ANDY ROBERTSON compelled to apologise after Liverpool saw their unbeaten Premier League season ended in stunning fashion at Watford.
Jurgen Klopp’s runaway league leaders were beaten 3-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday by a Watford team who had gone six games without a victory in all competitions.
The result ended Liverpool’s hopes of a record 19th consecutive win in England’s top flight and ensured they cannot follow Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04 by going an entire league season unbeaten.
The Reds managed only one shot on target against the Hornets, who fully deserved three points secured through two goals from Ismaila Sarr and one from Troy Deeney.
Left-back Robertson accepted his side fell too far short of the exceptional standards they have set for most of the past two seasons.
“Watford were at it from the start and we took time to get going,” he told Liverpool’s website. “We had a couple of good moments but nowhere near enough for this Liverpool team.
“It’s a performance that has not been expected for a number of years by the fans and we can only apologise for this performance.
“It’s up to us to now bounce back because today wasn’t good enough, simple as that. Watford deserved the three points; they were brilliant to a man. And we weren’t.
“It’s up to us to now show that this defeat hurts and up to us to now go and put a run together that will crown us champions.”
Liverpool remain 22 points above second-place Manchester City, having played a game more, and still appear almost certain to end the season as Premier League champions.
“Our message has always been the same: we can’t get carried away,” said Robertson.
“Of course, fans are going to get carried away and enjoy the moment we’re in and that’s nice for us because if our fans are enjoying the way we’re playing and what we’re doing, it means we’re doing something right.
“We really need to put in a proper LFC performance and show everyone that this was just a blip, that now we’re going to crack on and get to where we want to be. Everyone knows where that is – but it’s up to us to now show it.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
