The unexpected 3-0 defeat for Liverpool F.C. at the hands of 19th place Watford was the Premier League’s story of the weekend.

The loss is the first for Jurgen Klopp’s men during the 2019-20 campaign, having picked up 26 wins and a draw so far this season. The match featured the rise of Ismaila Sarr, Watford’s Senegalese forward who put the Reds to the sword twice in the second half.

After scoring a tap in off of a poorly defended throw-in in the 54’, Sarr chipped Allisson and doubled Watford’s lead in the 60’. Troy Deeny killed the fixture in the 73’ after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s poor back pass was intercepted by Sarr, who found the Englishman for his sixth goal of the season. 

It was a quality performance for Watford, but in reality, it looked as though the Liverpool players’ legs had tired from carrying the 44-game unbeaten streak. They missed the serene presence of Joe Gomez at Centre Back, and Alexander-Arnold was caught pulling his socks up before giving up the first goal. 

The Reds also missed Jordan Henderson, who was replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who couldn’t shore up the midfield. Dejan Lovren deputized in place of Gomez and didn’t cover himself in glory during the first goal, letting the ball bounce in front of his man and over his head. 

Watford’s forward line had a strong showing but face questions going forward after the distressing injury of Gerard Deulofeu, who ruptured his ACL and Meniscus as a result of a hard tackle from Virgil Van Dijk. Deulofeu will have exploratory surgery in Spain in the coming weeks, and he is expected to be out for at least six months, according to the BBC. 

The loss means that Liverpool’s unbeaten streak comes to an end at 44 games, five off the pace set by Arsenal’s Invincibles in 2004-05. It also means they failed to secure a record 19th straight win, leaving them on top with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s 18 game streak in 2019. 

Liverpool also fell to Chelsea in the FA Cup on Tuesday. 

They’ll face Atletico Madrid’s one-goal lead in a Champions League second leg at Anfield in the near future. 

It will take a lot to move on in Europe, but the Reds look assured in the Premier League, with a 22-point lead on second-place City. They’ll face Bournemouth in the league at the weekend in what is now a crucial tie in order to right the ship and exert their dominance that they’ve shown all season.