Liverpool vs Norwich LIVE: FA Cup result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the action from the FA Cup fifth round as the Reds hosted the Canaries at Anfield
Cup specialist Takumi Minamino kept Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple on track with both goals in a 2-1 win over Norwich as Jurgen Klopp reached his first FA Cup quarter-final.
The Japan international has made the majority of his starts in knockout competitions and in a team registering 10 changes from the one which won the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday his was an influential one.
Minamino now has seven goals and one assist in eight cup games this season and since the start of 2020 the 27-year-old has scored more than twice as many goals in domestic cup competitions (nine) than any other Liverpool player.
Lukas Rupp’s goal 14 minutes from time gave the visitors a lifeline but even a second-string Liverpool team were too experienced to succumb to late pressure as they booked their place in the sixth round for the first time since 2015.
Liverpool vs Norwich: Klopp in Thiago’s injury
Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara was named in the starting XI for the Carabao Cup final but pulled up during the wamr-up with a hamstring problem and couldn’t play the game. He was visibly distressed on the sidelines with tears filling his eyes from the realisation that he could play no part to help Liverpool lift the trophy.
Jurgen Klopp spoke about the incident and applauded Thiago’s commitment to help the team saying:
It was a very emotional moment. We were all surprised; I came in the dressing room, I watched the whole warming up and didn’t see anything, then we came in, he is on the [treatment] bed and the physios tell me he feels something in the hamstring, which is not good.
“Then we had to make the decision he could not start. In this moment when you are that close to playing a final… for the one player who probably won the most silverware in the whole squad, or as much as the whole squad together, showing then this kind of emotion, I didn’t like that he didn’t feel that good, but the desire to play a final I liked a lot."
Liverpool vs Norwich: Smith on facing Liverpool
Tonight’s game is the second time Norwich have travelled to Anfield in two weeks. The Canaries came here in the Premier League and despite scoring first suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds.
Dean Smith spoke about facing Liverpool again but in a knockout tie and said:
It’s as tough as it gets. Liverpool away at Anfield. I was quite pleased to see them go to extra-time on Sunday. We also know an awful lot about Liverpool having only played them 10 days ago,
"Unfortunately we didn’t follow up the performance at Southampton. The Liverpool performance was a big step in the right direction of what we want to be seen as and our identity as a team playing well against one of the top teams in the world."
Liverpool vs Norwich
Over at Kenilworth Road, Luton have taken an early lead against Chelsea. Reece Burke rises to meet the ball as it gets whipped in from a corner. He gets to it at the near post and perfectly flicks in the header towards the far corner sending it home via the woodwork.
Follow live coverage of Luton vs Chelsea, plus reaction to tonight’s breaking news, below:
Luton vs Chelsea LIVE: Latest FA Cup updates
Follow all the action from the fifth round tie at Kenilworth Road after the Chelsea owner announced the club is up for sale
Liverpool vs Norwich: Jurgen Klopp’s human touch delivers again as Caoimhin Kelleher becomes Liverpool’s Carabao Cup hero
“Even in professional football there should be space for some sentiment. I am two things, a professional manager and a human being, and the human being won.”
Jurgen Klopp was digging into his much-debated decision to overlook Alisson, in his opinion the world’s best goalkeeper, and start Caoimhin Kelleher against Chelsea in the League Cup final.
But his explanation also served as a wonderful wrap of his Liverpool spell, and wider still, his entire career in the dugout.
Jurgen Klopp’s human touch delivers as Caoimhin Kelleher becomes Liverpool’s cup hero
Klopp’s ability to demand the highest standards from his team while retaining a deft human touch has become a hallmark, and it was at the heart of Liverpool’s penalty shootout victory over Chelsea
Liverpool vs Norwich: Team changes
Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, said he was going to make some changes to the Liverpool starting XI and only Jordan Henderson keeps his place from the team that started the Carabao Cup final. James Milner starts the game at right-back and Joe Gomez comes in to partner Ibrahima Konate in defence. Diogo Jota leads the line.
Dean Smith also swaps out a bunch of players from Norwich’s last Premier League game. Tim Krul is given the nod in goal with Ben Gibson the only survivor in a new look back four. Mathias Normann keeps his place in midfield with Milot Rashica and Teemu Pukki joined in the forward line by Przemyslaw Placheta.
Liverpool vs Norwich: Line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Milner, Konate, Gomez, Tsimikas, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Origi, Jota, Minamino
Norwich XI: Krul, Byram, Zimmermann, Gibson, Giannoulis, Normann, Rupp, Lees-Melou. Placheta, Rashica, Pukki
Liverpool vs Norwich: Klopp on winning quadruple
Following Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp was asked whether his side could win an unprecedented four trophies this season as they are still competing in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Klopp was quick to shut down any such notions saying that he wasn’t "even close to thinking about crazy stuff" like that. He added:
No team has ever won it in the history of British football. It’s not that we are even close to it,
“We have won the Carabao Cup, we are behind City in the league and now we have Norwich in the FA Cup after playing 120 minutes on Sunday. And then we play West Ham [in the Premier League].
“The fun part for you is that you can count the points, but we have to play the games”
Southampton vs West Ham
Southampton are unbeaten in their last seven FA Cup matches at St Mary’s, with five wins and two draws, though were eliminated from one of those ties via a penalty shootout.
The Saints are looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals in consecutive campaigns for the first time since 1904-05 & 1905-06.
This will be the third meeting of the season between Southampton and West Ham, with Saints remaining unbeaten in the two Premier League fixtures between the sides - one win, one draw.
Prior to their 3-2 away win on Boxing Day, Southampton were winless in eight matches with the Hammers - two wins, six defeats.
Liverpool vs Norwich: Smith talks Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has been touched on by most managers in their press conferences over the last week and Norwich boss, Dean Smith, was no exception.
Football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA have banned all Russian teams from participating in their competitions and other restrictions are being placed on Russian athlete across different sports.
When asked if sport was doing all it could to help with the situation in Ukraine, Smith replied:
It’s doing what it can. All our thoughts, best wishes and prayers go out to the civilians and the country of Ukraine. It’s something we thought none of us would see and sport is doing what we can at the moment.
"Everybody is concerned with what’s happening. We have to live day by day and get on with our jobs but our sympathies are there for everybody in Ukraine."
Liverpool vs Norwich: Routes to fifth round
Liverpool have scored seven goals in their two FA Cup ties this year. They first hosted Shrewsbury in January and after going behind in the first half responded with four goals, including a last-minute penalty from Fabinho to run out comfortable winners. In their next game, against Cardiff, the Championship side held the Reds out until the 53rd minute when Diogo Jota broke the deadlock. Liverpool took the initiative and netted twice more before a consolation goal for Ribin Colwill went in with 10 minutes to play.
Norwich have made it to the fifth round with two 1-0 victories. They first travelled to Charlton where Milot Rashica scored in the 79th minute to put the Canaries into the fourth round. There they met Wolves at Molineux in a fairly even match. The home side dominated possession, but Norwich created more chances and look the lead right on the stroke of half-time thanks to Kenny McLean. They then held out in the second half to set up a trip to Anfield tonight.
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