A quick reminder of the teams...

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Gomez, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Mane, Salah, Firmino

Image source, BBC Sport

Watford XI: Foster, Mariappa, Deulofeu, Deeney, Cathcart, Doucoure, Hughes, Femenia, Sarr, Kabasele, Capoue

Image source, BBC Sport

Trent Alexander-Arnold begins with a typically lovely floated cross to Sadio Mane on the left, but despite Watford looking stretched Mane can't make the most of it.

Watford yet to get on the ball.

And we are off!

Mark Lawrenson

I know they are facing Watford in Nigel Pearson's first game in charge but I can only see a Liverpool win here.

I do find it interesting that after all the different foreign coaches that Watford have had, they have turned to Pearson in their time of need.

It does seem to be a growing trend for Premier League clubs to go for home managers. I think that is a positive move. They are generally doing well, and Pearson is another good manager who is a good choice for a team who are in a relegation scrap - Watford have got some good players, and he will get them playing.

If he can keep the Hornets up, it is not going to rely on what happens here - it will come down to their results when they play the teams around them.

Prediction: 3-0

Lawro's full predictions v comedian and author David Baddiel

Jermaine Jenas
Ex-Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don’t even think Liverpool have played that well this year. I don’t think they’ve been anywhere near the level they can be at.

They just have this ridiculous nature of being able to win a game of football. They're showing the depth of their squad, all the players coming in are contributing massively.

The only player who has been off the pace has been Joe Gomez, and he has his chance now.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Willis: Glad to see Klopp has fielded a strong team, be a shame to slip up at this key moment in the season.

Robin: Minamino deal is all but done- will be a crucial impact player as front 3 get leggy, avoid draws that cost us the title last year.

Bob Moss: Here's hoping for a miracle and Watford don't lose today, alas this has a 5-0 hammering written all over it

It looks like a lovely, crisp December afternoon in Merseyside as the Anfield crowd waits for the players to emerge.

Less than 10 minutes to go until we get under way!

Liverpool could become the first side in top-flight history to beat the same team at home by a five-goal margin in four straight seasons.

Their last three home league games against Watford have finished 6-1, 5-0, 5-0.

Ouch.

Image source, .

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Anfield

It's windy, cold and there's been some rain during the warm-ups at Anfield but the sun is out behind the Kop.

I don't envy the keeper facing it in the first half.

Image source, BBC Sport

Dion Dublin
Former Man Utd striker on BBC Football Focus

Watching Liverpool is a joy - that's hard to say as an ex-Manchester United player. They play some great football and they look like they are the champions already. They look that way because when they haven’t got the ball they work so hard. They have earned the right to look that way. The way he sets them up, they work so hard as a team.

The latest news on the transfer front is Liverpool are planning a move for Red Bull Salzburg winger Takumi Minamino.

The Japan international has nine goals in 22 appearances for Salzburg this season, providing 11 assists.

And he's believed to have a release clause of £7.25m.

Excited by that one, Liverpool fans? Hit the thumbs!

Image source, Getty Images

Jermaine Jenas
Ex-Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

If you look at Watford from the latter stages of last season, this was coming.

They have a lot of players who felt they had earned the right for a move at the end of last season. I'm not sure many of them are that fussed.

In terms of quality, Abdoulaye Doucoure could have gone anywhere he wanted at the end of last season. Etienne Capoue is a good player, Gerard Deulofeu too.

All these players you look at and think 'is their mind for Watford'?

Pearson's job is to remind them of that.

It's safe to say Nigel Pearson faces a sizeable task as he attempts to prevent Watford from suffering relegation this season.

The Hornets are already six points adrift of 17th-placed Aston Villa and a second win of the season cannot come soon enough as they look to keep in touch.

Image source, .

The table continues to look rather satisfying for Liverpool as we enter the hectic festive period.

Manchester City's defeat by Manchester United last weekend means Jurgen Klopp's Reds can move 17 points clear of the third-placed reigning champions before they play on Sunday - though Leicester City continue to linger in the rear-view mirror.

With no league fixture until boxing day due to their Club World Cup participation, any slip-up against Watford could see Liverpool travel to Leicester on 26 December with top-spot on the line.

Leicester do, however, travel to Manchester City before that one.

Image source, .

There's lots to look forward to on the BBC on another action-packed day of football in the Premier League:

• Dan Walker is joined by Dion Dublin and Kevin Kilbane for Football Focus from midday on BBC One, featuring an exclusive interview with Arsenal's interim boss Freddie Ljungberg.
• Meanwhile, Mark Chapman builds up to all of the games on 5 Live Sport (12:00 GMT).
• Jason Mohammad, Leon Osman and Garth Crooks react to and analyse the goals as they go in on Final Score, live on the BBC Red Button service (14:30 GMT) and on BBC One (16:00 GMT).
• There's minute-by-minute coverage of Leicester v Norwich, plus updates from all the other 3pm kick-offs, on BBC Radio 5 Live.
• Join the debate and have your say on your team's performance with Alistair Bruce-Ball and Chris Sutton on 606 tonight on 5 Live (18:00 GMT).
• And finally, tune in to see all the goals with Gary Lineker on Match of the Day on BBC One (22:30 GMT).

Steve Wilson
Match of the Day commentator

Stranger things have happened - but not many.

Having dropped far fewer points this season then Watford have won, it would be one of the biggest Premier League upsets of recent times if Liverpool were to do anything other than win this game comfortably.

Nigel Pearson could not have asked for a tougher start to his stewardship of Watford, and credit to him for not ducking it.

Pearson did get a point at Anfield as Leicester manager almost five years ago - the year that the Foxes defied the odds to stay up.

If Pearson can keep perform a similar Houdini act with Watford, it would be a stunning achievement.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp has been very respectful about new Watford boss Nigel Pearson in his pre-match programme notes.

Watford, whose only league win of the season came at Norwich in November, are effectively seven points adrift of safety because of their vastly inferior goal difference compared to their rivals above the relegation zone.

But Pearson helped Leicester out of trouble in 2014-15 and they eventually finished 14th after a remarkable late run.

Klopp acknowledges this, adding: "He stayed calm, he kept his players together, he channelled all the right emotions, and he did quite an incredible job in keeping them up.

"Honestly, the respect his fellow managers had for the job he did then could not be higher."

Image source, BBC Sport

Javi Gracia, gone. Quique Sanchez Flores, gone. Nigel Pearson, you're up.

Former Leicester City boss Pearson will be hoping it's third time lucky for Watford this season, as he attempts to turn the Hornets fortunes around - beginning with the toughest of tasks at Anfield today.

One league win, rock-bottom, but Pearson is sure Watford can drag themselves out of trouble, having kept Leicester up in 2014-15.

"Ultimately the players will have to come to the party. They have to embrace the challenge," Pearson said on Friday.

He'll likely learn a lot about whether they're up for that today.

Image source, Getty Images