Odion Ighalo strikes twice as Watford crush Liverpool

Odion Ighalo continued his prolific goalscoring run as Watford picked off Liverpool 3-0 to move within a point of fourth place in the Premier League.

The Nigeria international finished superbly from a tight angle on 15 minutes to double the Hornets' advantage after a howler by Adam Bogdan - starting in the Liverpool goal in place of the injured Simon Mignolet - had allowed Nathan Ake to break the deadlock in the third minute.

And as Liverpool poured forward in numbers, Ighalo settled the match five minutes from time when he met Valon Behrami's pinpoint cross with a firm header to take his Premier League goal tally to 12.

Liverpool had lost just one of their previous seven away matches in all competitions under Jurgen Klopp but never fully recovered from Bogdan's error - despite the second-half introductions of Divock Origi and Christian Benteke - and are now winless in their last four games.

Watford, in contrast, recorded their fourth consecutive top-flight victory for the first time since 1987 and their supporters can, incredibly, go into Christmas Day dreaming of Champions League football next season.

3' - GOAL! Watford 1-0 Liverpool. What a howler from Bogdan. Watson swings the corner in, the Hungary international fluffs a routine catch and Ake is there to poke the ball into an empty net for his first Watford goal. It's taken less than three minutes for Mignolet to be missed.

[STORY: Bodgan makes huge gaffe three minutes into Liverpool league debut]

15' - GOAL! Watford 2-0 Liverpool. Fantastic goal and Ighalo simply can't miss at the moment. Deeney battles for the ball in the middle third and sends a floated pass over the top for Ighalo, who outmuscles Skrtel before firing a bouncing shot beyond Bogdan from a seemingly impossible angle.

34' - CHANCE: Bogdan's confidence is shot and when Deeney dinks another ball over the top for Ighalo to chase, the Liverpool goalkeeper punches the ball straight into the face of Lucas. It ricochets back towards the visiting goal but Ighalo can't make a clean contact and the danger passes.

42' - CHANCE: Another Watson in-swinger is inches away from curling directly into the Liverpool net, but Bogdan just manages to stretch out a fist to punch it off the line.

46' - CHANCE: Liverpool kick off the second half and immediately attack, with a last-ditch Watford block preventing Coutinho from testing Gomes after a nice Origi knockdown.

60 - CHANCE: Ighalo drifts out to the left, embarrasses Sakho with his trademark 'chop' move and pokes the ball into the middle for Jurado, but Liverpool manage to scramble the ball out for a corner that comes to nothing.

63 - CHANCE: How did Ighalo not score? Jurado sends Sakho tumbling to the floor with a brilliantly disguised pass and the Nigerian races through, but Bogdan stands tall to prevent him scoring his 12th Premier League goal of the season and surely putting this game to bed.

66' - CHANCE: Gomes has been every bit as heroic as Ighalo or Deeney for Watford this season and the Brazilian marks himself out again, flinging himself up to tip a Henderson shot over the crossbar after the Liverpool had crept past Ake too easily.

85' - GOAL! Watford 3-0 Liverpool. Stick a fork in the visitors. It's Ighalo again who does the damage, initiating a Watford counter before meeting a pinpoint Behrami cross with a header that gives Bogdan no chance. No one can stop this guy right now.

Odion Ighalo has scored more league goals (28) than any other player in England's top four tiers in 2015.

Watford enjoyed just 34.5 per cent of possession

Adam Bogdan has kept just one clean sheet in 25 Premier League appearances for Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers.

Liverpool arrived at Vicarage Road knowing the danger. Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney had scored 15 of Watford's 18 Premier League goals prior to Sunday's match. Stop those two and Klopp knew his men would likely shackle the hosts, but that knowledge counted for nothing on the pitch. The pair bullied Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and, once the Slovakia international had limped from the field, Lucas Leiva, throughout the afternoon. They also out-thought their opponents, constantly moving into intelligent areas that exposed defensive weaknesses and highlighted each others' strengths; Deeney the provider, Ighalo the predator.

Ighalo's remarkable goalscoring run will ensure him the lions' share of the credit but Deeney has been instrumental in his partner's rise, drifting between the lines and playing sharp, incisive passes for the Nigerian to chase. When occupying that role he is unarguably a more consistent and effective No.10 than Wayne Rooney right now. But Ighalo and Deeney come as a pair and such was their dominance that when Klopp transitioned from Roberto Firmino as a false nine to Divock Origi and Christian Benteke leading the line, it was hard not to conclude that he had taken inspiration from the two strikers in yellow. If they keep firing Watford up the Premier League table, other managers may follow.

Odion Ighalo (Watford) Partner-in-crime Deeney ran him close but it's Ighalo who will be dominating Sakho's nightmares for weeks. The Watford striker embarrassed the Frenchman with his trademark 'Iggy chop' move and repeatedly escaped into space with strength and good instincts. His two finishes were as clinical as they come and if Bogdan hadn't stood up well to one second-half chance, he would have been taking home the match ball.

Watford: Gomes 8; Nyom 7, Britos 7, Cathcart 7, Ake 7; Abdi 7, Watson 7, Capoue 7, Jurado 7; Deeney 8, Ighalo 9. Subs: Anya 6, Behrami 7, Guedioura 6.

Liverpool: Bogdan 4; Clyne 5, Skrtel 5, Sakho 4, Moreno 6; Henderson 6, Lucas 5, Can 6, Lallana 6, Firmino 5, Coutinho 6. Subs: Origi 6, Benteke 5, Ibe 6.