Liverpool pushed past a brief scare to end up with a comfortable 3-1 victory courtesy of goals from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz. But what were the key stats as the Reds kept up their formidable juggernaut?
Shooting for gold (and green)
Liverpool took 29 shots against Norwich, the 2nd highest they have managed in a premier league game all season. The highest? A staggering 30, against Wednesday’s opponents, Leeds United. Salah was the highest shot taker on the pitch with 8, double the next highest, as he looked incredibly sharp. He also registered the most shot assists (key passes), with 6. And to top it off, he tormented Brandon Williams with 7 take-ons, 5 of which were successful, also the highest on the pitch. Liverpool’s Egyptian King was the best player of the day.
Off the mark
Another player who had a good game was Luis Diaz, scoring his first goals for the Reds. One of the qualities that has shone early in the Colombian’s career is his tenacity and work ethic. This continued, with Diaz winning 3 fouls, committing two himself, and making the most passes and final third passes of Liverpool’s 3 starting forwards. That he can combine his obvious talent with graft and determination bodes well for his future on Merseyside.
A welcome return
The match also saw the return of Joe Gomez, who has not gotten much game time this season as he continues to be gradually brought back from a horrific injury. Gomez played the right back role differently from the usual style of Trent Alexander-Arnold, keeping it tidy with a 91% pass accuracy, winning 2 of 3 defensive aerial duels, and 5 loose ball recoveries. He also occasionally spiced it up with some attacking play, making 5 take-ons, with 4 successful. Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that this can see a more regular return to the rotation for the still-quite-young centre back.
