Thrilling victory over Norwich puts Liverpool back in title race

 

After Liverpool’s thrilling 3-1 home win against Norwich and Manchester City’s even more dramatic 3-2 loss to Spurs, the weekend ended with Liverpool only six points behind the Premier League title holders with a game in hand – versus Leeds this Wednesday – and a trip to the Etihad scheduled for April.

In other words, winning the Premier League title is, theoretically, now in Liverpool’s hands. If the Reds win all their remaining 13 games they will be crowned champions.

Obviously, as the Spartans would say, ‘if’. The task is, of course, enormous and will require effort, luck and faultlessness, and all while Liverpool are pursuing Champions League and FA Cup glory – the Reds are already set to play the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea this Sunday.

Asserting that the title is, essentially, now Liverpool’s to lose also overlooks the fact that despite the remarkable run the Reds have been on to get themselves into a position to challenge for four trophies this season, it’s been willpower and desire – emanating from the manager, players and, particularly the home crowd – rather than Liverpool’s crushing form that has counted.

Thus, even in the game against lowly Norwich, favourites to be relegated to the Championship, Liverpool had to fight against adversity.

True, Klopp made seven changes to the side that beat Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek – with Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Joel Matip, Naby Keita and Luis Diaz all getting starting places; but the team still looked strong and  there was every expectation that the new lineup would have enough to overcome Dean Smith’s side.

And, indeed, Tsimikas, in for Andy Robertson, and Gomez playing at right-back in place of Trent Alexander Arnold, had excellent games, contributing significantly both in attack and defence. Tsimikas is a more creative footballer than Robertson while Liverpool’s defence looked far more solid with Gomez playing instead of Alexander Arnold, whose defending is erratic.

However, not only did Norwich manage to hold the Reds to 0-0 after 45, but within three minutes of the restart, the Canaries took the lead, weak defending from Oxlade Chamberlain, failing to prevent or block the speculative shot from the edge of the area from Milot Rashica, and Matip’s pathetic dangling of his leg in the path of the ball, ensured the deflected effort wrong-footed Alisson Becker and nestled in the corner of the goal.

Anxiety crept into Liverpool’s play as their championship tilt seemed to be on the brink of ignominiously ending.

It was then, after an hour, that, as in the game against Inter, Jurgen Klopp turned to his bench and made decisive substitutions.

Thiago Alcantara came on for the disappointing Oxlade Chamberlain and Divock Origi – returning from two months out with injury – replaced Naby Keita.

Thiago immediately calmed Liverpool down with his effortless and precise possession and passing. As on Wednesday night, his composure and serenity were breathtaking.

Thus, on 64 minutes, Thiago linked up with Gomez and Jordan Henderson, the captain chipping the ball to the far post where Tsimikas brilliantly looped a header into the path of Sadio Mané who, from six yards out, contorted his body and executed a bicycle kick to equalise past Angus Gunn in the Norwich goal.

Liverpool now scented Canary blood and, two minutes later, a Norwich attack lamely broke down and Alisson retrieved possession, the Brazilian stopper then launching the ball 100 yards down the field into the path of Mo Salah on the edge of the opposition area.

The Egyptian king controlled the ball with a sublime touch, then jinking and spinning sent the Norwich defenders and keeper this way and that before, with his wrong right foot, passing the ball into net.

Liverpool had not only stepped back from the abyss, but had done so with conviction.

To cap off a superb day, it was fated that new-boy Luis Diaz, already a fan-favourite with his skill, pace and endeavour, would score. Thus, in the 81st minute, the Colombian latched on to a precise through pass from Henderson and calmly lifted the ball over the advancing Gunn to make it 3-1.

Reds brush aside Canaries to get season off to winning start

 

A perfect start from Liverpool away against newly-promoted Norwich City saw the Reds continue their good form from the end of last season and pre-season and take all three points with a 3-0 victory.

After Brentford had accounted for Arsenal and Watford beat Aston Villa, there was some expectation that this year’s promoted teams could be more trouble than usual and, given how Liverpool struggled last season against teams in the lower regions of the league, that the Reds would be ripe for the taking against the Championship champions who with some bold signings in the transfer market were regarded as the most likely not to go straight back down; but Liverpool never looked in any trouble against the Canaries.

Without creating many or clear chances it still seemed inevitable that Liverpool would score and when the goal did come, in the 26th minute, it was the Portuguese Diogo Jota, starting ahead of Roberto Firmino, who found himself in the right place at the right time to take advantage of miscontrol from Mo Salah to knock the ball past Tim Krul into the Norwich goal.

At no point thereafter was the result in question. Not that Liverpool’s midfield – an unlikely combination of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita – did anything special and you have to doubt that, with Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho to come back, the starting three will get much quality playing time this season.

As usual, most of the threat for Liverpool was provided down the flanks, from Trent Alexander Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas, in the left back position for Andy Robertson, who suffered an ankle injury in pre-season and will be out until September.

The Greek international showed good quality in pre-season and, having languished last year with illness and injury and Klopp’s reluctance to rest Robertson as Liverpool’s season unravelled and threatened to go down the tubes, deserved his chance to step up, even if Klopp must have been tempted to play Milner at left-back. Indeed, Tsimikas showed enough against Norwich, particularly going forward and with his corners from the left, to indicate that he’s a capable deputy for Robertson, though no doubt when the Scotland captain regains his fitness he’ll be straight back into the team.

Tsimikas seemed to tire after 70 minutes and his concentration wavered as did his form, leading to sloppiness in his play, which prompted Milner and then Virgil van Dijk – who made a comfortable return after 10 months out with an ACL injury – to tell the Greek international in no uncertain terms what was expected of him.

Wanting more in midfield and up front saw Oxlade Chamberlain and Diota replaced early in the second half as Klopp looked not to give Norwich any chance of revival. A smart move, as their replacements, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho, soon stamped their authority on the game and on 65 minutes, Firmino, looking sharp, latched onto a pass from Salah inside the box and calmly slotted the ball into the net to put Liverpool two up.

Nine minutes later, a corner from the left from Tsimikas ended up with the ball coming out to Salah on the edge of the box and he lashed it into the back of the net.

The goal capped off a sensational game from the Egyptian. Two assists and the goal of the game for him; but more importantly he looked hungry, fit, strong and as determined as ever to do well. His performance could not have been more encouraging for the Reds, and the same could be said for Sadio Mané and Allison Becker, both of whom had indifferent seasons last year.

Allison had a faultless game, making not only great saves when the game was at 0-0, but also on 87 minutes, with the game won, reading Ben Gibson’s point black strike to save with his chest and then parrying the ball away twice in quick succession to keep a clean sheet.

Super-sub Mané sees of Norwich challenge

The numbers keep on racking up for Liverpool. Twenty-five points clear at the top of the table, 76 points from a possible 78 this season and an unbeaten streak that runs for 43 matches, back to January 2019. Here, a 17th straight league victory was decided by Sadio Mané’s 100th goal in English football. That 19th league title just keeps getting closer.

While the big picture can sometimes seem boggling, the smaller details remain more readily comprehensible. This was another match in which the champions-elect had to graft, bide their time and enjoy some luck before earning a deserved victory.

Norwich played their football, as they always do, and had chances which they squandered, as they often do too. They were also disciplined and resolute in their defending and, as the contest reached the final stages, a draw looked a realistic possibility. But then Liverpool found a way.

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