LFC Forever 2019/ 20

Liverpool 4-1 Norwich

The premier league is back! Not a bad start, not the best, not the worst. The score could've been a lot different for both sides. Our defence left a lot to be desired particularly in the first half like we were back to papering over defensive cracks with goals. That needs to be sorted quickly.
They didn't touch the This is Anfield sign! Henderson and Gini did. I was waiting for it so much and most of them didn't do it (unless I missed it since they decided to have the camera sideways to the sign until the last moment, I'm pretty sure I missed the mosaic too) I was mad, you all deserve it, touch the sign! They must've been too focused on getting the season started.

I was so impressed by Origi, Roberton and Henderson but then most of these players have SO much credit in the bank that anything good is impressive. They were so lively, it was like they were in the middle of a season.

I loved singing Liverpool Champions, Champions of Europe right from the first few seconds but it's a bit boring really. It's no Allez Allez Allez.

Liverpool were in total control of possession in the early stages and moving the ball around with real purpose.

Origi sent a low cross in and Hanley put his foot out for it to go in his own net. There's the first goal of the season and it's to Liverpool! It was the first VAR checked and approved Premier League goal.

He was crouched upset for ages. I felt pretty bad for him, horrible start to being back in the premier league but it made for a great start for us.

Lewis to get back and muscle Salah off the ball after he had skipped away from him and then Stiepermann has a chance but it's over and in the Kop.

Wijnaldum feeds Robertson down the left who flights a deep cross in first time but Salah can only kick it high in the air and out for a goal kick.

Robertson flicks on Alisson's long pass and sends Origi scampering down the left. His cross is almost met by a Liverpool attacker.

The second is coming but that's making Norwich no less of a threat. Virgil van Dijk was twice to Liverpool's rescue in quick-succession as Norwich get in behind Liverpool's backline.

A decent break for Norwich falls down and the Reds have it up the other end in no time. It ends with Robertson slamming it just over the bar. That certainly looked close to us!

Twenty minutes in and Mo Salah is off the mark for the season. It's a classy finish as he sidefoots into the corner when one-on-one after being played in by Firmino.

Alisson's first real involvement of the season sees him beat away a well-struck show from Stiepermann again. He's had far too many chances already!

Salah corner, Van Dijk header, a third goal. Twenty nine minutes gone.

So very nearly 4-0 with a great acrobatic effort from Roberto Firmino but for a wonderful save from Tim Krul. Quite like his one against Man City, it's gonna work for him eventually.

Trybull heads wide from a corner. Alisson kicked the goak kick ball and went down injured. We weren't sure where he was trying to hold but Klopp says it's his calf and he won't play in the next match, I hope it's no more than that! He clearly heard me when I was thinking about Adrian deciding it's fine, he'll never play and 30 minutes in, here he is.

Origi loses his marker and nets a great header off a stunning Trent cross. Four goals in forty two minutes! Origi now becomes the 13th player in Liverpool's history to score for on all 7 days of the week. It's also his 100th match which made me realise on the CL final he had 99 matches and winning a CL final was one of them!

That goal also means Liverpool are the first team to score 4+ first half goals on MD1 of a Premier League season since August 2006.

Firmino almost got in for 5-0 before it is headed behind.

Fabinho clatters Henderson with the last action of the half but they were fine.

VAR worked smoothly for 45 minutes and then one of the linesmen's headset didn't work when it came to starting the second half. Apparently if it can't be fixed, they either call the other ref or don't use VAR, I hoped for the latter but they got it working. It worked fine and quickly since there was only only clearly legitimate goals to confirm but I still don't like it. It made the Women's World Cup so un-enjoyable.
The second half once it managed to start was better defensively but we conceded.
Adrian probably should've saved it but never mind, Norwich deserved something from the game. Look how far we've come, it doesn't feel like we won because we didn't also get the clean sheet.

Henderson had a shot that went off the bar!

Alexander-Arnold recovers the ball and pulls it back but Firmino gets it stuck under his feet and slices it onto the post from point-blank range. That one really should've been number five or left for Origi to strike!

Even Fabinho tried his luck after being urged to shoot! Krul gets down to stop a 25-yard effort before scooping up at the second attempt as Henderson followed it in.

Norwich pull one back as Pukki times his run to perfection to get onto a through-ball and finish well across goal. It was deserved and the warning we need.

Norwich fans delivering a"you're s*** ahhhh" whenever Adrian hoofs it clear. Eugh, what's that?!

Origi was replaced by Mane. I almost felt sorry for Norwich because they went from having to deal with Origi to having to deal with a fresh Mane, doesn't seem fair.

He almost had an instant impact sliding one across the six-yard box only for Hanley to clear it with Firmino waiting to tap home.

Adrian saved two strikes that were straight at him from Hernandez.

Alexander-Arnold hammers one straight at the top corner from a free kick in the D. Great save from Krul.

Milner came on for the final five minutes in place of Roberto Firmino. There was some kind of streaker during the substitution. What's with streaking coming back?

Trent denies Norwich a corner in stoppage time and finally there was a good block from Gomez after Adrian palms a shot straight back into the danger-zone.

By the end we were so comfortable that I got kind of bored. It certainly wasn't the drama of the last time we played Norwich. I guess we can hold off on that Suarez loan until the reverse fixture. The only problem with Friday night football is now there's nothing of Liverpool for the rest of the weekend.
We've started slightly worse than last season but it definitely wasn't the potential troubled start that players like Carragher that remember playing after title races (and after big ears) were predicting. This team looks very much ready to get right back to business. 

Liverpool top of the league, Liverpool, Liverpool top of the league... Too soon? Now to keep it up for 37 more matches.

Next up Chelsea in the Super cup, Wednesday 14th August 2019, 20:00.
Lampard's young Europa League winners against the champions of Europe. In Istanbul.
It seems a bit mad that two English teams have got to go off to Istanbul but UEFA love sending us far and wide. I do like that the reward of winning the champions league is to go back to the place we won it last time.
Speaking of Istanbul, John Arne Risse had a baby this morning called Colin. I kept referring to it as Colin the baby (like Neil the Baby in Gavin and Stacey) because I can't get over Colin being used for a baby even though we're all babies when we get our names. This match was for you Colin the baby.