Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Norwich vs Liverpool result: Substitute Sadio Mane snatches victory as Reds go 25 points clear

Norwich 0-1 Liverpool: Winger came off the bench to break the deadlock and extend Reds’ unbeaten run

Melissa Reddy
Saturday 15 February 2020 20:39 GMT
Comments

Sadio Mane cycloned into Carrow Road ensuring neither Storm Dennis nor a spirited Norwich City could thwart Liverpool stretching their lead at the Premier League summit to 25 points.

The player of the season contender returned from a hamstring injury to produce an electric cameo and the decisive moment of Saturday’s encounter after 78 minutes.

Liverpool have now triumphed in 34 of their last 35 top-flight fixtures, winning 17 on the spin.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have not been breached in 10 of their last 11 games as an exceptional crusade to land a first league title in three decades shows zero signs of abating despite their unparalleled cushion at the top.

This was a match to manoeuvre through rather than deliver a masterpiece given the conditions. “It was a difficult game for different reasons. The wind. Our opponent. The organisation of our opponent," Klopp conceded.

Liverpool kicked off this wind-wrecked affair after the mid-season break having won as many points - 18 - in 2020 as Norwich have managed all season.

That is the kind of stat that coloured Daniel Farke’s pre-match description of the game as a “free shot” for his charges, who are at the opposite end of the table.

"We have to be realistic," he said. “We’re playing the best team in the world and top sides haven’t been able to take points off them.

"The floodlights are on, it’s a home game, everyone should enjoy it. We will go out brave and try to be ourselves."

Norwich followed the script to deliver a determined first half and while they didn’t produce a shot in the opening 45, they restricted Liverpool to just one on target and carved out the finest opportunity.

Lukas Rupp pulled down a long pass and initially set himself to round Alisson. The goalkeeper’s sharp anticipation and reaction in closing the German down led to him trying to play in Teemu Pukki instead. Liverpool’s goalkeeper kept his composure, followed the ball and got a big hand to it, averting the danger.

It was a crucial intervention at an important juncture, the kind the Brazil international has made habitual while establishing himself as the best in his position in the world.

Sadio Mane celebrates giving Liverpool the lead

"I’m 98 percent sure Norwich’s chance was offside," Klopp said. "But it was a great save. Alisson has helped us so often, which is good, but we pay him for that actually! The mentality of the boys was exceptional."

As expected, the Merseysiders upped the ante after the interval and it was Tim Krul’s turn to showcase top-shelf work between the sticks.

In a matter of seconds, Norwich’s No 1 first tipped away Naby Keita’s rising shot before parrying Mohamed Salah’s wicked turn and hit towards the bottom left. Keita rushed onto the loose ball but failed to connect properly as Krul quickly smothered the danger.

Klopp introduced Mane and Fabinho into the fold to enliven Liverpool’s play at the expense of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum. As the visitors pushed for the opener, Norwich were gifted chances to counter and Alexander Tettey’s angled effort cannoned off the post.

With the minutes running out and the match ultimately distilling into attack versus attack, there was to be one winner.

Mane injected greater intensity and urgency to Liverpool’s approach and reprised his role as a gamechanger. The Senegal international applying a wonderful touch to control Jordan Henderson’s long ball, swivelling and then slamming a shot into the bottom left corner.

There was a VAR check to discern whether the forward impeded Christoph Zimmermann in the build-up with a hand on his back, but the contact was slight.

"Sadio was fresh and made the difference, which was nice," Klopp said. "I haven’t seen his goal back, but I am pretty sure it was a perfect finish."

Alisson saved from Pukki late on as Liverpool made it 43 league matches unbeaten, leaving them just six behind the record of Arsenal's Invincibles in 2003-04.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in