Liverpool comfortably made it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup and will face Watford or Southampton after beating Norwich 5-2 at Anfield. The stadium was rocking with emotion and support for Jurgen Klopp before kick-off after he announced that he would be departing at the end of the season.
Darwin Nunez had the first effort of the game which curled and cannoned off the post ninth minute. Liverpool began to establish dominance after a Norwich attack broke down Diogo Jota played the ball across the box, but the Uruguayan number nine couldn’t quite reach it.
In form midfielder, Curtis Jones made it 1-0 after fellow academy graduate James McConnell’s brilliant curled cross to the far post and the young English midfielder headed it back across goal into the bottom corner in the 16th minute. A first assist on his full debut for the teenager signed from Sunderland.
Liverpool’s lead didn’t last long though as Ben Gibson equalised from a corner in the 22nd minute. The centre-half got free to meet Gabriel Sara’s ball and head the ball past Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal to make it 1-1 against the run of play.
Nunez soon gave The Reds their lead back after Norwich were caught by Connor Bradley’s press and the young full-back played in the frontman who calmly slotted the ball away for Liverpool’s second goal of the game in the 28th minute with the score now 2-1 to Klopp’s charges.
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Gakpo had a huge chance for 3-1 minutes later but with the goal gaping after Bradley put the ball across the Dutchman could only put the ball wide of the post. Liverpool remained the dominant side and created chances but could not take them with the first half ending with the hosts leading by two goals to one.
Norwich had started the second half the better side, but Liverpool got back into their stride and began to dictate the tempo of the game. Klopp’s side extended their lead as a long ball forward by Joe Gomez was not properly dealt with by Norwich’s goal scorer Gibson and Jota volleyed the ball home brilliantly for 3-1 in the 53rd minute.
A positive for Liverpool fans came two minutes later as Klopp opted to bring one previously injured Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson. Liverpool’s first choice Captain Virgil Van Dijk was also brought on. The Hungarian midfielder and Liverpool’s Captain made their presence felt immediately as Szoboszlai’s corner was met by the Dutch centre-back into the back of the Norwich net for 4-1 in the 63rd minute.
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Norwich got a goal back in the 69th minute as substitute Bruno Sainz’s long-range effort gave the travelling supporters hope to make the cup tie more interesting with the score brought back to 4-2. 10 minutes later George Long in the Norwich goal prevented a Liverpool fifth as Jota and Ryan Gravenberch were unable to turn the ball home from six yards with some fine goalkeeping.
The reds had the last word as Bradley’s bouncing cross was powered home by the head of a quick-thinking Gravenberch for a fifth goal in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the 90.
Bradley earned himself a man of the match with two assists, a top all-round defensive performance and a good display of how to press high when he was allowed to play further forward after the introduction of the previously injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Now though Klopp and his team will look ahead to midweek with another important home game in the Premier League when they face Chelsea on Wednesday evening with them still at the top of the table.
Can Jurgen Klopp Leave Liverpool On A Quadruple?
Player Ratings – Alisson 7, Bradley 9, Konate 7, Quansah 8, Gomez 7; McConnell 8, Gravenberch 7, Jones 8; Jota 8, Nunez 8, Gakpo 7
Redmen Reacts
No sign of any emotion getting the better of Klopp’s side here as a businesslike display saw Liverpool reach the next stage of what remains a very ‘on’ quadruple for what would be the most remarkable send-off for the German boss.
Welcoming back the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson is a frightening proposition for rivals, especially when you consider Mohamed Salah, Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister are all still to come back into the fray, with the latter simply rested for this one.
Who knows…
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