Liverpool's Andy Robertson: "Watford were brilliant, we weren't; we're sorry"
Liverpool's unbeaten 44-game league run came to an halt at Vicarage Road, where Andy Robertson accepted they were well below their best.
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson was apologetic after the team's outstanding 44-game unbeaten Premier League run came to a grinding halt at Watford. Before Saturday's match, the last team to have beaten the Reds were Manchester City just over a year ago.
Watford outclass Liverpool
After going over a year without a defeat in the league, Jürgen Klopp's side were well and truly beaten beaten 3-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday by a Watford team who had gone six games without a victory in all competitions. The result ended Liverpool's hopes of a record 19th consecutive win in England's top flight and ensured they cannot follow Arsenal's 'Invincibles' of 2003-04 by going a whole league season unbeaten.
The Reds managed only one shot on target against the Hornets, who fully deserved three points secured through two goals from Ismaila Sarr and one from Troy Deeney. Robertson accepted his side fell too far short of the exceptional standards they have set for most of the past two seasons.
Liverpool have dropped five points this season
"Watford were at it from the start and we took time to get going," he told Liverpool's website. "We had a couple of good moments but nowhere near enough for this Liverpool team. "It's a performance that has not been expected for a number of years by the fans and we can only apologise for it. Now it's up to us to bounce back because today wasn't good enough, simple as that. Watford deserved the three points; they were brilliant to a man. And we weren't. It's up to us to now show that this defeat hurts and up to us to now go and put a run together that will crown us champions."
Liverpool remain 22 points above second-place Manchester City, having played a game more, and still appear almost certain to end the season as Premier League champions. "Our message has always been the same: we can't get carried away," said Robertson. "Of course, fans are going to get carried away and enjoy the moment we're in and that's nice for us because if our fans are enjoying the way we're playing and what we're doing, it means we're doing something right. We really need to put in a proper LFC performance and show everyone that this was just a blip, that now we're going to crack on and get to where we want to be. Everyone knows where that is – but it's up to us to now show it."