Liverpool 5-2 Norwich (Jones 16′, Nunez 28′, Jota 53′, Van Dijk 63′, Gravenberch 90’+5 | Gibson 22′, Sainz 69′)
There will be plenty more tears, and much harder games, to come in the four months of Jurgen Klopp’s Anfield farewell, but if this was the start of his long goodbye, there were a couple of key takeaways from this FA Cup fourth round stroll.
One is that it would be a major surprise if Klopp does not end his ninth, and final, season in charge at Anfield by bequeathing another piece of silverware to his adoring Merseyside public.
And, secondly, whichever manager steps into the German’s office this summer will be inheriting a squad looking brimful of exciting future potential.
Goals from Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch were more than sufficient to carry Klopp through to the fifth round for just the third time in nine attempts in a competition which has not always featured high on his list of priorities.
But with a place in the Carabao Cup final booked, a lead at the top of the Premier League and a last 16 slot in the Europa League, there are a maximum of 29 games left for Klopp across the four competitions and his squad looks hungry enough to play them all.
This tie allowed the Liverpool boss to deflect away from his shock Friday announcement that he will leave at the end of the season, by thrusting youth into the spotlight.
Northern Ireland right-back Conor Bradley continued his impressive recent form, defender Jarell Quansah looked undaunted and teenager James McConnell was comfortable on his first professional start.
Just as important, given the current absence of the injured Mo Salah, Klopp saw five different players on the scoresheet and Andy Robertson returned off the bench from a fourth-month injury lay-off.
It was a near-perfect afternoon for Klopp who, largely, saw his pleas that the hysteria surrounding his announcement be ignored – at least until the end of the season.
There seemed to be a slightly more heartfelt rendition than normal of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before kick-off and there was a heaver than usual camera presence around the Liverpool dug-out as Klopp took his place.
The Klopp terrace tribute, sung to the tune of The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine,” was aired far more than usual, as well.
“I said, don’t sing the song during the game,” joked Klopp. “And people have stopped listening to me, so that’s good.
“It’s fine. We won the game and we scored after that [song)] so, if I was superstitious about singing the song, that’s over.
“It is emotional but my job, it’s not always easy, but I have to pull myself together. I received all the messages the people sent and I’m not made of wood. So I get all this.
“It was great. It’s the first game after and I’m not here to tell people what to do. We play again on Wednesday and if we can ignore for the 95-100 minutes that the manager is leaving at the end of the season to do everything to make it was uncomfortable as possible for Chelsea, that would be great.
“I know the people know that. This was a wonderful afternoon in all parts.”
With the goals flying in from the 16th minute, this was always going to be an afternoon carrying more of a mood of celebration than commiseration.
It started when Jones was free to head in a brilliant chip from McConnell and, although Ben Gibson equalised from Gabriel Sara’s corner soon after, there were few concerns for Liverpool after they regained the lead.
That came, on 28 minutes, from Nunez who finished well after a move started from a strong challenge and excellent approach play by Bradley.
Jota ended the game as a contest early in the second half by finishing superbly after Gibson failed to clear Jones’s pinpoint long ball, and substitute Van Dijk made it 4-1 by heading in a Dominik Szoboszlai corner.
Borja Sainz scored the goal of the tie from 25 yards after 70 minutes but, with virtually the last kick, Gravenberch headed home from Bradley’s cross.
“I wanted to win, he wanted to win, we gave ourselves that goal,” said Klopp’s countryman and close friend David Wagner, the Norwich manager. “And I lost… as always.”
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