In a riveting FA Cup Fourth Round clash, Liverpool showcased their prowess on the field by defeating Norwich City 5-2 at Anfield. The match, held at a packed stadium, was a testament to Liverpool’s attacking prowess and the relentless spirit of FA Cup competition. With a dominant win over the Championship side, the Premier League leaders eased into the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they will host Watford or Southampton. It was a treat for the home crowd as they witnessed their star players, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch score a goal each for their side.
Liverpool began their protracted goodbye to their beloved manager with an impressive win over Norwich, maintaining expectations of giving him a quadruple as a farewell gift. Liverpool showed no signs of losing focus after the shocking announcement that Jurgen Klopp’s revolutionary reign would end at the end of the season.
From the kickoff, Liverpool asserted their dominance, controlling possession and dictating the pace of the game. Teenager James McConnell was given his first start in central midfield and marked the occasion by creating the breakthrough for Jones. The 19-year-old midfielder picked out his fellow player with a beautifully weighted cross over a deep-lying Norwich defense. Jones, unmarked at the back post, steered a deft header beyond Norwich goalkeeper George Long, giving Liverpool an early lead.
Wagner’s team quickly repaid their devoted traveling supporters by equalizing from a Gabriel Sara corner. Ben Gibson outmuscled Ryan Gravenberch at the near post and sent a glancing header over Alisson Becker to make it 1-1. Klopp’s team reclaimed the lead thanks to excellent effort from Conor Bradley, who has impressed at right-back in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 20-year-old Ireland international broke with pace down the right and produced a superb pass to free Nunez inside the box. The Liverpool center-forward placed his shot into Long’s bottom corner.
Liverpool continued to deliver a dominant performance after the break too. Jota seized on a loose header by Gibson, who miscued while attempting to clear Jones’s long pass and swept an unstoppable half-volley past the Norwich keeper from 18 yards away. Van Dijk then extended Liverpool’s advantage with a thumping header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner.
The Norwich substitute Borja Sainz had a moment to savor, beating Alisson with an emphatic drive from 25 yards. Gravenberch, however, made the scoreline more accurate by heading home Bradley’s second assist of the game in stoppage time.
