Norwich City 4-5 Liverpool: Adam Lallana, James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino brace complete TWO amazing comebacks to spark wild celebrations after nine-goal thriller
- Liverpool completed a pair of amazing comebacks to beat Norwich 5-4 at Carrow Road
- Reds opened the scoring after Roberto Firmino's shot took a slight deflection off keeper Declan Rudd
- The Canaries equalised following a corner with a brilliant backheel from Dieumerci Mbokani
- Steven Naismith gave the hosts a first half lead with a superb finish on his debut for the club
- Naismith earned a second-half penalty after being fouled by Alberto Moreno for Wes Hoolahan to convert
- Jordan Henderson scored moments later with a first time strike from Nathanial Clyne's cross
- Brazilian forward Firmino scored his second of the game to bring Jurgen Klopp's side level
- James Milner put Liverpool back in the lead before Sebastian Bassong looked to have stolen an extra-time draw
- Adam Lallana struck in injury time to complete the comeback and spark wild celebrations
This was brilliant and awful, one glorious chaos of goals and calamity. Magnificent for those without vested interests, but in the neurotic world of coaching and analysis, what a torturous 90 minutes of discovery for Klopp.
So much work to do and so many places to start. It was to Liverpool’s satisfaction and joy that they had an attack capable of atoning for their own defensive incompetence; it was also to Liverpool immense good fortune that they met a Norwich team on a kamikaze mission.
Jurgen Klopp joins Liverpool players in wild celebrations after completing a pair of incredible comebacks against Norwich
Adam Lallana celebrates after scoring the injury time winner in Liverpool's ultimately entertaining 5-4 defeat of Norwich
The charismatic German embraces Lallana after the England international's first league goal of the season brought the winner
The Liverpool manager saw his glasses knocked off as players leaped all over each other to celebrate one of the games of the season
Roberto Firmino (left) opened the scoring with a shot across the face of goal that took a deflection off Declan Rudd
Dieumerci Mbokani wheels away in celebration after bringing Norwich level with a brilliantly inventive backheel
Steven Naismith gave Norwich a first half lead with a superb strike into the bottom corner to crown his Canaries debut
Wes Hoolahan scored from the penalty spot to give Norwich a 3-1 lead after Naismith was fouled in the box
Jordan Henderson brought Liverpool back into the game only moments later after converting Nathanial Clyne's cross
Firmino's second of the afternoon brought Liverpool level at 3-3 in a thrilling show of sharp shooting and poor defending
James Milner raises his hand to his ears after capitalising on a poor backpass to return the lead to Liverpool
Sebastian Bassong looked to have rescued a draw by making it 4-4 with a long range drive in extra time
They blew this game twice, first having cantered into a 3-1 lead and then once they scored in stoppage time to make it 4-4. It says everything about the carnage of this game that the scoring was still not finished, setting the scene for Adam Lallana, on as a substitute, to volley a winner in the fourth minute of added time.
His shirt came off and Klopp’s glasses were knocked to the ground and smashed under a pile of celebrating bodies. ‘I had the same thing happen in Germany,’ Klopp said. ‘One pair is in the museum at Borussia Dortmund because when we won for the first time against Bayern Munich, Nuri Sahin broke my glasses.I saw nothing after that. Usually I have a second pair around. But I couldn’t find it. It is really difficult looking for glasses without glasses.’
Yet by his own acknowledgment there is some searching to be done, so that a solution can be found to a defence that has conceded 10 goals in five games in all competitions.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (left) embraces Norwich's new signing Tim Klose who joined from Wolfsburg
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva writhes on the floor in agony after a robust challenge from Naismith
Brazilian forward Firmino opened the scoring after finishing off a slick move down Liverpool's left flank
The Liverpool summer signing's well struck shot took a slight deflection off the foot of advancing keeper Rudd
Firmino stretches his arms out wide to celebrate handing Liverpool the lead after 18 minutes
Liverpool manager Klopp welcomed the opening goal with a typically expressive gesture from the sidelines
Liverpool's vulnerability at set pieces was exposed against after Mbokani equalised following a corner
Mbokani celebrates with Russell Martin (right) after bringing Norwich level with a superbly taken backheel in the first half
Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet arguably should have done better to prevent Naismith from giving Norwich the lead
The Scotland international celebrates scoring on his Norwich debut as Leiva screams in the background
The former Everton striker celebrates with team-mates in front of home fans after capping his debut with a superb goal
The biggest issue within that defensive concern is still the handling of setpieces, as best illustrated by Norwich’s equaliser, scored by Dieumerci Mbokani. That goal, scored after Roberto Firmino had put Liverpool ahead, was the eighth that Liverpool have conceded from setpieces this season – a Premier League high. Klopp says they are struggling with ‘second balls’, but plainly it is a deep problem of mentality and organisation for the collective unit.
They do not lack physical strength in the likes of Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure but they have no apparent leaders who are willing to take charge of the area. Beyond set-pieces, it is also easy to pick holes in the slack tracking of midfielders like Emre Can, not to mention the manner in which Sakho was so easily out-muscled for Norwich’s fourth.
Certainly, Klopp has work to do. But the bottom line is the game was won, which ended a three-game streak without victory for Liverpool in the Premier League and could also provide the spark to a reign that is yet to really get going.
A moment of madness from Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno conceded a second half penalty for a foul on Naismith
Naismith earned a penalty after being upended by a pair of tackles by Moreno in the Liverpool penalty box
Hoolahan kept his composure to slop home a chipped penalty despite Mignolet going the right way
Naismith and Hoolahan race away to celebrate taking an unexpected two-goal lead against Liverpool
Reds skipper meets a right wing cross with a perfect first-time volley to bring the score to 3-2
Liverpool captain rallies his side after scoring with a first time finish from Clyne's cross from the right
Norwich players can only watch as Firmino's strike find the net for his second goal to draw level
Firmino heads back to the centre circle after scoring his fourth goal in three games to bring Liverpool level at 3-3
Milner slots past Norwich keeper Rudd after latching on to a lapse of concentration in the Canaries' defence to make it 4-3
England international Milner leaps for joy after taking advantage of another Norwich error to score the equaliser
Five minutes of added time led to Norwich defender Bassong scoring an equaliser after yet more poor defending
Norwich were convinced they had rescued a 4-4 draw after Bassong scored a late equaliser in extra time
How Alex Neil could use something similar. His side have lost three on the trot and this one left him livid, which is a shame because for 65 minutes his team looked likely to win. But they were frail in defeat at Bournemouth and imploded at Carrow Road, where they had not lost in five.
At the very least, though, they appear to have found the lock-picker they needed. At £8.5million, Steven Naismith did not come cheap, but the man who marked his Everton debut with a goal against Liverpool, repeated the trick for Norwich. Clearly, his old habits will die hard – his first contribution was to clatter Lucas with a bad foul. Other than that, he was excellent. ‘A real positive,’ Neil said.
Alas, Liverpool wrecked his big day. Roberto Firmino continued his impressive resurgence with the opener, finishing via a post after an excellent throughball from James Milner. Milner wasted a one-on-one moments later and Mbokani equalised with a backheel after Liverpool twice failed to clear a corner.
Naismith scored Norwich’s second after Emre Can failed to track his run and Jordan Henderson had given Wes Hoolahan too much time to pick a pass. Naismith then won a penalty early in the second half after getting the wrong side of Alberto Moreno and drawing two fouls. The second was noticed by Lee Mason and Hoolahan chipped his kick down the middle for 3-1. Mignolet barely got close to a shot all day.
Substitute Lallana (right) came on to decide the game with a late strike deep into time added on
Lallana tore off his shirt and jumped into the arms of his manager after scoring the late, late winner
Liverpool players could not contain themselves after their last gasp winner as celebrations ran wild at Carrow Road
But just as quickly as Norwich came back, they crumbled. Henderson made it 3-2 after a counter-attack and Firmino got his second for 3-3. James Milner appeared to win it late on following a dreadful Russell Martin backpass, before Sebastien Bassong levelled in stoppage time. Sakho was easily brushed aside by Cameron Jerome in the build-up.
That should have been it. Enough. But up popped Lallana to bounce a volley in off the turf. More bad defending, more good finishing. And just like that, Liverpool, who had scored once in four previous away games, had five in one and a win.
Neil could barely look. Klopp was blinded by the madness. A brilliantly crazy game.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3413372/Norwich-City-4-5-Liverpool-Adam-Lallana-James-Milner-Jordan-Henderson-Roberto-Firmino-complete-TWO-amazing-comebacks-nine-goal-thriller.html#ixzz3y6Lk47YP
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