Were Liverpool too good or Norwich too bad?

Brendan Rodgers will heave a sigh of relief after he recorded his first EPL win as Liverpool manager in a 2-5 drubbing of Norwich City at Carrow Road. Thanks to a scintillating hat-trick by Luis Suarez and goals chipped in by Nuri Sahin and Gerrard, Liverpool fans finally have something to cheer about. After just 2 points in five matches, the pressure on Brendan Rodgers was mounting day by day. And after this win, let’s hope Liverpool continue their season with similar flair they displayed yesterday. But was Liverpool’s win against Norwich due to a sudden surge in form for majority of the players or was it just because Norwich gave a poor show?

In my opinion, it was the latter. Norwich’s defense was all over the place and conceding a goal in the first 67 seconds isn’t something to be proud of. Except for Russell Martin, who had a fair game, the other three defenders Michael Turner, Javier Garrido and Leon Barnett had a forgettable afternoon. The only bit of luck the defensive trio had was the fact that Barnett was not sent off for a rash tackle on Suarez. Robert Snodgrass, who had had a good season till this match, missed a sitter in the early stages after the restart. Jonathan Howson had a good match doing all he could, but he too was overpowered by the constant attack of Liverpool. Steve Morrison and Grant Holt scored a goal apiece for the Canaries, but that proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

Pepe Reina didn’t have a great match, letting in a goal when the shot could have been easily saved. Liverpool were good in defense and Andre Wisdom showed that he is a gem in the making. Gerrard, Sahin and Allen did everything right and were good throughout the game, especially Allen, who keeps possession wonderfully. Sterling showed that he too is a gem in the making, despite showing immaturity sometimes. Suarez had a perfect game and he came back to haunt the Canaries just like he did last season.

Though it was a good overall performance by the Reds, they would still have a tough time against better oppositions, as many of the players are new and need time to settle at Anfield. As a Liverpool fan, I am happy about the result but it was because Norwich had a bad day rather than Liverpool having a good day. The match was in the same category as the matches where Arsenal thrashed Blackburn 7-1 and Manchester City defeated United 6-1. The defeat leaves Chris Houghton searching for his first win and he mentioned that he was unhappy with his defense.

After the match Rodgers said, “It was a special day for him (Suarez) and the team.” So let’s hope that Liverpool have more such special days.