Independent
There were plenty of potential storylines before a ball had been kicked at Carrow Road. Virgil van Dijk, back in the Liverpool line-up for his first competitive game in ten months. Norwich themselves, back in the Premier League having watched the two sides who came up with them – Brentford and Watford – pick up three points upon their own returns.
And of course, 27,023 supporters back in the ground, Carrow Road bouncing and waving amid a plethora of sponsor-branded flags and chants from the stands inviting neighbourly rivals Ipswich Town to do something or other unsavoury.
As befits the fans returning at the same time as top-flight football, and as has been the case up and down the country this weekend, the atmosphere was electric: raucous and passionate, deafening at kick-off and smile-inducing in its sheer volume with Norwich’s first attack.
The Canaries were bright and energetic to start, snapping into challenges and playing direct down the channels to keep the visitors on the back foot.
Norwich’s right flank combo of Max Aarons and Cantwell is much-admired, but here the latter was often wasteful despite plenty of industry. Instead on the opposite side of the pitch, left-back Dimitris Giannoulis was often the best outlet, while the impact of the on-loan Billy Gilmour was noticeable both in defensive and build-up play.
It was all the home fans could have asked for, other than the opening goal. Chances were somewhat at a premium for them, however.
Liverpool’s attack soon began to click, with a high press almost seeing Grant Hanley robbed and Diogo Jota in on goal. A flurry of efforts then saw Jota have a header tipped over by Tim Krul, Salah make space in the area and fire at the keeper and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so bright in pre-season and with a deserved spot in the 11 here, drill over from range – all in the space of five minutes.
Even so, it was almost Norwich who made the breakthrough, a Cantwell clipped ball behind Van Dijk freeing Teemu Puuki, only for his near-post drive to be parried behind by Alisson Becker. That inspired a burst of Norwich pressure which reinvigorated the supporters and served a reminder to the Reds that there was no chance of them strolling to victory.
The possibilities of the day were summed up by two outrageous efforts midway through the half; Salah fizzed a volley just wide at one end, before Cantwell tried a 30-yard lob from the right touchline.
And then, just like that, the home crowd were silenced, the deadlock broken: a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, a touch from Salah which got away from him but broke to Jota, and his poked finish through the legs of Krul, who seemed to anticipate the ball going the opposite direction…
