Liverpool 3 Norwich 1: Diaz scores first Reds goal while Salah bags 150th as Klopp’s men come from behind
JURGEN KLOPP did say that sometimes plain bloody-mindedness and not just brilliance was needed for success. Both facets were there to see as Mo Salah claimed his 150th goal for Liverpool after Sadio Mane had produced the equaliser. Just to add a little glitter Luis Diaz delivered his first goal for his new club since […]
JURGEN KLOPP did say that sometimes plain bloody-mindedness and not just brilliance was needed for success.
Both facets were there to see as Mo Salah claimed his 150th goal for Liverpool after Sadio Mane had produced the equaliser.
Just to add a little glitter Luis Diaz delivered his first goal for his new club since last month’s £37million entrance from Porto.
Both Mane and Salah’s finishes, within 155 seconds of each other, were simply sensational.
Against a Norwich City side that had stunned Anfield through Milot Rashica’s deflected strike earlier in a fantastic second half, they had to be.
Yet as impressive as the those strikes were – and Salah’s is liable to become on of the signature strikes of his record – breaking Kop career – Jurgen Klopp’s side also dug in when it looked like it was all about to go horribly wrong.
After Rashica became the first Kosovan to score a Prem goal having arrived for £9.4million last summer from Werder Bremen Dean Smith’s side looked like they had the belief to hold on.
But Klopp didn’t panic and neither did his players.
Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi replaced Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Naby Keita and Liverpool just worked harder.
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They refused to doubt themselves, proved to their manager that they are indeed not simply a show-boating football version of the Harlem Globetrotters and finally they made their own luck.
That is exactly what Mane did as he leapt vertically to connect with Kostas Tsimikas’ header in the 64th minute.
His overhead kick to meet the ball was breathtakingly acrobatic.
Alisson then started the ultimate in Route One strikes, booting a towering kick miles down the pitch.
Salah connected with it with his left foot three yards outside the box.
As goalkeeper Angus Gunn charged to the edge of the area in an attempt to close him down, the Egyptian king flciekd the ball behind him with his right foot, turned, and rolled the ball into the net.
It was quintessential Salah. A goal worthy of his new place in the pantheon of great Liverpool strikers.
He became the 10th of them to hit that magic 150 mark only legendary World Cup winner Roger Hunt stands ahead of him having reached the figure nine games quicker than Salah’s 233.
And then new signing Diaz rounded it off with a moment he’ll never forget.
He produced a clever 81st minute dink. Cute enough. Not on the same luminous level as the two that went before it as Klopp’s men made it eight wins in a row.