3 key battles as Watford host Liverpool in the Premier League this evening

Daryl Janmaat v Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool forward Philippe Coutinho has been somewhere near his best in recent weeks as he looks to try and inspire the Reds to a Champions League spot.

The 24-year-old has scored four goals and laid on one assist in his last five Premier League starts for Klopp’s men, and has become their go-to man in the absence of Senegal international Sadio Mane, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Be it from dead-ball situations or when he gets the ball at his feet in the attacking third, Coutinho is confident and in-form, and will cause the Hornets defence issues, most notably right-back Daryl Janmaat.

The 27-year-old moved to Vicarage Road last year after two decent seasons at Newcastle United, but has only managed 13 Premier League starts for the Hornets this term, albeit he has started five of their last six league matches in the right-back slot.

And that means that he’ll come up against a fully firing Coutinho this evening, with the Brazil international set to take up his position on the left side of the front three, and that makes it imperative that both Janmaat and the right-sided centre-back are near the top of their game, otherwise Coutinho has the quality to take the game away from Watford this evening.