Final, 3-2 Liverpool: The referee blows the whistle, ending the game.
Liverpool wins its 11th straight Premier League game and extends its lead to five points with just three games to play.
The Reds were composed and balanced for most of the game. They controlled play for all but the final 15 minutes and remained dangerous in attack throughout.
Raheem Sterling was the star of the show, leading the way with two goals (including the game-winner) and an assist. Luis Suarez joined the prestigious 30-Goal Club.
While there were a few few shaky moments at the back and nervous ending to the game, Rodgers, players and fans will be happy with Liverpool’s performance at Carrow Road.
Norwich City’s struggles continue, as the defeat is its fourth straight setback. It hangs precariously above the relegation zone with some tough tests on the horizon. Norwich City visits Manchester United and Chelsea before hosting Arsenal in their final game of the season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool has taken another giant step toward its first title since 1990. It hosts Chelsea next Sunday in a potential title decider. The surging Reds are full of belief. Momentum is on their side. Fate might be as well.
That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
90th minute + 2, 3-2 Liverpool: Suarez creates a scoring opportunity with a dribble inside the Norwich City area, but Ruddy’s double save denies Lucas from scoring.
89th minute, 3-2 Liverpool: The Reds are doing a good job of managing the end of the game.
Agger’s presence has helped counter Norwich’s aerial threat, while Moses and Suarez ensure Liverpool remains dangerous going forward.
82nd minute, 3-2 Liverpool: van Wolfwinkel rises to head a shot on goal. But it’s too close to Mignolet, who makes the stop.
80th minute, 3-2 Liverpool: Agger replaces Allen, as Rodgers looks to solidify Liverpool’s defense in the closing stages.
79th minute, 3-2 Liverpool: Flanagan is cautioned for pushing a Norwich City player on the sidelines.
Norwich City makes a double substitution, as Murphy and van Wolfswinkel replace Fer and Murphy.
77th minute, 3-2 Liverpool: Snodgrass reduces Norwich City’s deficit to one goal again.
Olsson crossed into the Liverpool area, and Snodgrass out-jumped Flanagan and headed past Mignolet.
72nd minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Moses replaces Coutinho, as Liverpool makes its first substitution.
72nd minute, 3-1 Liverpool: The referee shows Howson a yellow card.
71st minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Martin’s header goes just over the crossbar, as Norwich City looks to cut into the Reds’ lead once again.
68th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Snodgrass shoots from 20 yards out, forcing Mignolet to make the save by diving to his left.
64th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Skrtel fouls Redmond and lands in the referee’s book.
62nd minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Sterling puts Liverpool back up by two.
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The teenager collected a loose ball and dribbled around 30 yards before shooting from inside the area. His shot deflected off Johnson and floated over Ruddy into the goal.
59th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Suarez twists, turns and shoots from inside the Norwich City area, but his shot misses by a few feet.
54th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Hooper halves Liverpool’s lead with a rather fortunate goal.
Mignolet tried to punch Whittaker’s cross but missed as Howson challenged him for it. The ball then fell to Hooper, who tapped it in from five yards out before Sakho could arrive.
49th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Sterling’s curling left-footed effort goes just a yard wide.
Liverpool did well to create the opening with a long ball from Johnson and a layoff from Coutinho.
46th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: The second half is under way.
Neither team made any changes at halftime.
Halftime, 2-0 Liverpool: The opening period comes to a close with the Reds out in front.
Liverpool’s tradition of fast starts continues, as Sterling and Suarez struck twice in the first 11 minutes. The Reds denied Norwich City the opportunity to assume the role of protagonists and enjoy a comfortable advantage because of it.
The Reds have defended deeper in their own area than they have in recent weeks. Rodgers’ willingness to concede territory when Norwich City has the ball is paying dividends, as it forces the Canaries forward and opens up space at the back for Liverpool to exploit.
Norwich City has created a few moments of danger by shooting from distance or capitalizing on its physical advantage on set pieces. However, the hosts will have to do more than that in order to gain a foothold against the Reds. They must commit players forward and take more risks — a strategy which could play into Rodgers’ hands.
45th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: The referee cautions Turner for taking down Sterling as Liverpool tried to break forward.
40th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Norwich City is taking an increasingly physical approach as the game progresses. It is looking to impose its way back into the contest.
The strategy seems to be working (if only slightly), as Norwich has put Liverpool’s defense under pressure in the latter stages of the first half.
32nd minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Redmon tests Mignolet from distance, but the Belgian goalkeeper dives to his left and punches it away.
30th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Liverpool has settled into a comfortable rhythm by winning the ball with intense pressure and circulating it among the 10 field players.
29th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Snodgrass hacks Allen down with a lunging tackle, and the referee cautions him for it.
25th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Allen takes another shot, but his effort sails just wide of the diving Ruddy’s goal.
22nd minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Rodgers’ Reds continue to make history.
Sterling’s goal was Liverpool’s 57th first-half goal in Premier League play this season. It breaks the previous club record, which was set back in 1895-96.
16th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: There’s a scramble in the Liverpool area, as the Canaries threaten a response.
Redmond delivered a free kick. It fell to Hooper, who tried to shoot from close range, but Allen and Gerrard prevented him from doing so.
11th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Suarez has done it again.
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Sterling set Suarez up with a delivery from the left side of the Norwich Penalty area, and the Uruguayan lost his marker before tapping the cross past Ruddy.
It’s Suarez’s 30th Premier League goal of the season.
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Ninth minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Allen forces Ruddy to make a diving save.
Fourth minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Sterling puts Liverpool ahead with a lightning bolt of a strike from distance.
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Sterling received a pass from Suarez on the left, took four touches and drove a right-footed shot past Ruddy from around 25 yards out as Whittaker closed in on him. It was a spectacular strike from the 19-year-old.
Fourth minute, 0-0: Turner is down on the field with a nasty-looking wound on his leg. He should be able to continue.
First minute, 0-0: The game is under way.
Lucas returns to the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 12. The Brazilian joins Gerrard and Allen in the Liverpool midfield.
Coutinho and Sterling will support Suarez up front.
6:45 a.m.: Here are the lineups:
Norwich City
John Ruddy (1), goalkeeper
Steven Whittaker (3), right back
Michael Turner (6), center back
Russell Martin (2), center back
Martin Olsson (23), left back
Bradley Johnson (4), midfielder
Jonathan Howson (8), midfielder
Leroy Fer (10), midfielder
Robert Snodgrass (7), midfielder
Nathan Redmond (22), midfielder
Gary Hooper (11), striker
Substitutes
Mark Bunn (13), goalkeeper
Javier Garrido (18), defender
Ryan Bennett (24), defender
Alexander Tettey (27), midfielder
Josh Murphy, midfielder
Jonas Gutierrez (15), midfielder
Ricky van Wolfswinkel (9), striker
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet (15), goalkeeper
Jon Flanagan (38), left back
Mamadou Sakho (17), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Glen Johnson (2), right back
Steven Gerrard (8), midfielder
Joe Allen (24), midfielder
Lucas Leiva (21), midfielder
Philippe Coutinho (10), forward
Raheem Sterling (31), forward
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Substitutes
Brad Jones (1), goalkeeper
Kolo Toure (4), defender
Daniel Agger (5), defender
Aly Cissokho (20), defender
Victor Moses (12), forward
Luis Alberto (6), forward
Iago Aspas (9), striker
6:30 a.m. ET: Liverpool’s dramatic victory over Manchester City last Sunday served as a statement of title-winning intent. The Reds can reinforce that message and move to within touching distance of the 2013-14 Premier League championship when they face Norwich City this Sunday at Carrow Road.
First-place Liverpool looks to extend its lead in the league standings over second-place Chelsea to five points with a victory against the Canaries.
The attention will center on Luis Suarez, who has tormented Norwich City in recent seasons. The Uruguayan has scored 11 goals in his last four games against Norwich City — a run which includes two-straight hat tricks.
The Reds must face Norwich City without suspended midfielder Jordan Henderson. Striker Daniel Sturridge is unlikely to play due to a hamstring strain. The rest of the lineup should have a familiar look, as Liverpool pursues its 11th straight win.
Norwich City currently sits 17th in the standings, and its hopes of avoiding relegation rest on each point it can muster over its last four games. The Canaries took a huge gamble earlier this month and fired former manager Chris Hughton. However, results haven’t improved in the two games new boss Neil Adams has overseen. The Canaries know any late-season bounce starts at home, which makes their game against Liverpool even more crucial.
Sunday’s game kicks off at 7 a.m. Join us right here for all the action from Carrow Road.
Read the latest news concerning Daniel Sturridge’s hamstring injury>>
Read Rodgers’ comments about Liverpool’s preparations for Norwich City>>
Photo via LiverpoolFC.com
