Norwich City v Liverpool: Premier League – live! | Football

52 min: Henderson’s poor pass in midfield allows Pukki to tear off down the left. The ball’s worked towards the other flank, Cantwell getting past Robertson and lashing a shot into the side netting. Alisson had it covered. Robertson took a wee tug on Cantwell’s shirt there; had the Norwich player decided to go down, the referee would have had a serious decision to make.

50 min: Norwich haven’t had a sniff since the restart. But Liverpool are yet to parlay their dominance into serious work for Krul.

48 min: Firmino should make off down the right but McLean sticks to his back and eventually wrestles the ball away from him. The leaders have come out looking a little sharper, Jurgen Klopp presumably having made some trenchant observations during the break.

47 min: Liverpool are immediately on the front foot. Robertson drives down the left but can’t quite break clear. Then Henderson chips one into the box from the right but Aarons wins an aerial battle with Firmino and clears the danger.

Norwich get the second half underway. There have been no half-time changes.

Half-time entertainment. The current scoreline is good news for second-placed Manchester City … and boy do they need some good news right now. Here’s David Conn’s latest take on City’s two-year Champions League ban.

There’s just enough time for Liverpool to earn their third corner of the match, and waste it. And that’s the half-time whistle. Norwich will be very happy with their performance, though they should be leading. Rupp’s indecision and Alisson’s brilliance combining to keep the scores level.

45 min +1: The corner should be claimed by Krul at the far post. But the keeper thinks Zimmerman will deal, and vice versa. Eventually Salah nips in, but can’t find anyone in the centre with a weakly hit cross. Norwich get away with one.

45 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain and Robertson combine to win a corner on the left. One last chance for Liverpool to take a lead into half-time, perhaps?

44 min: Lewis nearly lets Firmino in with a poor clearing header, but just as it looks like the Brazilian will burst clear into the box, the Norwich sub fights back and clears up his own mess. An entertaining tussle.

42 min: Alexander-Arnold tries to find Van Dijk at the far post with a low curler, but Krul reads the free kick well and smothers.

41 min: Henderson rolls a pass down the right channel for Firmino, who turns Hanley with ease. Hanley climbs all over his back to stop him bursting into the box, and takes the booking. This is still a free kick in a dangerous position, though, just to the side of the box, 25 yards out.

39 min: Alexander-Arnold prepares to take the corner, but is held up awhile as the referee comes across to check he’s placed the ball in the quadrant. Eventually we’re good to go. The corner is blocked, and ends up back at the feet of Alexander-Arnold, who yanks a wild shot wide left from the edge of the box.

37 min: That near miss has lit a fire under Liverpool. Robertson, Keita and Salah take turns to drive at the Norwich back line. Salah’s shot, an attempted curler towards the top left, is deflected out for a corner.

35 min: Rupp combines briskly with Cantwell down the right. For a split second it looks as though they’ve opened Liverpool up, but Rupp runs the ball out for a goal kick. Norwich are soon coming back at the leaders. A long ball down the middle. Rupp brings it down, and he’s clear of the Liverpool offside trap! He tries to round Alisson on the keeper’s left – or is he trying to pass to Pukki, by his side? Either way, Alisson sticks out an arm and breaks up the move. What a save … but Rupp will reflect that he should have done better. Norwich should be leading.

33 min: Keita plays a headed one-two with Henderson on the edge of the Norwich box, then drags a lame shot wide right. Krul, calmness personified, watches it bobble harmlessly past his post.

32 min: Robertson is sent scampering down the left by Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cute flick. His low cross fails to find Salah, six yards out, and Norwich are able to clear their lines.

30 min: The first sign of Liverpool frustration, as Van Dijk tries to force an attack and yanks a weird pass to nobody straight out of play. No pressure, other than the weight of history.

28 min: Robertson’s diagonal ball is stunned instantly by Salah, just inside the Norwich box on the right. He tees up Alexander-Arnold, who hits a weak first-time shot that’s easily blocked. Norwich are holding their own.

26 min: Byram is helped off by the physio and is replaced by Lewis.

24 min: Krul rakes a ball down the Norwich left. Byram sticks out a leg to trap, and twangs his hamstring. He immediately clasps the back of his right leg. He’s clearly not going to be able to continue.

22 min: Keita bursts into action, dribbling with purpose down the middle, beating a couple of Norwich challenges and nearly executing a crisp one-two with Salah. Norwich manage to hack clear. A brief glimpse of the Naby Keita we saw at Leipzig.

20 min: Liverpool’s patience snaps, and Oxlade-Chamberlain hoicks a dismal cross from the left deep into the stand behind. Krul hasn’t been forced into serious action yet.

19 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back in the 1970s style. Patience the watchword for the leaders at the minute.

17 min: The free kick is sent down the left wing, but Pukki is unable to get the jump on Gomez. The home side are playing with the freedom of a team who have been told by their boss that this is a free hit.

16 min: Henderson bowls Cantwelll to the floor, to the left of the centre circle. A chance for Norwich to send folk upfield.

14 min: Firmino appears to be in the mood tonight. He nearly sends Wijnaldum clear down the inside left with a ludicrous dragback and flick, but the Dutch midfielder gets his feet in a tangle as he looks to burst into the box. Norwich clear.

12 min: Tettey, going down the middle, has team-mates either side of him, and Liverpool backtracking. He should slip Pukki clear down the inside left, but picks the wrong pass and the chance to seriously worry Liverpool is gone.

10 min: A long ball down the middle by Liverpool this time. Firmino tries to bring it down on the penalty spot with a Bergkamp-style trap and turn. He nearly executes it perfectly, but Zimmerman gets a toe in, and Firmino’s sensational plan is foiled.

8 min: Norwich come again, Cantwell trying a trick to get past Alexander-Arnold on the left. Neat skill, but it doesn’t quite come off and he loses control. Goal kick. Yes, this match is promising to bloom into an entertaining back-and-forth.

7 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain has a dig from 25 yards. His attempt to thread one into the bottom left is easily snaffled by Krul. This match is lively and open.

6 min: A long ball down the middle by Hanley. Pukki is under it, and for a second looks like getting ahead of Gomez. But he slips as he tries to figure out the ball’s flight, and Liverpool mop up. That’ll give Norwich encouragement after a slow start.

5 min: Alexander-Arnold whips a ball in from the right. Zimmerman tries to clear with a diving header, but succeeds only in pinging the ball off the lurking Keita. It ricochets harmlessly into the arms of Krul, but on another day, etc. Then Liverpool come again through Firmino down the inside-left channel. He tries to work enough space for a proper shot but fails. City clear their lines.

4 min: Liverpool are beginning to hog the ball. Norwich are happy to sit back, and sit deep.

3 min: All a bit scrappy so far as both teams try to get a handle on the conditions.

1 min: Liverpool are on the front foot immediately. Firmino drifts in from the left and tees up Alexander-Arnold, who drags a shot well wide left after 13 seconds. That would have been some start.

Liverpool get the game started. “Norwich might be facing a Liverpool team on a terrifying run, but at least they don’t have to face Luis Suarez,” writes Matt Dony. “Man, he hated Norwich. So many ridiculous goals.”

In the interests of balance, here’s one of the greatest goals of all time.

The teams are out! Norwich wear their trademark yellow and green. That allows Liverpool to wear their storied red. It’s always an aesthetic treat when both teams get to wear their best duds. Despite the horrific weather, Carrow Road is packed and bouncing. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!

Farke talking up his side’s chances, there, as best he can. He’ll be pleased to know that Ben Heywood has his back. “I’d love to believe that we could pull off a shock and become the first team in about 12 months to beat Liverpool and thereafter pull off the greatest escape since James Coburn strolled over the Swiss border. It’s lovely to dream about prolonging our stay in the Premier League and hanging on to about £100m worth of talent (Buendia, Cantwell, Aarons and Godfrey would fetch that collectively). But it just ain’t going to happen. Our entire squad and stadium cost less than VVD and we can’t even outspend the likes of Sheffield Utd – the relegation writing has been on the changing room wall since November. But … but … you never know. It’s football – and what I love about Daniel Farke is that he will set us up to have a go, regardless of the likely battering it’ll earn us. We’re bottom-of-the-table box-office!” The feature presentation is coming up soon.

A word with that other charismatic German, Daniel Farke. “Today is just the second time all season that we have had three centre backs available. That says a lot about our injury crisis. There is good competition and the lads have done fantastic in recent games, so hopefully we can put in a good performance today. We are playing the best team in the world, the floodlights are on, it’s a home game, everyone should enjoy it. We will go out brave and try to be ourselves today. A win would be great, but we are realistic, we know everything has to come together today and put in an outstanding performance.”

Weather report. Seeing we’re watching the Canaries tonight …

In other news, Storm Dennis is doing its thing over East Anglia. Plenty of wind and rain. Jurgen Klopp, on record as disliking windy conditions, reacts to events: “We had a week of wind in training, so we have to deal with it. Both teams have to. We’ll see how strong it will be. The direction can change everything. We just have to find the right attitude and fight, if possible to play. If not, to play long balls and fight for second balls. Adapt to the situation. You have to use the situation and not suffer from it.”

It’s as you were for Norwich. Daniel Farke names the same side that earned a point at Newcastle two weeks ago.

Liverpool make one change to the side that beat Southampton 4-0 on the first day of the month. Naby Keita comes in for Fabinho, who drops to the bench. Sadio Mane is back from injury, and named as a sub.

Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Zimmermann, Hanley, Byram, Tettey, McLean, Rupp, Duda, Cantwell, Pukki.
Subs: Godfrey, Vrancic, Hernandez, Lewis, Emi, Drmic, Fahrmann.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Keita, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Subs: Fabinho, Lovren, Milner, Mane, Adrian, Lallana, Origi.

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Norwich City need some points, and they need them damn fast. Having only won one of their last dozen matches, they’re seven points and eight goals adrift of safety. Three points this evening aren’t a must, not yet, but how they would help. One, never mind three, might be so precious come the end of the season.

A small problem tonight: they’re facing Liverpool, who have won 34 of their last 35 matches in this division. An even bigger problem: that’s not the most nerve-shredding stat Norwich have to wrestle with! Liverpool have won seven of their last eight games against Norwich, rattling in 33 goals along the way. In recent years, the Canaries have been Liverpool’s bunnies.

But this is football, and so there’s always hope. For a start, Liverpool can often look a little rusty coming off the back of a break. On the opening day of this season, Norwich gave a better account of themselves at Anfield than a 4-1 result suggests. And early on in Jurgen Klopp’s reign, City pushed the Reds all the way in a psychedelic mindbender that ended 4-5. That game, in January 2016, was the last time these teams met at Carrow Road. Klopp, who had his glasses memorably clipped off his startled face during the melee that ensued after Adam Lallana’s late, late winner, won’t forget that one in a hurry.

Norwich will also point to their home record this season. They’ve drawn with Arsenal and Spurs, gave Chelsea a fright, and stunned the champions Manchester City on a Saturday evening back in September. It’ll surely count as a huge shock if they get something out of this match tonight … and yet on the other hand, it wouldn’t be such a big surprise at all. Can the bottom club stun the leaders? Or will Liverpool stretch their lead at the top to a wholly preposterous 25 points? It should be fun finding out the answer. It’s on!

Kick off: 5.30pm.