Liverpool and Anfield await Roy Hodgson’s Watford on Saturday following three weeks without a game for the Hornets, as the Golden Boys hope to replicate their last performance on Merseyside, a 5-2 victory over Everton.

The Carabao Cup winners present a tough test for Watford, but with several players on either side buoyed by successful international breaks, it could make for an intriguing encounter.

Kiko Femenía & Sadio Mané

Scoring a penalty alongside international teammate Ismaïla Sarr to qualify for this winter’s World Cup, Senegal star Sadio Mané will no doubt return to England with a spring in his step ahead of a reunion with the Watford winger this weekend.

The attacker, who has played across the front three this season, scored the winner in Liverpool’s last Premier League game at Anfield, a 1-0 victory over West Ham United. Mané is the club’s third top goalscorer with 12 so far this term, putting him joint-fourth in the league standings.

A livewire up front, Mané also has the fifth most shots on target in the division (31). If Mané lines up on the left flank, Kiko Femenia will be tasked with quelling the threat, and making an attacking impact of his own.

Femenía may force Mané to help out his side’s defence if the Spaniard makes his trademark driving runs on the right, and with five assists, the Reds need to stop the right-back from getting in the position to cross and pass.

Cucho Hernández & Andrew Robertson

Potentially taking place on the same side, another clash out wide will see the in-form Cucho Hernandez seeking to get the beating of Scotland captain Andrew Robertson.

Hernandez scored two decisive goals in the Hornets’ last fixture, a 2-1 away win at Southampton, and popped up with a delightful strike against Arsenal a week earlier.

Also grabbing an assist for Sissoko that game, the Colombian attacker has proven effective since coming into the side under Roy Hodgson, with only Emmanuel Dennis (nine) scoring more than his five in yellow this season.

Robertson is considered one of world football’s best in his position, having played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League and UEFA Champions League triumphs in recent years.

Liverpool and the Premier League’s second-highest assister (11), Robertson is also third for the Reds in clearances (41), making him a danger in defence and attack.

Moussa Sissoko & Thiago Alcântara

An intriguing match-up in the middle, two experienced players will battle it out for control in Moussa Sissoko and Spanish international Thiago.

The duo first faced off when representing their former clubs in the Champions League, as Thiago’s Bayern Munich saw off Tottenham Hotspur.

Thiago has been on the winning side in every Premier League game he’s started this season, while Sissoko is a constant for Watford, playing more minutes than any other Hornet.

Sissoko has shown another side to his game recently too, scoring in back-to-back home games against Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

As the two sides vie for control at 12.30pm this Saturday, it will be interesting to see which of the midfielders comes out on top.

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