Liverpool secured their Premier League title on a trouble-free start with a 3-0 win at newly promoted Norwich City.
Diogo Jota opened the scoring in the 26th minute, having been selected to start alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane up front.
Roberto Firmino, recently back in training after Brazil’s run to the Copa America final, replaced Jota with an hour played at Carrow Road and quickly got on the scoresheet.
Salah claimed the two assists – the second apparently much more intentional than the first – and duly stepped into the act, finishing strong with 16 minutes remaining and becoming the first player to score in five consecutive weekends of Premier League opening.
Tim Krul spread to knock back a header in the 11th minute from Portuguese striker Jota before his counterpart got a job.
Teemu Pukki got behind Virgil van Dijk’s return at the end of Todd Cantwell’s through ball and Alisson had to abruptly save his near post in the 19th minute.
A pleasant back-and-forth developed as Salah crushed a volley right next to Mane’s chipped delivery and it was Liverpool who found the breakthrough when the Egyptian star failed to control the center of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the ball falling gently for Jota to come home.
Salah made truer contact on the fly when a corner of the left wing was partially cleared, his shot being blocked by Ben Gibson before Pierre Lees-Melou hampered Joel Matip’s tracking.
Norwich’s ultimate defense continued into the start of the second half as Max Aarons and Grant Hanley combined to thwart Mane.
Konstantinos Tsimikas, playing Liverpool left-back in Andy Robertson’s absence, stung Krul’s palms past the hour and the second goal inevitably came when Salah recovered another blocked effort from Mane and cut the ball in the path of Firmino for a simple finish.
The goal Salah’s efforts deserved came when he pulled a clearance from Gibson and flawlessly bowed past Krul.
What does it mean? Salah’s customary glow continues
After joining Liverpool from Rome in 2017, Salah got straight to work with a goal on Matchday 1 at Watford. He was on hand to punish West Ham a year later and hosted Norwich with a goal at their expense in 2019.
Leeds United came in the top flight to ship a hat-trick from Salah on Matchday 1 of last season and they now have 14 goals and 10 assists in 24 Premier League starts against promoted clubs.
Clinical Jota gives Reds a welcome edge
Jota fitted into life at Liverpool perfectly last season, scoring five times in his first nine Premier League appearances and also achieving a Champions League hat-trick at Atalanta. Of the 15 league games he went on to miss with a knee injury, the Reds have won five and lost six to end their title defense.
The former Wolves favorite has hit the mark with his two attempts at Carrow Road, the second being the opening goal, and Klopp is hoping to see much more of his clinical advantage in 2021-22.
Same old story for Farke’s men
In the 2019-20 Premier League season, Norwich were generally pleasant to watch, but combined their inability to create or score enough chances with their vulnerability in defense. As you might expect, it was a combination that resulted in relegation.
Almost all of those traits were in evidence here, as Norwich allowed Liverpool 19 shots and 13 of those from inside their penalty area. Salah’s beautiful strike was just inside the box as he was inexplicably left unmarked from a corner – as was the case when he approached with a volley in the first half. Norwich are going to have to learn lessons much faster than here if they are to avoid the misery of two seasons ago.
Key facts about Opta
– Liverpool have won eight of their last nine opening Premier League games (D1), including five of six under Jurgen Klopp. The Reds have scored three or more goals in their first six games of the season under Klopp, scoring 22 overall.
– Norwich City have now lost 11 consecutive Premier League games; only Sunderland has had a longer losing streak in the history of the competition (20 ending in September 2005).
– Liverpool have won each of their last eight away league games against Norwich, their longest streak away from a single team (also eight against West Brom from 1983 to 2009).
– Norwich remain winless on Matchday 1 of each of their last nine Premier League campaigns (D3 L6); indeed, they lost three consecutive first games of the top-level season for the first time since the 1976-77 campaign.
And after?
Liverpool host Burnley in their home opener next weekend, as Norwich tests continue against champions Manchester City.
