Match report: Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool
Nick Ames was at Carrow Road to see Liverpool cruise to victory with a minimum of fuss as they welcomed back several of last season’s high profile lame and halt.
Virgil on his injury ...
Asked when it was toughest for him, he doesn’t need to think for too long. “Especially at the beginning,” he says. “You go from being one day of fully fit to next day, you can’t walk. You’re full of medication, full of pain and you can’t sleep. Everyone has their opinion and you read those things because you’ve nothing to do. And obviously as well we were struggling last season with more injuries on key positions where we couldn’t play our game the way we wanted to play.”
Virgil van Dijk speaks ...
“It’s amazing if I’m honest,” he tells Sky Sports. “It was a tough game for many reasons. Winning it 3-0 sounds comfortable but for the last bit we made things very difficult for ourselves. We were a little bit under pressure. Maybe that’s fatigue, maybe it’s something where we have to do better and look at it but we can’t be negative about tonight.
“We won 3-0, I’m certainly happy that I’m back out there again with the boys, helping the team. I hope that continues and we’ll see what it brings. I need games but the manager knows it, I know it and it was a good start today. Now it’s time to focus on recovery and try to be ready for next week.”
On Sky Sports: Working as a pundit, Jamie Redknapp has just stolen Neil Hattersely’s point about Norwich’s failure to put a player on the edge of their own box during opposition corners and passed it off as his own. Truth be told it was a fairly obvious failure that led to Mo Salah’s goal.
It is still the case that Norwich have avoided defeat at home to Bayern Munich more recently than at home to Liverpool.
— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) August 14, 2021
An email: “What are Norwich’s coaches doing?” asks Neil Hattersley. “Almost every Liverpool corner fell to one of our players on the edge of the box and we/Liverpool have a shot. Maybe tell someone to hang out there? Sam Allardyce would be going nuts.”
It’s a fair point well made by Neil and an observation I shall almost certainly steal to pass off as my own for Monday’s Football Weekly podcast.
Full time: Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Carrow Road, where Liverpool have recorded a comfortable win over Norwich City to get their Premier League campaign off to a winning start. Diogo Jota, Bobby Firmino and Mo Salah got the goals on a day when Virgil van Dijk enjoyed a fairly stress-free return to the Liverpool line-up after his long spell on the sidelines.
90+1 min: On co-comms for Sky Sporrts, Alan Smith declares Mo Salah his Man of the Match. The Egyptian has scored a goal and provided two assists. He gives special mentions to Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who have also excelled for Liverpool.
90 min: Lukas Rupp shoots high over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
89 min: One of four players making their Norwich City debut tonight, Josh Sargent sends a low diagonal shot wide of the far post.
87 min: Norwich somehow fail to score, with Alisson denying Ben Gibson from point-blank range with a terrific reflex save. He’s forced into action twice more as Norwich try unsuccessfully to convert both the follow-up and the follow-up to the follow-up.
86 min: Norwich substitution: Kieran Dowell on for Todd Cantwell.
85 min: Mo Salah wriggles through the Norwich penalty area, getting the better of Giannoulous. Making his way to the byline, he tries to square the ball but is unable to get it past Tim Krul at the near post.
81 min: Naby Keita stands the ball up at the far post but Norwich clear. The Liverpool midfielder is immediately substituted, with Harvey Elliott coming on in his place. Keita’s cross was actually quite a good one - his removal from the cauldron of battle had already been planned.
79 min: Liverpool corner. Trent Alexander-Arnold swings the ball towards the near post, where Firmino gets the flick on. The ball zips towards Virgil van Dijk at the far post and he pulls it into the path of Salah, who shoots high and wide with his left foot. He’s furious with himself!
77 min: Norwich double-substitution: Adam Idah and Josh Sargent on for Milot Rashica and Teemu Pukki.
75 min: It was a purler too, a real beauty. From a corner, the ball was cleared his way on the edge of the Norwich penalty area. He steadied himself before curling a wonderful left-footed effort inside the far post.
GOAL! Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool (Salah 73)
Salah scores in Liverpool’s Premier League opener for the fifth consecutive season!!!
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72 min: Immediately after his error, Tsimikas raised a hand by way of apology to his team-mates but it wasn’t enough for James Milner. He rushed over to his teamm-ate to give him a quick pep-talk and a wake-up call in the form of a cuff to the side of the head! Tsimikas has the good grace to look suitably sheepish.
70 min: Tsimikas dawdles on the ball just outside his own penalty area, allowing Pierre Lees-Melou to pounce. The ball breaks to Cantwell, who tees up Lukas Rupp for a shot from outside the penalty area. Over the bar.
67 min: “I think everyone in the stadium could see that goal coming,” says Alan Smith (the Arsenal and Leicester version) on Sky co-comms. “It’s been inevitable.”
It may well have been but like Liverpool’s first goal, there was an element of good fortune about this one too. Sadio Mane had a shot blocked by Grant Hanley but the ball broke to Mo Salah in acres of space in the penalty area. Rather than shoot himself, he squared it for Firmino to slot past Tim Krul.
GOAL! Norwich City 0-2 Liverpool (Firminho 65)
The substitute doubles Liverpool’s lead with a simple tap-in from eight yards after being teed up by Mo Salah. That was in the post – Norwich have been hanging on for some time.
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64 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold fires over the bar. I thought his shot took a little deflection but Liverpool aren’t awarded a corner so perhaps I was mistaken. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
63 min: Tsimikas receives a pass from Mane on the edge of the Norwich penalty area. He tries his luck with a low drive that Tim Krul saves comfortably.
61 min: A reminder that clubs are restricted to just three substitutions now that Covid restirctions have been lifted and the Premier League schedule is back to something vaguely resembling normality.
60 min: Liverpool double-substitution: Diogo Jota and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain off, Bobby Firmino and Fabinho on.
58 min: Gibson plays the ball wide to Giannoulis on the left touchline. The left-back, who has been decent on his debut today, tries to pick out Pukki with a cross into the Liverpool penalty area. He passes straight to Matip, who clears.
56 min: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tries to slide the ball through the centre for Salah but his pass is intercepted.
54 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold takes the free kick and aims for the top left-hand bin but curls the ball a foot or so wide.
52 min: Giannoulis picks out Cantwell on the right flank but he gives the ball away with an attempted pass to Lees-Melou. Diogo Jota escapes upfield weaving his way past two defenders before being brought down by Cantwell a few yards outside the Norwich penalty area. It’s a yellow card for Cantwell and Liverpool have a free-kick in a great position.
51 min: Liverpool win another corner but Tsimikas’s delivery is cleared. Norwich win a free-kick on the edge of their own penalty area for a Tsimakis foul on his compatriot Giannoulis.
49 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold picks out Mane with a pull-back from the touchline and ther Senegalese striker shoots firtst time. His effort is on target and Krul looked beaten but Aarons makes a crucial block. Hats off to Naby Keita, whose pass to find Trent Alexander-Arnold was sublime.
48 min: Tsimikas tries to pick out Salah with a cross from the left but Giannoulis heads clear.
47 min: Norwich win a corner. Billy Gilmour floats the ball towards the far post, where it’s plucked from the sky by Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson.
47 min: Matip launches the ball towards Sadio Mane on the left touchline but Max Aarons gets in front of the Liverpool No10 to clear.
Second half: Norwich City 0-1 Liverpool
46 min: Liverpool get us started in this second half, with just the one goal separating the sides. For all the possession they’ve enjoyed, Norwich City only had three touches in the Liverpool penalty area in the olpening 45 minutes. They have, however, caused Liverpool’s defence a few problems with a few low slide rule passes in behind the visitors’ defence.
Half-time: Norwich City 0-1 Liverpool
Diogo Jota’s goal separates the sides and Liverpool have dominated since he scored it in the 25th minute, despite a bright start by Norwich City.
45+2 min: Milner floats the ball down the touchline for Trent Alexander-Arnold to chase. His delivery is put out for a throw-in by Todd Cantwell. There’s no time for it to be taken.
45 min: Rashica gets the better of Tsimikas down the right wing and sends a cross towards the far post. Lukas Rupp leaps as high as he can but the delivery is a wee bit too high for him.
44 min: Billy Gilmour earns a polite round of applause for winning the ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold halfway inside the Norwich half.
41 min: Not much of note has happened in the past five minutes, while the Norwich fans in the stands have all gone fairly quiet. Where’s Delia Smith to get on the microphone and shout “Let’s be having you!” when you need her?
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39 min: Having started so brightly, Norwich are struggling to stay in the game at the moment. If they can hold out until half-time without conceding another goal, they’ll have a chance to regroup.
37 min: Van Dijk plays the ball into the Norwich penalty area from deep but his delivery, aimed towards Mo Salah, is headed clear by Ben Gibson.
33 min: Matip picks out Trent Alexander-Arnold with a pass to the right wing and he crosses to Mane in the penalty area. Mane tussles with Max Aarons and the ball breaks to Todd Cantwell, who accidentally catches Mo Salah with a kick as he tries to clear it.
Liverpool appeal for a penalty but don’t get one under the new refereeing guidelines. I suspect they’d have got one for a similar “offence” last season. In fact I think Salah did get one in similar circumastance although I can’t remember in which game that particular incident occurred.
31 min: Max Aarons plays Pukki in behind the Liverpool defence with a neat pass up the inside left channel. Pukki tries to square the ball for Milot Rashica, but passes straight to a red shirt.
30 min: Liverpool win a corner, which is headed clear.
28 min: I hope I’m not doing Mo Salah a grave injustice by suggesting he played the ball into the path of Jota by accident. It may well have been a sublime no-look stroke of genius and if the Egyptian has any gumption that’s exactly what he ought to claim after the match.
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GOAL! Norwich City 0-1 Liverpool (Jota 26)
Trent Alexander-Arnold picks out Salah on the right side of the Norwich penalty area. His first touch is poor but he miscontrols the ball past two defenders and into the path of Diogo Jota. The Portuguese striker slots home past Tim Krul.
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26 min: James Milner is booked for a cynical foul on Pukki near the halfway line.
25 min: Out by the ight touchline, Todd Cantwell spots ALisson off his line and tries to chip the Liverpool goalkeeper. The idea was great but the execution left a little to be desired. His effort floats high over the crossbar.
23 min: Sadio Mane crosses deep into the penalty area from the byline and Mo Salah meets his delivery on the volley. His strike is clean and he sends the ball flashing narrowly wide of the far post.
22 min: We’re halfway into the first half and Norwich look very comfortable indeed as they try to complete the set of opening weekend victories for the three clubs promoted from the Championship. The deadlock remains unbroken but it’s a very even game and the hosts seem happy to take the game to Liverpool.
20 min: Todd Cantwell plays Teemu Pukki in behind Virgil van Dijk with a terrific pass, but the Finnish striker shoots straight at Alisson from a narrow angle.
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19 min: Another curled Trent Alexander-Arnold cross from the right is headed out for a corner by Max Aarons. Tsimikas’s inswinger is headed out of the penalty area, where Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain meets it and sends a shot high over the bar.
18 min: From a fairly narrow angle, Mo Salah shoots straight into the gloves of Tim Krul at his near post.
16 min: A mix-up between Lukas Rupp and Billy Gilmour almost lets Liverpool in behind the Norwich defence but the home side get awaywith it. Rupp played Gilmour into all sorts of trouble with an unwelcome and unwanted pass.
15 min: Billy Gilmour spreads the ball wide to Max Aarons on the right touchline but a vaguely promising Norwich move is ended by the intervention of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
13 min: Rashica wins a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory when his attempted return pass to Pukki is blocked by Virgil van Dijk. Nothing comes of it.
12 min: From the ensuing corner, Diogo Jota brings a smartish save out of Tim Krul with a header.
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10 min: Tsimikas skips past Todd Cantwell with a neat soft-shoe shuffle and tries to pick out Diogo Jota with a cross to the far post. Facing his own goal, Ben Gibson does well to put the ball out for a corner rather than burying it in his own net.
7 min: Kostas Tsimikas gets forward but is penalised for a foul on Grant Hanley in the Norwich penalty area.
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6 min: Liverpool get on the ball and Trent Alexander-Arnold curls a cross into the Norwich penalty area. It’s put out for a hotly disputed corner, with both sets of players claiming it went out off a member of the opposing team. Nothing comes of the set-piece.
5 min: This is a very impressive start from Norwich City, who continue to dominate possession albeit without creating any chances.
4 min: Tim Krul lumps the ball long but Virgil van Dijk heads it back in the direction it came from.
3 min: Norwich are looking confident and comfortable on the ball in these very early stages, with Liverpool hardly getting a kick. Lukas Rupp plays the ball upfield towards Rashica, who is flagged for offside.
2 min: Norwich enjoy a suatained early spell of possession. They get the ball forward to Mikot Rashica on the left touchline and he tries to pick out Todd Cantwell. Liverpool clear their lines.
Norwich City v Liverpool is go ...
1 min: The players take the knee before Teemu Pukki gets the ball rolling for Norwich, who line up in their usual home kit of canary yellow shirts, green shorts and yellow socks. Liverpool’s players wear red shirts, shorts and socks.
Not long now: Carrow Road is packed ahead of this season-opener for Norwich and Liverpool, although a friend who is at the game has just sent me a photo of a long queue at the turnstiles. She’s worried her beloved Canaries will be 2-0 down before she gets into the ground.
The teams emerge from the tunnel, with Liverpool leading the way led by James Milner. Norwich City are next out, with Grant Hanley first out on to the pitch. They line up either side of Andre Marriner and his match officials and kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.
Today’s final scores ...
- Burnley 1-2 Brighton
- Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace
- Everton 3-1 Southampton
- Leicester 1-0 Wolves
- Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United
- Watford 3-1 Aston Villa
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Fun fact: Mo Salah has scored in Liverpool’s first Premier League game of each of the past four seasons, a run you’d expect him to continue this evening at Carrow Road. The goals in question came agains West Ham, Watford, tonight’s opponents Norwich and Leeds United.
Billy Gilmour starts for Norwich
The loan signing from Chelsea will play his first competitive game for Norwich in front of a back four comprised of Max Aarons, Grant Hanley, Ben Gibson and Dimitris Giannoulis. Teemu Pukki starts for Norwich City, hoping to add to the 11 goals he scored during their last Premier League campaign and will be ably assisted by Todd Cantwell, who also has Premier League experience. Midfielders Pierre Lees-Melou and Milot Rashica are also handed club debuts by Daniel Farke.
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Virgil van Dijk returns for Liverpool
The Dutch talisman is considered fit enough for selection and returns for his first start since suffering a nasty knee injury against Everton in mid-October. Joel Matip is also back from a long spell on the sidelines and joins him in the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
At left-back, Kostas Tsimakis comes in for the injured Andy Robertson, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, also back from the injury that ruled him out of Euro 2020, completes the back four.
Further up the field, Diogo Jota gets the nod ahead of Roberto Firmino in a front three that will line up in front of the midfield trio of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Fabinho starts on the bench alongside new signing Ibrahima Konate.
Norwich City v Liverpool line-ups
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Giannoulis, Lees-Melou, Gilmour, Rupp, Rashica, Pukki, Cantwell.
Subs: Zimmermann, Dowell, Tzolis, Sorensen, McLean, Sargent, Mumba, Gunn, Idah.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Keita, Salah, Jota, Mane.
Subs: Fabinho, Konate, Firmino, Gomez, Minamino, Origi, Woodburn, Kelleher, Elliott.
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Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Andre Marriner.
- Assistants: Simon Long and Richard West.
- Fourth official: Graham Scott.
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VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Early team news
Norwich lost Emi Buendia to Aston Villa during the summer, while Todd Cantwell could miss out today with an ankle ligament injury. Cantwell’s fellow midfielder Lukas Rupp is also struggling to shake off an ankle injury, while Milot Rashica and Grant Hanley are both back in training following a Covid outbreak in the Norwich camp.
Przemyslaw Placheta hasn’t been so lucky and is still struggling with symptoms of the virus, while Irish defender Andrew Omobamidele is also poorly and has been sidelined with tonsillitis. BIlly Gilmour is expected to start for Norwich having been signed on loan from Chelsea.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has had to plan for this game with his left-back Andy Robertson, who is expected to be out for a few weeks with an ankle injury. Konstantinos Tsimikas is expected to fill in for the Scot. Elsewhere in Liverpool’s defence, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are approaching full fitness after long term knee injuries but may not feature today. New signing Ibrahima Konate could make his Premier League debut in the heart of the visitors’ defence. Curtis Jones is another absentee, as he sits this one out as part of a concussion protocol.
Premier League: Norwich City v Liverpool
Promoted as champions, Norwich City have a tough assignment on their return to the top flight as they entertain Liverpool at Carrow Road.
Having committed to the club for another four years, Daniel Farke will be hoping his side can make a better fist of trying to stay in the division than they did last time around, when they were relegated with little more than a whimper.
With the return of several key players from long-term injury, Farke’s compatriot and opposite number, Jurgen Klopp, will expect his side to improve on last season’s third place finish which came on the back of a late surge in the wake of an alarming mid-season slump. Kick-off at Carrow Road is at 5.30pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
