Academy products star in FA Cup to show Liverpool are ready for life after Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool 5-2 Norwich City: Curtis Jones scored and Conor Bradley assisted twice as the Reds won in the fourth round.

 

While Jurgen Klopp’s long goodbye has begun, the possibility is growing that the final farewell will come at Wembley. In dispatching Norwich City, in setting up a fifth-round meeting with Watford or Southampton at Anfield, Liverpool opened a path to a second domestic Cup double in three seasons. The FA Cup will not define Klopp’s reign, but it may bring it to a glorious end on 25 May.

Predictably, there were points when “I’m so glad Jurgen is a Red” echoed around Anfield. Klopp has asked fans not to sing the song devoted to him during games; in the next four months, he may have to get used to them ignoring his wishes. And yet this was more than a mere sentimental occasion: the decibel level probably peaked as he was serenaded after the final whistle but until then, the loudest cheer may have been reserved for the sight of the returning Andy Robertson, who made his first appearance since October. It added to the sense Liverpool are gaining in strength as well as momentum. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai made their comebacks after shorter lay-offs. Klopp hopes it will be business as usual, despite his bombshell, and Liverpool showed few signs of being distracted.

One of the German’s feats has been to turn Anfield into a fortress. They extended this season’s record to 15 wins and two draws in 17 matches on home soil, bringing up a half-century of goals. Norwich struck twice, one of them spectacular, but there was little prospect of an upset. David Wagner was Klopp’s best man but his side were unsurprisingly second best.

Five goals continued Liverpool’s quest for four trophies. There could have been more and an entertainingly chaotic affair felt fitting: there have been many of those in the Klopp years. His side were relentless, played at pace and amassed 30 shots.

Many of the crucial contributions came from some who, between them, summed up much of what has been best about his time. There was a goal from one of his biggest buys, Virgil van Dijk, and one from a catalytic signing, who reached a new level under Klopp, Diogo Jota. There were starring roles, too, for Curtis Jones and Conor Bradley; if the Northern Irishman is not the definitive right-back of the Klopp years, one has been integral to his tactics and the newcomer offered ample evidence he could be a valuable deputy to Alexander-Arnold.