Watford defender Kiko Femenía is excited and ready for the challenge this weekend as the Hornets travel to Anfield (Saturday April 2, 12.30pm KO) to face Liverpool.

The 31-year-old is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task that awaits him in Merseyside, as Watford go head-to-head with a title challenger.

After an important victory against Southampton before the international break, Femenía believes it is important to continue that momentum going into the encounter against the Reds and the final part of the season.

“I think for the group, the way we were working these last few weeks, we had come from a bad run of form, and I think that game at Southampton gave us more confidence when it came to our performances,” said Femenía.

“We went into the break with that calmness too which is good after a year that has also been a pretty tough season. And now we face the final straight with maximum confidence and certainty that we're going for the three points, no matter who the opponent is because we need the points more than anything else.

“We've still got a lot of points to win and we're right in there. In other words, it's more about gaining confidence in the game, feeling comfortable, feeling that we can beat any team and also our ambition. I think ambition is the key to winning games and if we go out to win, we're going to win a lot of them.”

The Golden Boys experienced a similar Premier League campaign during the 2019/20 season, however Femenía is adamant the Hornets have learnt from the trials of the past.

He believes Watford will use that knowledge gained to overcome their current challenges, viewing it as a positive as they fight to retain their top-flight status.

Femenía explained: “The comparison I would make is that at that time [in 2019/20] we were outside of the relegation zone, and it wasn't until the end that Aston Villa, who were below us, pulled us down and I think the same thing could happen this season.

“Now we are the ones at the bottom and them above. They are the ones who have to watch out, so that we don't catch them, and they have to be more scared than us. We are already at the bottom so we have to win games and, in the end, I think that could be the difference from that year to this.

“Now we are the ones who are at the bottom winning games, we are the ones who can climb up and bring another team down and I think it is in our hands to do that.

“I think for the Premier League, that’s why it's the best league in the world, because anyone can beat anyone. If you try to calculate the numbers, it's useless. We have to go game by game to try to get the three points and on May 22 we will see where we are.”

Femenía, who joined the Hornets in 2017, made his debut for the club against Liverpool, in a 3-3 draw. The Spaniard recently reached the proud milestone of more than a century of Premier League appearances and is looking forward to creating more memorable top-flight moments in the future.

“My favourite moment was day one,” Femenía began. “I always said that my dream was to play in the Premier League and since I signed my contract here at Watford, I was able to fulfil one of the dreams I had as a footballer. Then in these five years I've had a lot of good days at the club.

“Last year being able to go up to the Premier League again and the fact that every day I am part of this club, this team and playing games in the Premier League, for me, is an achievement, so I am very happy to be here.

“The club also trusted me when I needed it most. I had a hard time years ago and I think this club gave me that confidence as well and I owe them a great deal of affection.”

A key part of Watford’s success in the final part of the season will be under the tutelage of manager Roy Hodgson. The 74-year-old only arrived in January, but his ideas and philosophy have made a good impression on the squad, according to Femenía.

“He hasn't been with us for long, but I think the team has improved in certain aspects,” he added. “We're adapting to his ideas, the ideas that he has and for the players, for all of us to understand more or less what the coach wants.

“I think that's the way forward. I think we're quickly getting used to his idea of playing and in the end, if we all understand what the coach wants and we all join our efforts, we're going to get a lot of positive results.”

The 31-year-old has featured in every match under Hodgson when he has been available for selection, contributing by making darting runs forward and key tackles in defence.

He currently has five assists to his name which is the joint best return in the squad, one more than his previous campaign – which was his prior assist record in a Watford shirt. The full-back has enjoyed the freedom to deliver important crosses and is hopeful of more to come.

He said: “You're always happy to provide assists or to score goals, so I'm happy. The important thing is the team. I wish I could swap these assists for climbing three or four positions higher, but in the end I contribute the best I can to the team and help everyone.”

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