The Liverpool Offside - Premier League 2019-20: Liverpool vs. Norwich CityZeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2019-08-10T17:30:00+01:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/205633642019-08-10T17:30:00+01:002019-08-10T17:30:00+01:00Divock Origi is Happy to Continue Hot Form
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_wY-HB1zK1qUhs6JKc7T_caaaAo=/926x0:3088x1441/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64988971/1167150483.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>All he does is win, win win no matter what.</p> <p id="Vo8qk0">Hard to find a guy who has had a better few months than Divock Origi. Whatever magic manager Jürgen Klopp has used somehow turned the Belgian attacker from mediocre to unstoppable. While he doesn’t get a chance to play much, due to the world class attacking trio ahead of him in the pecking order, when he does, he almost always scores.</p>
<p id="wwKGtc">This was true on Friday night in the team’s opening match against <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>. Origi scored the team’s fourth goal, as well as delivering the cross that lead to Grant Hanley’s own goal that opened up the scoring for the Reds.</p>
<p id="RYfPt8">With Sadio Mané back in the team after his AFCoN excursions, it’s hard to know how many more minutes Origi will see in the Premier League. Limited playing time has yet to prevent him from making big contributions, however, and with <span>Daniel Sturridge</span> gone and no other forwards brought in during the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a>, he should be given some time to shine.</p>
<p id="lOi188">As for their performance, Origi is happy that the Reds have notched their first win of the season.</p>
<p id="DVri3q">“As a first game, we wanted to make another step from the game against [Manchester] City and obviously winning 4-1 against a very good team is good for us,” <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fnews%2Ffirst-team%2F360098-divock-origi-norwich-premier-league-reaction&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2Fliverpool-fc-news-coverage%2F2019%2F8%2F10%2F20799727%2Fdivock-origi-is-happy-to-continue-hot-form-goal-norwich-city-4-1" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Origi said</a>. </p>
<p id="jReDYG">”I think there’s a lot of good elements, some elements where we can still improve. But it’s still the start of the season, so I think it’s very positive.</p>
<p id="V8GBhx">”We had a lot of respect for this team and we knew that if we didn’t play at 100 per cent we could have problems. You could see in some instances that they had a lot of quality but I thought we dealt with it well. In the end, 4-1 is a very good performance for us.”</p>
<p id="FRFCOr">The next match will come sooner than we’re used to, with the Reds suiting up against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> for the Super Cup trophy on Wednesday evening. Origi will likely start this game as well, to give Mané an extra bit of rest before the <a href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a> match on Saturday.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2019/8/10/20799727/divock-origi-is-happy-to-continue-hot-form-goal-norwich-city-4-1epicskyline2019-08-10T14:30:00+01:002019-08-10T14:30:00+01:00Jordan Henderson Calls For Improvement
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/__YMDNPiJDQYiAEGH-x9FBQZpo4=/0x0:2021x1347/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64988465/1160525264.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The victory was nice, but the captain thinks that they should do better.</p> <p id="lk2FH9">Starting off the season with an impressive 4-1 victory at home is the hope of every team, especially one that has title contention in mind like <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>. And while the victory should be celebrated, plenty of cracks were also evident.</p>
<p id="RTjfGz">Had Liverpool not been playing newly promoted <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>, it’s fair to speculate that the outcome may have been different. It was disheartening to see how often the Canaries slid through Liverpool’s defense, even if the resulting shots went sailing over the net more often than not. This is troubling for several reasons, but the main one is that Liverpool had the best defense in the league last season - maybe even all of Europe. The same players made up their back line on Friday, save for <span>Joe Gomez</span>, who missed half the season through injury, yet they looked shaky.</p>
<p id="QekvOu">Of course, it was the first game of the season, if you discount the Community Shield, so hand wringing isn’t quite called for yet.</p>
<p id="KqzKHo">After the match, captain <span>Jordan Henderson</span> made some observations about things that would need improving for the future — though he was quick to deflect blame from the defenders.</p>
<p id="6re6lK">“It was the start of the Premier League, we wanted to go out and start really well, which we managed to do,” <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fnews%2Ffirst-team%2F360116-jordan-henderson-norwich-premier-league-reaction&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2Fliverpool-fc-news-coverage%2F2019%2F8%2F10%2F20799713%2Fjordan-henderson-calls-for-improvement-norwich-city-4-1-premier-league-defense" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">he told</a> the official site. </p>
<p id="KlHHad">”We scored some brilliant goals and played well in the first half. In the second half we created some chances, but could have controlled the game a little bit better.</p>
<p id="dutudR">”There’s still improvement [to be made] but overall we’re delighted with the result and performance.</p>
<p id="bnMOPx">”It wasn’t so much defensively, we gave the ball away sloppy at times and we didn’t control the game with the ball, so in the transition we weren’t in great positions. That’s one thing we can improve on.</p>
<p id="45kxC6">”But it’s the first game of the season – there’s going to be things that we need to improve on, look back on and work on. That’s only a positive for us. We’ll learn from tonight and want to improve in the next one.”</p>
<p id="uAIM04">A victory is a reason to celebrate, and complaining overly-much after crushing a team 4-1 on opening day makes one look like a Debbie Downer. But every team should strive for improvement. In the case of the Reds, they should do it before a more competent group of players than Norwich City comes along to take advantage of their weaknesses. So yay winning! And let’s move forward in the weeks to come.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2019/8/10/20799713/jordan-henderson-calls-for-improvement-norwich-city-4-1-premier-league-defenseepicskyline2019-08-10T02:00:00+01:002019-08-10T02:00:00+01:00Digging Deeper into Liverpool’s Victory Over Norwich City
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_vSUe6QMQ9mtjAn_QiZkYHtHqE8=/0x0:5289x3526/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64986988/1167075217.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>“Too subtle?” - Me, A Poor Judge of Subtlety. | Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>With a big win over Norwich City in the books, we dig a little deeper into what it means for Liverpool.</p> <p id="d3eG9H"><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> open up their Premier League campaign with a big 4-1 win over newly-promoted <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>. It wasn’t perfect but 3 points was the absolute expectation and, especially in the first 45 minutes, this Liverpool side ensured we would be holding the entire sum of those points at Anfield. Now join us as we examine some of the narratives, tactics, reactions, and questions Liverpool will be dealing with and the fans will be talking about in the aftermath.</p>
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<h2 id="BwZb1G">Talking Tactics</h2>
<p id="upiQLj">When the line-up was announced, there no real surprises. Sure, pre-match, one might have felt Joel Matip had done enough in his stint to close out the season to keep hold of the place next to Virgil Van Dijk. Instead, <span>Joe Gomez</span> slotted in there. And up top, <span>Divock Origi</span> took <span>Sadio Mane</span>’s space in the attacking three. No shocker there either as Mané had just rejoined the club this past Monday after his lengthy international duty with Senegal at the African Cup of Nations.</p>
<p id="lUmcOn">The flourish in the small changes that worked to perfection was, quite notably, Divock Origi in the wide forward/winger role. Playing in that space during spot starts and mop up minutes off the bench last season, Origi sometimes looked a bit disjointed. Either a step behind the rest of the attacking band in terms of ideas or laboring to keep pace. On this evening, he was bright and electric. He showed his full complement of attributes: some pace, nifty close control, an eye for build-up and offensive development, and even held off a fair few defenders to keep control of the ball. Origi was, in short, a revelation on this evening. And he even took home a goal and an assist to show for it. </p>
<p id="SzyEjs">It remains to be seen if Origi has landed on a new sense of form and a better understanding of how to utilize his gifts within Klopp’s system. It’s obvious that that he has talent but given how dire Norwich were defensively - almost conceding space to Origi, in fact, that he was often given the ball with acres to roam in front of him - I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself with effusive praise. The young Belgian did a terrific job and we hope that he is able to maintain this form when minutes tighten up over the course of the season.</p>
<p id="e8IYg8">As for things on the other end of the pitch for Liverpool, it was a bit of a mess. I’m not a tactics expert (which is making me talking tactics in this post a bit of a gamble), but it appeared that Liverpool were intent on tilting the playing field forward. As such, there was little cover and the center backs were often left alone to manage breaks. </p>
<p id="LYZQCP">This did not work out perfectly for the Reds as the first half would have been a lot closer had Alisson Becker not managed to put in one fine save and the Norwich attackers - namely, Teemu Pukki - failing to put a good finish with clear chances early. The combination of poor finishing and stand up goal keeping is what kept the Canaries off the scoreboard and the goal they notched in the second half was more than deserved.</p>
<p id="7qPGlv">I’m not suggesting that Liverpool will find it impossible to keep goals out of the net. I’m merely indicating that there was a stunning efficiency with which Norwich moved forward and that was a bit of a concern. </p>
<h2 id="WSBu6o">What Happens Next</h2>
<p id="hQmS4x">Liverpool will depart for Turkey to face off against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> in Wednesday’s UEFA Supercup tilt. It’s one of the smaller trophies, but one that goes up on the wall, so this will be a match that will be contested. As if, under Klopp, there’d have been any other option.</p>
<p id="sqMuyU">We have a group of Liverpool players that clearly want to win every competition in front of them. Match to match, round to round, they want to be the ones left standing. That is a great feeling and Liverpool will already have to test their depth in this young season.</p>
<p id="8JiaPt">Still, there are concerns. Many will look, reasonably, at the closing of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> with no major signings and see it as a missed opportunity. The season will bear out whether that will be the case or not, but given that we have a mid-week test so early might give credence to that sentiment.</p>
<p id="kE56Wn">And perhaps the biggest thing, the one we’ve been talking around, is what we’re all waiting for: news of Alisson Becker’s injury and how many matches, if any, he’ll miss. Adrián looked capable if rusty, but it’s clear that if Klopp’s intention is to outgun every opponent, asking more of the keeper, then we could be in for tighter scorelines. Here’s hoping the Brazilian net-minder isn’t set for a long time away from the team.</p>
<p id="mQCpi1">All told, it was a very positive result for Liverpool. The big hope is that this kicks the campaign off in the right direction. Bring on the rest of the league. </p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2019/8/10/20799256/liverpool-4-norwich-1-premier-league-opener-alisson-salah-firmino-origiAJ Joven2019-08-09T23:30:00+01:002019-08-09T23:30:00+01:00Jürgen Klopp Says Liverpool Were Sharp Against Norwich City But Needed More Control
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H7F5GvzYS96irMiHYbELJsIhUZ8=/0x0:1765x1177/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64986374/1167074108.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Liverpool manager was happy with his team’s opening day performance and sad about Alisson’s troubling injury.</p> <p id="soPPfK">Before the tired legs kicked in, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> were cruising against <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>. It wasn’t always pretty football but Jürgen Klopp’s team were feeling confident on opening night at Anfield. </p>
<p id="XJNRVM">The second half eventually ushered in lengthy periods of sloppy play and slow reactions that created a nice environment for Norwich to strike back. Liverpool’s defense had been offering tastings of their 18-yard box to the Canaries all game long. It was maybe just a matter of time until Norwich bought a bottle. </p>
<p id="zwFp5k">More than one of Klopp’s players would be complicit in conceding the opportunity but if Andy Robertson had moved to level up with the defensive line Teemu Pukki would have have been offside. </p>
<p id="pVQ7F9">Still, it was a solid performance to start the season and Liverpool grabbed the all-important three points. After the match, Klopp was happy with his side’s efforts against a lively Norwich team.</p>
<p id="oVZ3M0">“For 60 minutes we were very sharp,” said Klopp. “That’s what you want to see. But then we have to control the game a little bit more than we did. </p>
<p id="Ys7ocy">“But Norwich, they earned my respect. They stayed cheeky, they weren’t worried about the result. they enjoyed their football.”</p>
<p id="f8z2kF">The Canaries certainly enjoyed the open spaces that Liverpool were leaving for them but Klopp never felt that his team would lose control of the match. With Roberto Firmino on fire and <span>Mohamed Salah</span> looking energetic on the right, the Reds kept up what intensity they could as the minutes ticked towards the final whistle.</p>
<p id="m3Sb08">“When we started the second half we could have immediately scored number five or maybe six,” Klopp said. “We didn’t and then they scored their goal. We were never in danger, really, but we had to work a lot to keep the result like it was.</p>
<p id="sLk1Q9">“Everything was good apart from Ali’s situation. It’s just madness but that’s how it is.”</p>
<p id="f4g5ou">Alisson left the match in pain after doing something bad to his calf muscle. It didn’t look good and the manager’s post-match reaction was laced with worry. Tomorrow should shed light on the extent of the damage done and the injury layoff Alisson should expect. </p>
<p id="Qvxvr1"></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2019/8/9/20798669/jurgen-klopp-says-liverpool-were-sharp-against-norwich-city-but-needed-more-control-mohamed-salahMatt Wood2019-08-09T22:19:50+01:002019-08-09T22:19:50+01:00Liverpool 4, Norwich City 1: Man of the Match
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i7x6cYZ41HpMJKqhZo1O5KO-4OI=/0x0:2748x1832/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64986058/1160483428.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>With a relatively straightforward win in the books, we want you to rate Liverpool’s players and choose your man of the match.</p> <p id="Fbejxy"><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> get off to a flying start in their opener against <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>. The scoreline was to be expected and while there’ll be little to complain about - though, we’ll certainly mine that space as fans, won’t we - one does feel the looming sense of doom with Alisson Becker’s health a bit up in the air after coming off late in the first half with an injury.</p>
<p id="UPCJ8R">On the pitch, though, fans could look to bright performances on the offensive side of the ball: <span>Divock Origi</span> turning in one of his best performances in a red shirt out wide, <span>Roberto Firmino</span> and <span>Mohamed Salah</span> picking up where they left off last year, and Trent Alexander-Arnold once more showing us why he’s among the best fullbacks in all of Europe. </p>
<p id="UnIt5p">The defensive performance is the slight blemish as Norwich found chances throughout and finally capitalized on one in the second half. The scoreline was kept clean prior to that largely on the good play of Alisson. Adrian did have a save in that first half as well. </p>
<p id="T5Aem8">Now let us know how you saw it. Hitting the up arrow is a vote to move the player up the list—or to help keep them on top. Hitting down is a vote to push that player closer to the bottom. It’s half man of the match poll and half power ranking, and we want to use it to find out who you think played well after each Liverpool match and, at the other end, who you’d maybe like to see given the next game off.</p>
<p id="C107SE">At the end of the month we’ll go through the results of that month’s polls and vote The Liverpool Offside’s player of the month and, come next May, those monthly results will help to determine your TLO player of the season for 2019-20. Anyone visiting on Google AMP who wish to vote will have to navigate to the front page and re-enter the story to access a non-AMP version of it.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2019/8/9/20798297/epl-2019-motm-vote-best-worst-performancesAJ Joven2019-08-09T21:56:28+01:002019-08-09T21:56:28+01:00Liverpool 4, Norwich City 1 - Match Recap: A Strong Opening Statement
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Norwich City - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I51CfojQLFixR_t43VCdiCc1FsE=/0x0:4023x2682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64985962/1167060859.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The injury to Alisson puts a damper on things, but it’s three points and four goals for the European Champions. </p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="2xiWGp">
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<a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> 4 - 1 <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>
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<h5 id="mwHURk">Reds: Hanley (OG) 7’, Salah 19’, Van Dijk 28’, Origi 42’<br>Canaries: Pukki 64’</h5>
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<h2 id="pKs9KV">Pre-Match </h2>
<p id="ZZQYpP">It all starts here, folks. The line-up is largely as expected, although <span>Joe Gomez</span> gets the nod over Joel Matip, a strong indication that, all things being equal, the young defender is the top pick to pair with Virgil van Dijk. The other notable absence, <span>Sadio Mane</span>, starts on the bench with Barca-killer <span>Divock Origi</span> getting the nod. Mane just came back to training on Monday, so this is hardly a surprise. The Champions of Europe will expect to get all three points tonight, and hopefully make a statement in the process. </p>
<p id="TpVuZs">Side note: Kloppo looks amazing on the newly refurbished Soviet-style banner, alongside Rafa, Shanks, et al. </p>
<h2 id="VsJpoW">First Half</h2>
<p id="Ha2QHu">The first shot of the league season belongs to...Norwich? A sloppy giveaway from a poor Alisson pass leads to a bit of trouble, but thankfully the first time shot goes well over the bar. </p>
<p id="esRHXW"><strong>GOAL! </strong>Welcome back to the Premier League, Norwich. Robertson picks out Origi streaking down the wing. The Belgian works his way into the box before sending in a weak cross toward Roberto Firmino. The defender should have done better. MUCH better. But instead deflected the pass into his own net. Well, they all count. </p>
<p id="oUhMWX">Norwich respond well, hitting Liverpool with a dangerous counterattack, but yet again fail to hit the target. The threat from the visitors continues moments later, as they’ve already managed to beat our offside trap several times, creating some dangerous situations and last-ditch tackles. </p>
<p id="4EMtvi"><strong>GOAL!! </strong>It took <span>Mohamed Salah</span> a whole nineteen minutes to put his name atop the Premier League scorers chart (alongside Own Goal). It initially looked as if Mo lost his chance, but a poor defensive clearance fell to Bobby, who deftly slotted it into the path of the two-time Golden Boot winner. Mo took a touch onto his favored left foot, and slotted home into the far bottom corner. </p>
<p id="iYdlv0">Norwich seem content to play this match end-to-end. It’s brave, and it has created some scary moments for the hosts, but so far it’s a losing proposition. </p>
<p id="zKwbPI"><strong>GOAL!!! </strong>Robertson wins a corner when his attempted cross is deflected out of play. Salah steps up to the corner flag and whips in a dangerous ball. Van Dijk doesn’t even have to leap, nodding in the corner despite some aggressive defending. </p>
<p id="Xpb3ul">Firmino is unlucky not to make it four after a spectacular chested take down and volley from a TAA cross. Are you not entertained? </p>
<p id="hGEDFN">Oh fuck. Scary moments as it looks like Alisson injured himself taking a goal kick. And now he’s coming out. Well, um. Welcome to Liverpool, Adrian. </p>
<p id="hJwM6i"><strong>GOAL! </strong>Divock Origi makes it four! Trent picks out Divock’s run into the box, and puts it on a plate for the Belgian striker to nod home. Well, still worried about Alisson, but that settles the nerves of the Anfield faithful a bit. </p>
<p id="LKxxJe">Well. That was eventful. And it was almost more eventful as Fabinho and Henderson run into each other, each trying to head a ball just before the halftime whistle blows. Thankfully, they both seem OK. Anyway, everything is awesome other than the injury to our Manbearbrazilian of a goalkeeper, Alisson. Which, you know, is not awesome unless we’re planning on scoring four every half this season. </p>
<h2 id="z8bFW6">Second Half</h2>
<p id="szXJLc">The second half begins with some technical difficulties, as the officiating crew clearly forgot to replace the batteries in their headsets during the offseason. It happens. </p>
<p id="zY2N9V">In actual football, Liverpool go and nearly make it five, first with a saved Henderson effort, and then Bobby somehow did not score after being teed up (again!) by Trent. Firmino managed to get both in Origi’s way and his own as he failed to sort his feet, unmarked, at the back post. Bobby has had a great match so far. But he’ll want that one back. </p>
<p id="tUwzcJ"><strong>Goal. </strong>Adrian is tested for his first time in his Liverpool career. And. Well. Finnish striker Pukki puts it past him after doing well to beat the (rather poorly constructed) offside trap. </p>
<p id="lOne4J">In the seventy fourth minute, Klopp brings on Sadio Mane for Origi. Divock acquitted himself well today, continuing his eye for goal from last season...but he’s no Mane. </p>
<p id="Z1DGhw">Bobby, who has looked increasingly gassed as the half progressed, does well to earn a free kick in a very dangerous position. Alexander-Arnold steps up and puts the ensuing free kick on frame, but cannot beat the keeper who was alert to the danger. It was Firmino’s last involvement, as Klopp brought midfielder and good luck charm <span>James Milner</span> on to help see out the affair. </p>
<h2 id="KWnfRO">Final Thoughts</h2>
<p id="6RLMIh">It’s a performance that Luis Suarez would admire. Plus or minus more embarrassed and/or bitten defenders. For Norwich City, It was a return to the Premier League and another hefty defeat to Liverpool. Few Liverpool supporters can have a problem with the final scoreline, however the injury to Alisson will likely (and deservedly) be <em>the </em>story until we learn more about the nature of the knock. Fowler willing the substitution will be merely precautionary, or at least not too serious. </p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2019/8/9/20798911/liverpool-4-norwich-city-1-match-recap-epl-2019-salah-origi-van-dijk-pukki-alisson-injuryZachary Marx2019-08-09T18:00:00+01:002019-08-09T18:00:00+01:00Liverpool’s “This is Anfield” Sign Braces for Impact This Season
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<img alt="Liverpool v FC Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JPI41_qPjc70UW9Av-1Oy6XQb5w=/78x0:4419x2894/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64983982/1130717145.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Now that the Reds have won silverware, the iconic sign is open for business.</p> <p id="vK4yj3">Back in 2016, Jürgen Klopp arrived at <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> on a mission to turn the Reds into a world class team again. The manager has made many changes to the club’s infrastructure since that time and we’re seeing the benefits of Klopp’s vision and approach. Three years at the helm and Liverpool are Champions of Europe. </p>
<p id="obSxur">One of Klopp’s more head-scratching rules for his squad was to declare a moratorium on touching the iconic “This is Anfield” sign in the players tunnel. Liverpool players historically touch the sign on their way to the Anfield pitch for good luck or respect or a sense of oneness with the club. <span>Roberto Firmino</span> probably has his own unique reasons and that’s fine. </p>
<p id="sLzOac">But Klopp wanted his players to earn the right to touch the sign. Liverpool would have to win something and bring home silverware before they could again reach their phalanges up for that final tap before running onto the pitch.</p>
<p id="FFNgdj">Thankfully, we live in that post-silverware world now. Jürgen Klopp led Liverpool to victory over <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> final and brought a trophy home. Let the sign touching begin.</p>
<p id="1ROS4v">Liverpool’s players will be lining up to touch the history and meaning behind “This is Anfield” ahead of <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a>. Only a few players know the feeling amongst the squad but those veterans will surely have educated their newer teammates on the symbolism of the interaction. It’s a new season, a new confidence, a new world of sign-touching. If you’re a “This is Anfield” sign-touching enthusiast like me, make sure to catch those pre-game tunnel shots. </p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2019/8/9/20798373/liverpools-this-is-anfield-sign-braces-for-impact-this-season-roberto-firmino-tottenham-hotspurMatt Wood2019-08-09T16:30:00+01:002019-08-09T16:30:00+01:00Liverpool vs. Norwich City Live Updates: Lineups, TV Listings, Match Highlights, and How to Watch Online
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<img alt="Norwich City v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CQQ9JXOp0izNd9rTI2NEJc1q978=/99x0:2837x1825/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64983090/506408986.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Lineups, television and streaming options, and live Premier League coverage as Liverpool face off against Norwich City.</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="DV8usV">
<h2 id="hiBV1h"><strong>LIVERPOOL VS NORWICH CITY</strong></h2>
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<strong>| Friday, August 9th |</strong><br><strong>Premier League | Anfield</strong><br><strong>8:00PM GMT/3:00PM EST</strong>
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<p id="wXtMNQ">Does the road to that long-overdue number 19 begin tonight? <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> proved themselves more than capable of a title challenge last season, and—on paper—the Reds aren’t any weaker this campaign. Of course it’s a long road. They’ll need some luck. Maybe even some <span>Divock Origi</span> magic. But anything is possible. The first step in the journey is against newly-promoted <a href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a> under the lights at Anfield. It’s a generous opening fixture, and the Reds will be looking to start their league campaign with a solid performance and all three points. Get in. </p>
<h2 id="xUp0mf"><strong>PREVIEW & VIEWING OPTIONS</strong></h2>
<p id="OkOgpj"><strong>Full Preview: </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2019/8/8/20774130/liverpool-norwich-epl-2019-preview-team-news-predicted-lineups-how-to-watch">Liverpool vs. Norwich City</a></p>
<p id="tqWec1"><strong>Television:</strong> Sky Sports Premier League (UK); NBCSN (USA); Optus Sport (Australia); <a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4uLf/creativeref:1011l39034/adref:LO" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>DAZN</strong></a>* (Canada); Star Sports Select 1 (India); Astro SuperSport 3 (Malaysia); SuperSport 3 (Nigeria); 102 (HD) mio Stadium (Singapore); SuperSport 3 (South Africa); other listings at <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/"><strong>LiveSoccerTV</strong></a></p>
<p id="8iIHL6"><strong>Online Streaming:</strong> <a href="https://fave.co/2zta1NX" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>NBC via FuboTV</strong></a>* (USA) | <strong>Online Radio:</strong> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fvideo&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2F2019%2F8%2F9%2F20752763%2Fliverpool-norwich-city-epl-2019-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streaming" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>LFCTV GO</strong></a></p>
<h2 id="l68nLu"><strong>LIVERPOOL</strong></h2>
<p id="OSBOYv"><strong>Starting XI:</strong><em> </em>Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Origi, Salah, Firmino</p>
<p id="8naxvm"><strong>Bench:</strong> Adrian, Milner, Keita, Matip, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Mane</p>
<h2 id="Xr8QzA"><strong>NORWICH</strong></h2>
<p id="jl3EZY"><strong>Starting XI:</strong><em> </em>Krul; Aarons, Klose, Godfrey, Lewis; Trybull, McLean; Buendia, Stiepermann, Cantwell; Pukki</p>
<p id="rli9Yt"><strong>Bench:</strong> Fahrmann, Byram, Vrancic, Leitner, Hernandez, Roberts, Drmic</p>
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<h2 id="7Ie96A"><strong>FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
<div id="Jeh6MI"><div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.327%;"><iframe src="https://streamja.com/embed/dKo9" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen="" style="width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="wEdbnG"><strong>6’ Hanley (OG) - Welcome back to the Premier League, Norwich! Thanks for the OG! </strong></p>
<div id="ZvSuhy"><div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.327%;"><iframe src="https://streamja.com/embed/Od5X" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen="" style="width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="rODHwA"><strong>19’ Salah - After some tricky footwork from </strong><span><strong>Roberto Firmino</strong></span><strong> winning the ball back from two Norwich defenders, </strong><span><strong>Mohamed Salah</strong></span><strong> puts it home. </strong></p>
<div id="VjZUi3"><div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.327%;"><iframe src="https://streamja.com/embed/Od5o" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen="" style="width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="imv0L0"><strong>28’ Van Dijk - AND WE WATCH HIM SCORE! </strong></p>
<div id="0lovgH"><div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.327%;"><iframe src="https://streamja.com/embed/2a4r" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen="" style="width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="ThHDQi"><strong>41’ Origi - Beautiful cushioned header from Origi! </strong></p>
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<h2 id="oZJOt0"><strong>SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h2>
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<h2 id="X3US9g"><strong>JOIN THE CONVERSATION</strong></h2>
<p id="QLI2Qf">If you haven’t already, sign up for an SB Nation account and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/account/setup?community_id=373"><strong>join the conversation on The Liverpool Offside,</strong></a> where we’ll have full coverage of every Liverpool match this season, breaking news, opinion, and tactical discussion.</p>
<p id="SH2EH9"><small>*Liverpool Offside has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Liverpool Offside may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.</small></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2019/8/9/20752763/liverpool-norwich-city-epl-2019-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streamingZachary Marx