Summary

  • Bogdan drops cross to gift Watford goal

  • Ighalo scuffs shot in for fourth in four games

  • Ighalo heads his second from right-wing cross

  • Watford one point off the top four

  1. Recreate the celebrationspublished at 12:53 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    #spoty

    FA Cup finalImage source, Getty Images

    The Sports Personality of the Year awards show is almost upon us (tonight at 18:50 GMT) and the BBC Sport website want you to recreate your favourite sporting moment of the year and send in the picture.

    Whether you want to get the entire family to don their Christmas jumpers and do that Stuart Broad face or you get the children out on the park to do a re-run of a goal from the FA Cup final, we’d love to see the end result.

    We’ll post the best on the BBC Sport website during the live show on Sunday. All you have to do is tweet us, using #spoty. Get snapping.

    Stuart BroadImage source, Getty Images
  2. 'A keeper pulling a hammy?'published at 12:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    Chris Sutton
    Former Chelsea & Norwich striker on MOTD2 Extra

    "A goalkeeper getting a tight hamstring? In my day they just did a few volleys in the warm up and went in.

    "They must be training properly these days..."

    Chris Sutton is at least slightly perplexed by the injury to Simon Mignolet that keeps the Liverpool keeper out of today's clash with Watford.

    Adam Bogdan is the man between the sticks at Vicarage Road.

  3. 'Working on drills and shape is boring but vital'published at 12:50 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    Trevor Sinclair
    Former England winger on Football Focus

    Troy DeeneyImage source, PA

    "I went from being a Fourth Division player to a top-flight player under Gerry Francis at QPR, just working on drills and shape. It is boring but vital, and if you do it well you'll succeed. That's exactly what Watford have been doing, and they have got their rewards so far this season. 

    "Look at Troy Deeney up front - he does such tireless work for the team, and he reminds me of a Carlos Tevez. He does the hard yards and Ighalo gets the goals."

  4. 'Klopp is positive and funny'published at 12:47 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    Liverpool v Watford (13:30 GMT)

    Quique Sanchez Flores on Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp:

    "He is a positive manager, he is funny and he doesn't looks under pressure. He is educated and his philosophy is offensive as he is always thinking about how he can score more goals.

    "He's proving a lot of things and when he decides his first-choice XI Liverpool will go for the top.

    "But I'm focused on the players. As managers we plan, plan, plan but the players on the pitch are the most important. I'm not thinking too much about the coach." 

    Quque Sanchez FloresImage source, Getty Images
  5. 'It's been fantastic'published at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    Now over to Vicarage Road for a word with Watford legend Luther Blissett, who is understandably elated with the Hornets in seventh as they take on Liverpool later.

    "It's been fantastic to be back in the Premier League - at the start it was just about trying to stay in the division.

    "We also bought in a lot of new players and everyone thought it would take us a couple of months to get going but they've hit the ground running.

    "It's great to be seventh at this stage but hopefully Leicester keep going well to take some of the pressure off us."

  6. Where next?published at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    #bbcfootball

  7. 'We knew we could get a result'published at 12:43

    MOTD2 Extra

    Norwich defender Sebastien Bassong is on the phone now and admits the Canaries felt nothing to fear about playing at Old Trafford in victory over Manchester United yesterday.

    "It sounds weird but we knew we could get a result there yesterday," he said.

    "It's been a hard season so far but we're totally aware of our squad's abilities.

    "We're definitely capable of staying up and that win just gives us a boost in the right direction."

    The fear factor has long, long gone from Old Trafford. Sir Alex packed it up with his briefcase and wine chiller.

    Norwich City defender Sebastian BassongImage source, Reuters
  8. Arise Sir Alex of Tettey...published at 12:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    I'm all for a footballing peerage. It has never done Sir Les of Ferdinand any harm after all. And the Norwegian press have knighted Alex Tettey after his toe-poked winner at Old Trafford yesterday.

    A rough translation of that headline is 

    "Sir Alex Tettey flipped Van Gaal to the precipice."

    Which is a belter.

  9. 'Maybe managers should sign three-month deals'published at 12:39 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    Chris Sutton
    Former Chelsea & Norwich striker on MOTD2 Extra

    So with Jose Mourinho also now available, do Man Utd strike early and sign up the (former?) Special One?"I don't think Mourinho will come in soon, maybe at the end of the season," said Sutton.

    "But van Gaal should be given time beacause of his record but he needs to change things.

    "Perhaps managers should just sign three-month contracts because if you lose enough games over that time, you're out of the door anyway."

    Jose Mourinho and Manchester United boss Louis van GaalImage source, Getty Images
  10. Benteke out?published at 12:38

    Watford v Liverpool (13:30 GMT)

    Liverpool

    What do we think is the long-term future for Christian Benteke at Liverpool? I'm not sure he suits Jurgen Klopp's way of playing - particularly away from home.

    Liverpool striker Christian BentekeImage source, EPA
  11. TEAM NEWSpublished at 12:37

    Watford v Liverpool (13:30 GMT)

    Watford manager Quique Flores names an unchanged side from the team that won 1-0 at Sunderland last weekend and Valon Behrami returns from calf injury to make the bench. 

    Watford XI: Gomes; Nyom, Britos, Cathcart, Ake; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Deeney, Jurado; Ighalo.

    Watford XIImage source, .

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp makes four changes from the team that drew 2-2 at home to West Brom last weekend. 

    Defender Mamadou Sakho returns from ligament injury to replace the side-lined Dejan Lovren, while goalkeeper Adam Bogdan makes his Premier League debut in place of Simon Mignolet, who has a hamstring problem. Midfielder James Milner, also injured, is replaced by Lucas, and Roberto Firmino comes in for Christian Benteke. Ryan Fulton, 19, is named substitute keeper.

    Liverpool XI: Bogdan, Clyne, Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno, Lucas, Henderson, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino.

    Liverpool XIImage source, .
  12. 'Even MUTV are criticising van Gaal'published at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    Shaun Custis points out that while it's not open mutiny at Old Trafford yet, a change in style of Manchester United TV is a sign of the growing pressure on Louis van Gaal."MUTV can be like the North Korean state broadcasting system at times," he said.

    "But even they are criticising their team under Louis van Gaal.

    "Once you've got your own TV station having a go at you, you've really got problems."

  13. Choose us!published at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    #bbcfootball

    Chris Jackson: Mourinho to Villa. Save our season. We need a Christmas miracle

    I'm not sure even Jose Mourinho would back himself there.

    But let's imagine you are the chairman of your team - no matter what level. What could you offer Pep or Jose?  

    Let us know on #bbcfootball or text us on 81111.

  14. 'It's a critical few weeks for van Gaal'published at 12:32 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    Chris Sutton
    Former Chelsea & Norwich striker on MOTD2 Extra

    The panel turn their thoughts to the pressure on Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal following their 2-1 defeat to Norwich at Old Trafford on Saturday.

    "He's spent £250m over the past year or so and there hasn't been the progress," says Chris Sutton.

    "He's not buying into the club's identity and ethos - they were a swashbuckling team where he's more of a methodical manager.

    "They're not the club they once were - it's a critical few weeks for him."

  15. Team Newspublished at 12:31
    Breaking

    Watford v Liverpool (13:30 GMT)

    The team news is just dropping from Vicarage Road, and Liverpool will have Adam Bogdan in goal this afternoon as they make four changes. 

    Watford are unchanged. Full team news to come...

  16. Reds target Hornetspublished at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    Liverpool v Watford (13:30 GMT)

    WatfordImage source, Opta

    Liverpool sit in ninth spot after 16 games - they can move above their opponents Watford with a win.

    Victory for the Hornets would see them move to within a point of sixth-place Crystal Palace.

  17. Sunday morning stroll for Barcapublished at 12:30

    Barcelona's Luis SuarezImage source, Getty Images

    Barcelona won their fifth trophy of 2015 after clinching the Fifa Club World Cup for a third time with a comprehensive victory over River Plate.

    River could not cope with Barca's Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

    Messi scored the opener after returning from a kidney problem when he controlled Neymar's pass to finish.

    Suarez latched onto Sergio Busquets' brilliant ball over the top to double their lead and then added his second with a header from Neymar's cross.

    Uruguay striker Suarez finished the tournament with five goals in two games after scoring a hat-trick in the 3-0 semi-final win over Guangzhou Evergrande.

  18. BBC pundits praise Watfordpublished at 12:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    Watford v Liverpool (13:30 GMT)

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Jermaine Jenas: "Watford’s form is down to the organisation Quique Sanchez Flores has put in place. Defensively they look so solid too and then they have Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo up front."

    Gary Bowyer: "Watford’s front two are unbelievable. They were such a handful in the Championship. You always have a chance when you have strikers like that. They had fantastic movement and great understanding. You can’t keep them quiet for too long."

    Troy Deeney and Odion IghaloImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Can Liverpool keep these two quiet this afternoon?

  19. 'Wouldn't you want the biggest club?'published at 12:25 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2015

    MOTD2 Extra

    The Sun's Shaun Custis suggests Pep Guardiola's interest in a club's history could lead the Spaniard to the red side of Manchester after all.

    "When you write something about a manager going to a big club you often get a really angry call from a communications officer saying you've got it wrong," he says.

    "But when you write 'Guardiola to Man City', you don't hear a peep.

    "There are a lot of things in place there but if you've managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich, wouldn't you want to go to the biggest club in the Premier League? And that's still Man United."

  20. Tearjerkerspublished at 12:21

    Leicester City

    A Leicester City fan was reduced to tears when talking to former Foxes midfielder Robbie Savage on 606 following their win 3-2 at Everton.

    The result saw the club go five points clear at the top of the Premier League, after being bottom of the table over Christmas last year.

    Lee, who is a lifelong fan of the club, is overwhelmed when describing the feeling of his son looking him in the eye and saying, "Dad, this is amazing."

    Listen here.