Liverpool survive late Norwich onslaught

“We go to Norwich and do exactly the same. We go again.” Those were the words

Steven Gerrard

barked into the huddle of his team-mates following Liverpool’s tumultuous victory over Manchester City last week and here it was a case of following the captain’s orders to the letter as they again won 3-2 with a performance marked by scintillating attacking play and defensive fragility.

It proved another of those matches when Liverpool supporters were singing raucously one moment and biting their nails the next, as their team displayed their trademark early purpose and swagger to cruise into a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes with goals from Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez before completing the final stages hanging on for dear life. An 11th win in a row coming on the back of Chelsea's defeat to Sunderland on Saturday means Liverpool are five points clear at the top with three games to go.

Brendan Rodgers’ side need seven points from their final three games to wrap up the title and face Chelsea at Anfield next week knowing a draw is likely to be all they need to pip Jose Mourinho’s side, as well as Manchester City, to the post. They have 80 points, one more than they secured in their last title-winning campaign; 1989-90, while Suarez secured his 30th league goal here – the first Liverpool player to reach that landmark since Ian Rush in 1986 – and Sterling delivered another performance to suggest he is not only a banker for England’s World Cup squad but also Roy Hodgson’s starting side. Had it not been for the shakiness at the back, this would have been the most perfect of Easter Sundays for all those connected with the league leaders.

Fragile defence
Viewed another way, it was the resilience which Liverpool showed that suggests more than anything that their title charge is not going to crash into a late hurdle. Their defending was not pretty on many occasions and, coming up against a side who had failed to score in their previous three games, rather worrying, but they hung on, with

centre-backs Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho forced to clear a barrage of direct deliveries into the visitors’ area.

For Norwich there was encouragement to take from their second-half showing in particular, when goals from Gary Hooper and Robert Snodgrass hinted at a revival. Yet this was a fourth defeat in succession, their second under manager Neil Adams, and, perched two points above the teams in the relegation zone with games against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal to come, things look bleak.

As Adams conceded, it could have been much worse. The manager feared a “heavy defeat” after seeing Liverpool start with a bang. They were without two key players in Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson, who picked up an injury and red card respectively in the win against City, but they looked their usual selves. It took just four minutes for Liverpool to score their 94th goal of the season. Philippe Coutinho, who was positioned close to Suarez in attack, passed to Sterling who unleashed a swerving strike that took a touch off Michael Turner before flying into the top corner of the net.

Positioned at the tip of Liverpool’s midfield diamond, the 19-year-old shone again moments later, playing a perfect cross into the path for Suarez who, unmarked, swept the ball past John Ruddy.

Rampant Reds
It was the Uruguayan's 12th goal in five appearances against these opponents and, with Liverpool swarming forward at will, it seemed likely he was going to add to his tally.

Yet while Liverpool continued to dominate possession, with Gerrard becoming an increasingly prominent figure, the pace of their attacks dropped. Coutinho and Sterling went close either side of half-time but Norwich were still in the contest and got a deserved goal when Hooper struck into an empty net on 54 minutes after Simon Mignolet had failed to clear Steven Whittaker’s cross.

The home fans were now in loud voice only to be silenced eight minutes later when Sterling capitalised on Johnson’s slack cross-field pass and, having charged upfield, saw his shot deflect off the same player and loop past Ruddy.

That should have been that, but Norwich struck again on 77 minutes through an excellent Snodgrass header. The final minutes were frantic as Liverpool desperately repelled all advances.
– Guardian Service