Sunday 6 November 2016 16:24, UK
Liverpool's flying attack meets Watford's solid defence on Sunday, but will Roberto Firmino or Younes Kaboul come out on top?
Liverpool and Watford meet on Sunday, both hoping that November proves as successful a month as October.
These were two of the six Premier League teams unbeaten last month, and apart from Chelsea, no side scored more than Liverpool's eight goals, nor conceded fewer than Watford's two goals in October.
Roberto Firmino and Younes Kaboul were key to their respective team's impressive records.
Liverpool are the only club with as many as six players who have scored and assisted at least once this season. Firmino is among those, with four goals and one assist all coming in his last six appearances, having started the season without a goal or assist in his opening three games.
With so much attacking talent at Liverpool's disposal, Watford will have their work cut out if they are to continue their current run of three successive clean sheets. Four in a row would set a new top division club record for the Hornets.
Playing on the right of their back three, Kaboul has helped shore up a Watford defence that went from conceding seven goals in his first three appearances for the club to none in the last three.
The 30-year-old Frenchmen has proved something of a lucky charm in 2016. In 17 games for Sunderland (11) and Watford (six) combined, Kaboul has played in only three defeats. He lost to champions Leicester in April and against Man City in Pep Guardiola's first match in charge in August with Sunderland, and was defeated by Arsenal on his Watford debut.
Despite Kaboul playing for two less heralded teams, plenty of players from title-challenging clubs have tasted defeat more often in 2016, including Firmino who has lost four of his 24 Premier League appearances this year.
However, Firmino is unparalleled in the Premier League for sprinting stats - he has recorded 37 more sprints than any other player this season, and is crucial in setting the tone for Jurgen Klopp's much publicised high-pressing style.
Firmino's top speed this season of 32.2km/h is - perhaps surprisingly - one that Kaboul has surpassed with a personal top speed of 33.2km/h, set against Bournemouth in October.
But whether Kaboul is able to match Firmino's relentless running could be an important factor if Watford are to keep free-scoring Liverpool at bay and pull off a shock result at Anfield.
