Liverpool progressed to the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup after securing a 5-2 victory against Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch all found the net for the Reds. Ben Gibson and Borja Sainz managed to reply with goals for the visiting team.
The first half saw strikes from Jones and Nunez, sandwiched Gibson’s equaliser, giving Liverpool a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
Jota and Van Dijk extended the lead further by the midway point of the second half. Sainz pulled one back for Norwich, but in the closing moments of stoppage time, Gravenberch scored another for Jürgen Klopp’s team.
Liverpool will now face either Southampton or Watford in the fifth round who will replay their fourth-round match after drawing 1-1.
Damon Carr (@da9mo) is here to offer an insightful breakdown.
Liverpool are through to the FA Cup fifth round. Does the team have a shot at achieving the coveted quadruple?
Damon: The team does have a shot at the quadruple certainly, but lack of ambition from the board could hold that shot back. We are favourites for both the Europa League and Carabao Cup, so should win those 2 at least. We need to push for it and give Klopp what he deserves. Could the lack of ambition push him too far? We will find out.
The game showcased numerous positive aspects. How do you assess the performance of the academy players this season?
Damon: The academy players have really stepped up so far. Quansah and Bradley have been standouts. McConnell had a good game but it’s games like this where we can rely on the academy players often rather than every week. We don’t want to overplay them. Give them time to develop and learn. That’s the issue with the squad – when we have injury-prone players we can’t rely too heavily on our youngsters to fight for all trophies.
Darwin Nunez continues to impress by scoring in every competition he has participated in this season. His impeccable form comes at a crucial time for Liverpool.
Damon: Nunez starting to score is making it much easier to cope with Salah, which does give a good sign for the future. However, now is the test. Chelsea and Arsenal next are huge matches. These are the games where we need players to step up, not just against the likes of Norwich.
Looking ahead, Liverpool are set to face Chelsea in a midweek fixture. What would be your ideal starting XI for this important game?
Damon: Keep playing the players that deserve to start. Gomez and Trent at fullbacks. I’d be happy with either Konate or Quansah alongside Van Dijk. Hoping Mac is fit, it’s got to be Mac Grav and Jones. Until Szob is fully back match fit. Darwin on the left with Jota up top and I’d try Diaz on the right.
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