years ago.

Joe does a Trent

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s unique interpretation of the role means there is no such thing as a like-for-like replacement for Liverpool’s first-choice right-back.

However, the cross his stand-in Joe Gomez provided for Jota’s opener was the kind of delivery that Alexander-Arnold has made his trademark.

Whipped in with devilish pace and precision, it simply begged to be converted – and Jota duly obliged.

Gomez built on an assured display at Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago with another impressive all-round performance here; a point reinforced by personal match statistics such as his 93 touches, eight duels won, four tackles, four crosses and two ball regains.

Oh, he scores the No.20...

Wonderful penalty-box movement was the key to Jota’s 22nd-minute goal that earned Liverpool the lead.

The Portugal forward read Gomez’s intentions and pierced Watford’s backline with a darting surge to the near post, before adroitly glancing his header beyond Ben Foster.

Jota has now scored 20 times in 40 club appearances this season and becomes only the fourth Premier League player to reach that landmark across all competitions in 2021-22, after Harry Kane, Riyad Mahrez and, of course, his teammate Mohamed Salah.

He has also netted the first goal in each of Liverpool’s last three matches and, overall this term, has registered his side’s opener on 13 occasions.

Alisson! Alisson! Alisson!

Once again, Alisson Becker was vital to Liverpool’s win and another outstanding intervention from the No.1 proved pivotal to the direction of the match.

Alertness and speed across the ground were the key as Alisson raced out to block Juraj Kucka’s shot after the Watford midfielder had broken in behind the Reds’ defence.

And, a matter of seconds later, a sweeping team move from left to right concluded with Jota’s all-important header.

Alisson has now recorded five successive clean sheets in the Premier League - putting him in a nip-and-tuck battle with Ederson for the Golden Glove - and, overall, he has conceded just three goals in his last 12 appearances.

Unflappable Fab

No Panenka this time, but Fabinho was again ice-cold from the penalty spot to seal Liverpool’s victory.

With Salah having been substituted and James Milner stood on the touchline waiting to come on, responsibility for the late spot-kick awarded following a VAR check rested with the No.3.

And he made no mistake, calmly stroking his effort into the Kop-end top corner in a manner reminiscent of Steven Gerrard against Arsenal in the 2008 Champions League quarter-final.

Fabinho has now scored seven times this season, with six of those goals coming since the turn of the year.