5 Players Score As Liverpool Advance To 5th Round Of FA Cup

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Norwich City at Anfield on January 28, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Liverpool had five different players find the back of the net in a 5-2 win over Norwich City in the 4th round of the FA Cup at Anfield on January 28. Liverpool dominated play from the opening kick but the Canaries did find moments of glory with two goals. With the win, the Reds advance to host either Watford or Southhampton in the round of 16 sometime during the week of February 26th. Details about that fixture will be announced at a later date.

First Half

Liverpool earned a corner in the third minute, but it was cleared. Joe Gomez had a shot blocked out for a corner in the 5th minute. The shots kept coming early on. Darwin Núñez hit the post in the 10th minute. The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when James McConnell crossed the ball in the box and Curtis Jones finished the chance with a header to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead.

Norwich stunned the Anfield crowd with a goal by Ben Gibson from a corner kick to equalize in the 22nd minute. The tie did not last long as Núñez produced a fine finish in the bottom corner as the Reds reclaimed a 2-1 lead in the 28th minute.

Liverpool controlled possession and earned a pair of corners in the 36th minute. Cody Gakpo put a shot just wide, leaving the score at 2-1. Alisson was called into action just before stoppage time. He made the save as Liverpool took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Second Half

Norwich sent a shot from distance just wide in the early moments of the second half. Curtis Jones also had a go at goal in the 50th minute, but it too was wide. Diogo Jota pounced on a misplayed defensive header and finished in the 53rd minute to grab a 3-1 advantage.

Núñez earned a corner near the hour mark and Captain Virgil van Dyjk finished off the set piece with a header in the 63rd minute. Norwich pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Borja Sainz scored on a lovely strike from distance.

Jota missed a header and Gibson forced Alisson to make a save. Jota was then denied a goal thanks to a double save from the Canary goalie. He made another good save against Dominik Szoboszlai in the 88th minute, Jota followed by putting a pair of shots high. Gravenberch finished the day off with a header on the last action of the game in stoppage time to account for the 5-2 final.

Credit To The Canaries

Norwich City may only be 9th in the Championship, but they gave their fans plenty to cheer about today. When Ben Gibson scored a first-half equalizer, Norwich had scored at Anfield on six straight trips to the Reds’ home ground. Not many teams can say that. The Norwich goalkeeper, Gorge Long, also deserves consecrated for making spectacular saves all game.

Tributes To Klopp

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Supports were out in full force for the match, many waving banners and scarfs in support of Jürgen Klopp, who announced he is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. The boss was emotional before the match but once the whistle blew it was business as usual. Liverpool could have as many as 29 games left in the season if they keep advancing in all competitions (The FA Cup, The Carabao Cup, Europa League and Premier League). I’m sure the emotions for everyone will continue to grow as the season progresses, but at least for this first game after Klopp’s announcement, it did not seem to have an adverse effect on the players or their performance on the pitch.

Impressive Streaks

With the win, Liverpool extend their unbeaten streak to 25 matches across all competitions this season with the only loss coming away to Tottenham. With the five goals today, Liverpool have scored 26 goals in the last nine games, nearly three goals per match.

LFC Globe Verdict

With all the news surrounding Klopp and the club the last few days, I’m sure everyone, players and coaches, were glad for the normalcy of a match. They did not disappoint, banging home five goals and keeping the dream alive of lifting four trophies by the season’s end.

Man Of The Match

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Whenever a team scores five goals, there are a lot of choices. I’m going to go with Conor Bradley. The youngster got his first start at Anfield and did not disappoint. He garnered a pair of assists and spent a lot of time with the ball at his feet. Sure, the veteran players will get air time on the highlight shows, but Bradley’s performance proves the future is bright for Liverpool.