Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp reiterated that the Premier League title is not over still after being trounced 3-0 by underdogs Watford, who ended Red’s 45-game unbeaten in the league on Saturday.

Despite the loss, Liverpool still have a cushion of 22-point lead over their nearest rivals Manchester City and need only four wins form remaining 10 games to clinch their first Premier League title in 30 years.

The loss against Watford did not come abruptly as the sign of the downslide in the European champions’ form had started to surface in their three previous games.

They just managed to pull away a narrow wins against relegation-threatened Norwich and West Ham in their two previous league games and after losing their Champions League last 16 clash to Spain’s Atletico Madrid.

“What the boys did so far is exceptional but it is not over,” said Klopp.

“We did not expect the number of games we won. It was never easy and it will never be easy, so now let’s carry on.”

Klopp has long been an advocate of a winter break amid the gruelling English campaign to give his players a chance to rest and recuperate. But a two-week break earlier this month appears to have disrupted the Reds’ rhythm.

“Shape, form is not something we can take for granted. We fought against each every feeling in the body. We fought against everything and that’s why we have that amount of points,” added Klopp.

“The biggest surprise for me is that Watford is fighting to stay in the league. Now is the moment when everybody is fighting like crazy.

“We don’t think it is the biggest catastrophe in world football. We feel the defeat really and now we have the chance to show the reaction again.”

Ismaila Sarr was the star for Watford as the Senegalese struck twice in six minutes at the start of the second half and then teed up Troy Deeney to add a third.

The comprehensive scoreline had the added bonus of edging Watford out of the relegation zone by one goal ahead of Bournemouth.

However, after slipping back into the bottom three following a fine start to his reign, Hornets’ boss Nigel Pearson is all too aware of the importance of backing up a famous win for the remainder of the season.

“It’s such an important win for us. But it is one win,” said Pearson.

“They are such an outstanding side, we had to get our performance right and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.

“We threatened with the ball and defended with discipline, energy and commitment. That’s been the message from day one.

“It’s in our own hands, and we have to deliver that performance week in, week out.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk lamented an “unacceptable” display after the team’s run of 44 games without defeat in the Premier League ended.

“First of all credit to Watford, they deserve it... It’s a tough one to take but that’s football,” van Dijk told Sky Sports after the stunning reverse at Vicarage Road.

“We have to improve and we will.” Reigning European champions Liverpool, bidding for their first title of the Premier League era, were undone by Ismaila Sarr’s second-half double and a 72nd-minute goal from Troy Deeney.

Defeat ended Liverpool’s hopes of winning their first English championship crown in 30 years with an unbeaten season as they lost in the league for the first time since January last year.

“We have to improve we have to do better,” said van Dijk, with Liverpool still a mammoth 22 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the current English title-holders, despite this defeat.

“It’s not acceptable we lose 3-0 here.” Saturday’s remarkable loss put paid to Liverpool’s hopes of equalling Arsenal’s celebrated ‘Invincibles’, who enjoyed an unbeaten campaign while winning the 2003/04 Premier League title as part of a sequence of 49 top-flight matches without defeat.

But Dutch international van Dijk said: “Losing hurts, the records are only for the media. We want to win our next game (against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Tuesday), we want to strike back straight away.”

Victory saw Watford climb out of the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference alone, and elated goalkeeper Ben Foster said: “It’s easy if you do it like that — we had a game plan and stuck to it really well.”

Agencies