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Austerity will never catch on. The opening fixture of the new Premier League season brought together the two sides who spent the least money over summer, though all it proved was that Norwich’s financial prudence is a world away from the luxury Liverpool can afford of seeing no reason to add to a settled and successful side. The newly promoted Canaries can only console themselves with the thought that they will not have to play the champions of Europe every week. Liverpool are hardly poster boys for make do and mend after the money they have spent in the last few seasons, though here at least was evidence that there is a skill in knowing when to stop and more than a suggestion that Jürgen Klopp is on the right lines in assuming he has a pretty complete side already.
Norwich were doubly unlucky in drawing Anfield as their first trip of the season since Klopp’s players are fresh in August and better equipped to implement the suffocating press he likes. The visitors must have known what to expect yet still found it difficult to break out of their own half in the opening stages, bewildered by the speed with which those in red closed down space, cut off passing options and forced mistakes.
Liverpool did not manage a shot on target until Mohamed Salah put them two in front after 19 minutes, yet they still managed to give the Norwich back line a torrid time. That much was clear from the way Divock Origi turned Max Aarons this way and that before crossing for the opening goal. Grant Hanley was unlucky to shin an attempted clearance past his own goalkeeper when attempting to send the ball downfield, but the ease with which Andy Robertson had found space for Origi on the left was already ominous for Norwich after a mere eight minutes.
Origi is one of the reasons Liverpool felt relaxed about making no additions to their squad this summer. Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are two others, all players either injured or lightly used last season who bring the appetite and impetus of new signings without the need to settle in or adapt to a new manager’s tactics.
A couple of lucky rebounds in the box played their part in Liverpool’s second goal, though what set the attack in motion in the first place was an inch-perfect pass along the right touchline by Gomez that unerringly found Trent Alexander-Arnold in an advanced position. Gomez missed the second half of last season after breaking a leg in wintry conditions at Burnley but, if he can stay clear of injury, he has every chance of establishing himself as Virgil van Dijk’s regular partner during this campaign. Already he has some of his defensive teammate’s best attributes, notably a calmness on the ball and an ability to spot and execute a telling long-range pass.
While there had been an element of fortune in Liverpool’s first two goals, Norwich had no one but themselves to blame for the third when they somehow managed not to notice Van Dijk coming up to claim a free header at a corner. It is difficult enough for teams to stop Liverpool shredding their defence in open play without handing them gifts at set pieces. After learning that lesson the hard way to go three goals down inside half an hour there was still time before the interval for Norwich to concede again, this time to one of the best worked moves Liverpool produced all evening.
When Salah went chugging down the right Norwich naturally sent men across to cover, only to find the Egyptian had been acting as something of a decoy. When the ball was worked back to the influential Alexander-Arnold, a perfectly flighted diagonal ball into the area was met by an equally perfect finish from Origi. A delicate yet decisive nod beat Tim Krul after he cut in intelligently from the left.
Origi always seemed a bit-part player at Liverpool last season, yet some of his bits – the injury-time winner against Everton, the sensational coup de grâce against Barcelona – were both unlikely and hugely important. He is earning a reputation as a player who can make an impact, both as a wide outlet and as a finisher. This is a very early stage of the season and goalscoring exploits against Norwich may count for little in the long run but a player who ended up a hero last time is already off to a promising start. So, too, are Liverpool, who will doubtless be hoping to have Manchester City playing catch-up all season.
