Liverpool vs. Norwich City: Score and Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match
Liverpool drew 1-1 with Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday, in a match which saw the return of fan favourite Daniel Sturridge to the Reds' side.
Goals from Liverpool substitute Danny Ings and Norwich skipper Russell Martin shared the points in an even contest, disappointing the home fans who expected a win.
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The Merseysiders were ecstatic at the news of the return to the first team of Sturridge for his first outing of the season, with the recently suspended Philippe Coutinho also returning to duty. Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren dropped to the bench for the home side after conceding poor goals against West Ham and Manchester United, with Alberto Moreno and Mamadou Sakho taking their places in the starting XI.
Sportswriter Paul Tomkins commented on Moreno replacing Gomez in the Reds' line-up:
Matt Jarvis was given a start in midfield after scoring on his debut for Norwich, with Wes Hoolahan relegated to substitute. The Canaries set up in a defensive 4-5-1, and formation gave them a solid foundation to claim a point.
The Liverpool Echo's James Pearce spoke of the Reds' attacking intent after recent defeats:
James Milner opened proceedings by almost seeing red in the first three minutes of the match—the midfielder was booked for a cynical foul on Cameron Jerome, and just seconds later went down in the box for what looked like a dive—but the referee failed to brandish a second yellow.
Liverpool were clearly looking towards Christian Benteke as their main goal threat, with balls from midfield being hit into the Belgian's path. The striker fired over the bar in the ninth minute and was influential in all of the Reds' attacking play.
Sturridge looked rusty in his opening exchanges, although the England man claimed for a penalty midway through the first half after being tripped, but the official judged no foul had taken place.
He then went close in the 35th minute after being set free by Lucas Leiva, but the returning hero failed to capitalise, as called by Pearce:
Liverpool progressively put Norwich under more pressure as the half drew to its conclusion, with Milner and Benteke testing goalkeeper John Ruddy's reflexes, but manager Brendan Rodgers watched on as his team failed to break the deadlock.
Tomkins praised the Anfield club for their first-half efforts and highlighted the influence of Moreno:
Squawka.com provided the vital stats for the first half and commented on the lack of action:
Danny Ings was introduced by Rodgers at the restart, with Benteke brought off as a precaution after feeling his hamstring, and the striker took no time in making an impact—scoring in the 48th minute. Ings lashed a low shot under Ruddy after an error in the Norwich defence, making no mistake in taking his early chance.
Journalist Kieran Beckles praised Ings but questioned whether Rodgers had identified a tactical weakness by bringing on the striker for Benteke:
Ings certainly offered a different kind of threat to Benteke, hugging the touchline and attacking from wider areas. His movement continued to give Norwich problems, offering a foil to Coutinho's improving work.
However, Norwich attempted to get the equaliser and push forward, with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet being called into action, stopping efforts from Steven Whittaker and Graham Dorrans.
And the Canaries' pressure was rewarded just after the hour mark as captain Martin made it 1-1. The defender took a clean first touch after Mignolet failed to deal with a corner, and he nonchalantly hooked the ball over the goalkeeper.
Jarvis almost gave Norwich a shock lead just moments later, but it was Liverpool who responded to Martin's goal, with Moreno forcing a tremendous save from Ruddy.
Norwich were motivated by their comeback and continued to play their best football of the match, with the game wide open as it approached its final 20 minutes.
Rodgers brought on Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino to bolster his attacking options in search of a winner, and both players looked lively as Liverpool hunted for a winner. As the clock ticked down to 90 minutes, both Ings and Coutinho had good chances to win the game, but once again Ruddy was equal to everything thrown at him.
Liverpool couldn't find a winner, to the dismay of their fans, and Norwich claimed a solid point to take back with them to Carrow Road.
It became a difficult day at the office for Liverpool, who appeared too reliant on Benteke in the opening half. His replacement at half-time forced the Reds to play a more expansive style, but once again their defensive frailties came to the fore.
The Reds have the bones of a very good attacking side, but Rodgers' inability to find a top defender will hurt their chances this season.
Norwich were great value for money as the game progressed, and they thoroughly deserved their equaliser in the second half.
Post-Match Reaction
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was disappointed with his team's result on Sunday, commenting on their failure to find the precious second goal they needed for a win, per the Premier League:
Norwich goal hero Russell Martin was ecstatic after grabbing his side a point with his cool finish and spoke about a pivotal day in his life, as quoted by the club's official Twitter account:
Both sides feature again in the Premier League on Saturday as Liverpool host Aston Villa, and Norwich travel to West Ham.
