We react to Liverpool’s League Cup victory and give you a chance to vote for Man of the Match.
Norwich City 0 – 3 Liverpool
Liverpool: Minamino 4’, Origi 50’, Minamino 80’
Pre-Match
As we’re used to with Liverpool’s domestic cup lineups under Klopp, the starting XI is mostly bench players and a couple of youngsters, but it’s probably the strongest one of these lineups we’ve ever seen. It will be interesting to see what Kaide Gordon, the 16-year-old attacker who earned praise from the coaching staff during the pre-season, can do in his debut.
First Half
Liverpool get off to a fast start with a pair of corners in the first four minutes, and Takumi Minamino puts the Reds on the board off of the second one. Divock Origi managed to get on the end of the of it and head the ball down to Minamino, who smoothly turned and fired a shot between the keeper’s legs to put his side ahead.
Ibrahima Konaté gets a chance to double the lead off yet another corner in the 12th minute, but his header from the middle of the box goes over the bar. It’s all Liverpool in the opening 15 minutes. While both sides are heavily rotated, there is a clear gulf in talent and Liverpool are taking advantage.
After looking like the clearly inferior side for the first 20 minutes, Norwich started to settle into the game, and they’ve now had the better of the play for the last ten minutes. They haven’t really created any chances, but they’re seeing a lot of the ball in Liverpool’s half.
After reasserting some degree of control, Liverpool give Norwich a chance to level the score in the 42nd minute. Conor Bradley concedes a penalty kick by recklessly rushing in to try and win the ball off a rebound following a save from Caoimhín Kelleher. He’s had some nice moments so far, but the young right back’s inexperience showed there.
Kelleher stops Christos Tzolis’ PK and bails out Bradley! Then, Joe Gomez manages to make a block and clear the danger after the ball pinged around in the box for a few seconds. That will be the last real action of the half. Liverpool lead 1-0 at the break.
Second Half
Tyler Morton replaces Naby Keïta to start the second half.
Norwich get a chance shortly after the kickoff thanks to some sloppiness from the Liverpool back four. They’re fortunate that Pierre Lees-Melou skies his shot from the center of the box.
Origi makes it two! Kostas Tsimikas’ ball into the box from the endline finds the big Belgian and he calmly nods a header into the far corner. Just two minutes later he nearly makes it a brace after a lovely through ball from Kaide Gordon. Unfortunately, his low shot ends up just outside the far post.
Andrew Robertson will come on for Tsimikas in the 66th minute. It was another good performance for the Greek defender. Having a reliable deputy to spell Robertson is a wonderful development after a couple years of Klopp having no choice but to play him in virtually every match.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain takes a 72nd minute free kick from a dangerous area outside the Norwich box, but all he can do is hammer it into the wall. It’s been a pretty disappointing night for Ox. He hasn’t looked sharp when given minutes so far this season, and it seems likely those minutes will dry up soon if he can’t show he has something left in the tank.
Minamino gets his second in the 80th minute after Liverpool apply some pressure deep in the Norwich defensive third. The ball ends up at Oxlade-Chamberlain’s feet, he gives it a small touch to direct it towards Minamino, and he slots it home after a couple of touches to cut through the Norwich defense.
Final Thoughts and Man of the Match
In the end it was fairly comfortable, expected win for the Reds, and it really had everything you could have hoped for. A trio of teens got their debuts, Kelleher stopped a PK, most of the starters got a rest, and quite a few backups and fringe players got some needed minutes.
