28 April 2012 Opposition: Norwich City Competition
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Date: 28 April 2012 Mail Telegraph Sunday Times Observer Evening News April 2012 28 Opposition: Norwich City Mirror Sun Independent Sunday Mirror Guardian Competition: League Echo Times Sun Telegraph Sunday Mail Independent Suarez steals the show with virtuoso display Suarez finds range as Liverpool take aim at Chelsea for FA Cup Norwich City 0 "You have to say that's magnificent," went Barry Davies's commentary after Diego Liverpool 3 Maradona followed up his Hand of God swindle against England in 1986 with one Suarez 24, 28, 82 of the greatest goals of all time. A similar sentiment could have been expressed at Referee: M Halsey Attendance: 26,819 Carrow Road after Luis Suarez's performance. This, of course, was merely a mid- This was excellent preparation for Liverpool -- for tomorrow evening's game table Premier League skirmish rather than a World Cup quarter-final but the against Fulham. The club need little in the way of warm-up exercises for the FA South American's display made it a special occasion and even those who dislike Cup Final on Saturday, having won twice at Wembley already this season and him - and the chants directed at him by Norwich City fans suggested that many been labelled, often sniffily, as a cup team. such people were present here - had to acknowledge he is a delightful talent. While neither the Carling Cup victory over Cardiff City in February nor the semi- He has an ability to confound defenders with skills they cannot legislate against. If final defeat of Everton in the FA Cup 16 days ago were comprehensive, they did he had not been guilty of bad finishing so often this term he would surely have smack of a certain inevitability. For all their jitters in the Barclays Premier League, been challenging to be the Premier League's top scorer. But he seems to be Kenny Dalglish's side have been assured in the knockout competitions. The finding his shooting form just in time to antagonise Chelsea in the FA Cup final this wayLiverpool tactically outclassed Chelsea at the quarter-final stage of the Carling weekend. Cup played a bit part in the downfall of Andre Villas-Boas. Suarez's ninth and 10th league goals of the season were splendid. His 11th league But lifting the FA Cup will be a more thoroughly satisfying experience goal, which gave him his first hat-trick for Liverpool, was simply extraordinary. should Liverpool end the season with an overall flourish and avoid, for one thing, Elliott Ward erred on halfway to gift Suarez possession but the striker still had accumulating their lowest points tally in the Premier League. more than 45 yards to go to reach the goal: to the bewilderment of John Ruddy, That presents Dalglish with an unusual dilemma. Having secured a place in the he made the ball do all the work by lobbing it over the goalkeeper and into the Europa League, domestic league matters have little significance beyond pride and net. "He's a fantastic footballer, nothing he does surprises you," said Kenny the Liverpool manager must be tempted to rest those players who would benefit Dalglish. "People of his ability are blessed." Liverpool host Fulham in the league from a break before meeting Chelsea at Wembley. However, momentum is a tomorrow night and Dalglish has to judge whether the temptation to play Suarez wonderful thing and a failure to defeat Fulham three days after Martin Jol's side is stronger than the temptation to rest him for Saturday. had been dismantled 4-0 by Everton would sour the coach journey down south. As for Norwich, their thoughts are beginning to turn to next season. Their "We'll pick a side on Tuesday night that does this club justice," Dalglish said. "I manager, Paul Lambert, anticipates another long battle to stay in the league. "I think we have conducted ourselves [properly] in all the league games and cup don't know how far Norwich can go, I really don't," he said. "We've had a lot of competitions that we've played and I see no reason why that would change." success over the last three years but we're competing in a different ball game in Having rested Steven Gerrard in the 1-0 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion this league because the finance dictates everything." eight days ago, Dalglish will, presumably, keep his captain in the team. The most Man of the match Luis Suarez (Liverpool) fascinating rotation dilemma now revolves around Luis Suarez who scored his first hat-trick for Liverpool and was in a stunningly effervescent mood. He looked as if he could have skipped and harried for a further five hours in the East Anglia rain. The Uruguay striker scored two lovely goals in the first half and an utterly delightful one in the second. He had attempted one lob of John Ruddy and failed - - but this was Suarez simply measuring the curtains before scampering past Elliott Ward and floating the ball over the head of the Norwich keeper from just inside the half-way line. "He's a fantastic footballer," Dalglish said, "nothing he does surprises you, whether it's his vision or passing, his shots or his goals." There was something slightly sad about the hat-trick, though. This was a striker who has the ability to have been the player of the season but, after an FA hearing found Suarez guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra and imposed an eight-match ban, the sparkle dimmed. Suarez was subjected to the expected abusive chants from the home supporters, but shut it out to produce his finest display in a red shirt since slicing open Manchester United in March last year. Norwich were rocked by a sense of deja vu. In their previous home game, Carlos Tevez, the Manchester City striker, had similarly announced he was back to his best and tore into their defence. In both games Paul Lambert's team had appeared as naive as most pundits expected them to behave having won surprise promotion. "We're always playing catch-up," Lambert said. It was a fair summary of how they performed on Saturday, but for much of campaign they have more than held their own and few would begrudge them a triumphant finale against Aston Villa in their last home game, instead of the feared fizzling out of a valiant season. "I'm no clairvoyant," Dalglish said, when asked if we are about to witness a 'Suarez Final' but then, had he known what this season held, he might never have left his house. Norwich City (4-5-1): J Ruddy 5 -- K Naughton 6, R Bennett 5, E Ward 4, A Drury (sub: R Martin, 12min 5) -- D Fox 4 (sub: J Vaughan, 46 5), E Bennett 5, J Howson 6, B Johnson 5, A Pilkington 5 -- S Morison 5 (sub: G Holt, 76). Substitutes not used: J Steer, A Surman, W Hoolahan, A Wilbraham. Booked: Ward, Howson, Vaughan, R Bennett. Next: Arsenal (a). Liverpool (4-5-1): J M Reina 6 -- G Johnson 5, J Carragher 5, D Agger 5, J Enrique 5 -- S Downing 6, S Gerrard 7 (sub: S Coates, 85), J Henderson 6, J Shelvey 5, C Bellamy 5 -- L Suarez 9 (sub: D Kuyt, 86). Substitutes not used: Doni, M Kelly, M Skrtel, J Spearing, M Rodriguez. Next: Fulham (h). Compiled by Graeme Riley Date: 28 April 2012 Mail Telegraph Sunday Times Observer Evening News April 2012 28 Opposition: Norwich City Mirror Sun Independent Sunday Mirror Guardian Competition: League Echo Times Sun Telegraph Sunday Mail Independent SUAREZ'S LOB JUST THE JOB Wonder goal puts Suarez back on road to greatness STEVEN GERRARD was about to berate Luis Suarez for trying an audacious lob but Norwich City 0 ended up congratulating him for completing a superb hat-trick as Liverpool won Liverpool 3 3-0 at Norwich. Suarez 24, 28, 82 Att: 26,819 Liverpool captain Gerrard was waiting for a pass to send him through on goal, but Even before the wonder-lob that decorated Luis Suarez's exhilarating hat-trick Suarez instead looked up and sent the ball swirling into the goal from 45 yards. against Norwich, the Uruguayan had been experimenting with an audacious Gerrard said: 'I was just about to have a go at him and then turned it into a round chipped finish. He had already watched one attempt sail over John Ruddy's bar of applause.' The goal capped a superb hat-trick for Suarez and gives Liverpool a and a flustered Steven Gerrard was losing patience with his star striker for boost ahead of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday. indulging in showboating finesse rather than clinical power. Victory over Fulham at Anfield tomorrow will give them four wins in five and "I was just about to have a go at him before the goal," the Liverpool captain said. Gerrard believes form is the key ahead of the final. He said: 'We've played well "It was on the tip of my tongue to give him a rollicking. But that then turned into a and kept a clean sheet. More of the same against Fulham, then we can look round of applause." The emphatic flourish by Suarez, lofting an angled ball forward to the big one.' Everton will make re-signing Steven Pienaar a priority beyond a backtracking Ruddy from 55 yards out, was one to draw admiration after his virtuoso display in the 4-0 home win over Fulham. from all corners of Carrow Road.