MATCH STATS

LIVERPOOL Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Alonso, Hamann, Warnock, Luis Garcia, Baros, Cisse. Subs: Diao (for Alonso, 65), Traore (for Cisse, 71), Biscan (for Warnock, 77), Josemi, Kirkland. Formation: 4-4-2

NORWICH CITY Green, Drury, Fleming, Charlton, Edworthy, McVeigh, Safri, Francis, Holt, Huckerby, Doherty. Subs: Bentley (for Safri, 45), McKenzie (for Doherty, 45), Jonson (for McVeigh, 75), Ward, Helveg. Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 (first half)

SCORERS: Liverpool: Baros (23), Garcia (26), Cisse (63)

TOP CANARY: Marc Edworthy

ATTENDANCE: 43,152

REFEREE: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

YELLOW CARDS: Liverpool: Hamann (48)

RED CARDS: None.

SHOTS ON TARGET: Liverpool 10, Norwich 1

SHOTS OFF TARGET: Liverpool 8, Norwich 1

CORNERS: Liverpool 4, Norwich 2

FOULS:  Liverpool 10, Norwich 12

OFFSIDE:  Liverpool 3, Norwich 1

Saturday September 25, 2004
RICK WAGHORN

Norwich City's ongoing quest for their first Premiership win will now take them back to Carrow Road next Saturday for a home game against a hopefully mortal Portsmouth side. Today the Canaries ran in to a Liverpool side playing football of the highest order and with Alonso revelling in the opportunity presented by Steven Gerrard's absence, the Reds ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

With a performance that many felt overshadowed Arsenal's mesmerising effort at Carrow Road, Liverpool were nigh-on unstoppable before the break with the Canaries fortunate to escape to the dressing room a mere two goals adrift.

Milan Baros set the ball rolling with a fabulous 20-yard opener and though Luis Garcia's strike three minutes later had a slice of good fortune as it deflected off Craig Fleming and beyond Robert Green it was nothing that the home side didn't deserve as they swept all before them.

Frenchman Djibril Cisse completed the scoreline, from a second half free-kick routine and the only thing that the travelling Canaries could take out of the trip to Merseyside — aside from another stirring effort from the travelling supporters — was that on this performance Liverpool could give Arsenal's unbeaten record a real run for it's money.
They were that good. Now Norwich's season starts in earnest with Portsmouth at home.

City boss Nigel Worthington made just one change to the side that drew 0-0 in their last top flight outing at home to Aston Villa last Saturday.
With club skipper Craig Fleming shrugging off his calf strain in time for today's clash, the only change came at the tip of the City midfield diamond where Paul McVeigh continued where he left off in Tuesday night's Carling Cup victory over Bristol Rovers by replacing on-loan Arsenal youngster David Bentley. Marc Edworthy continued to get the nod ahead of Danish international skipper Thomas Helveg who, like Bentley, joined Mattias Jonson, Leon McKenzie and Darren Ward among the substitutes.

For the home side — stung by Monday night's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United — Spanish boss Rafael Benitez opted to put his best foot forward by playing three strikers in the shape of Luis Garcia, Djibril Cisse and Euro 2004 star Milan Baros with Garcia nominally playing on the right-hand side of midfield. There was also no place for Australia winger Harry Kewell as Stephen Warnock lined up at left-wing while finally German international Dietmar Hamann replaced injured England star Steven Gerrard.

With the Canaries kicking off defending the goal in front of their travelling support, City enjoyed a composed opening spell before the home side started to move up through the gears.

John Arne Riise was the first to set the alarm bells ringing when he drove through the inside-left channel after four minutes only to slice his final shot horribly wide. More dangerous was Garcia's fifth minute break from the right as he cut menacingly across the Canary penalty area before firing his shot narrowly wide of Robert Green's right upright.

With both Hamann and Sabi Alonso demonstrating the full range of their passing abilities in the game's early exchanges, so the Canaries found themselves firmly on the back foot and it looked as if it could be a long afternoon on Merseyside for Worthington's men.

Though the Canaries might have weathered Liverpool's early storm the home side were continuing to enjoy by far the greater share of possession as their Norfolk visitors struggled to gain a clear sight of Jerzy Dudek's goal. Darren Huckerby would leave two red shirts trailing away by the far corner flag only for Hamann to be on hand to mop up the danger.

Green was again back in the action in the 18th minute when Riise let fly on the edge of the box and forced the Canary No. 1 into a good, one-handed diving save in front of his right-hand post. Two minutes later and it was Fleming rising to Norwich's rescue as he produced an excellent block tackle on Cisse as the Frenchman prepared to turn and shoot following a Garcia cross.

The early star of the show, however, was Alonso who sat alongside Hamann in the Liverpool midfield but happily firing 30-yard sweeping passes this way and that.

On 23 minutes the home side got their just rewards for all their early enterprise — and what a goal it was. Baros seized upon a mistake from Safri, picked the ball up some 20-yards form goal and as he drifted right the Czech forward let rip with a fabulous right-foot effort that arrowed inside Green's right-hand upright with the Canary keeper having absolutely no chance of stopping the ball.

Worse was to follow three minutes later when Cisse fed Garcia on the edge of the Canary box. With both Drury and Fleming closing down the Liverpool striker, it summed up Norwich's fortunes when his shot ricocheted off the City club skipper and ran away from a helpless Green long since diving in the opposite direction.

Having conceded two goals in little more than three minutes, the trip to Anfield was fast proving a real test of Norwich's Premiership character as Liverpool looked set to run riot with Alonso and Hamann running the show in Gerrard's absence.

As the game headed beyond the half-hour mark Alonso — whose £10 million signature was twice as much as the combined transfer value of the 11 men struggling to find a way into the contest in front of him — had a rival for the early man of the match honours as Baros continued to rain in shots at Green. The first, on 33 minutes, forced the City keeper into a hasty tip over his bar as Baros drilled a dipping 22-yard effort goalwards; even better was Green's diving save two minutes later as he flung himself low to his right to push a second, 20-yard effort just wide. When Garcia fired slightly high and slightly over in the 39th minute it was Liverpool's 13th shot either on or off target.

Add that to the four blocks and Norwich's one effort on target — a tame edge-of-the-box effort from the struggling Doherty in between Liverpool's two strikes — and the overall balance of play was there for all to see.

The Canaries did at least force their first corner of the game of an otherwise untroubled Liverpool defence in the 41st minute as Riise headed clear a deep Drury cross with Huckerby lurking behind him. And once Francis had miscued his attempted overhead kick so normal service was swiftly resumed.

As the two teams headed for the tunnel at the break, there was little doubt which manager had the more to ponder though in all fairness given the quality at work in the Liverpool side it was a mute point as to what anyone could do to halt the Alonso-Baros show.

Half-time: Liverpool 2, Norwich City 0

As the second half opened with the Canaries having the proverbial mountain to climb, so Worthington wasted little time in changing things round as the diamond bit the dust. On for Safri came Bentley who immediately took up the left-wing role in a flat midfield four while Doherty's difficult stint up front ended, for now at least, with McKenzie partnering Huckerby up front.

The second half was barely three minutes old when tempers suddenly started to flare as Hamann and Francis clashed on the halfway line with Hamann earning the afternoon's first yellow card for his overt, exuberant 'tackle'.

Norwich's tactical switch didn't exactly stop the flow of shots firing in Green's direction though they were at least straight down the middle of the City goal where the Canary keeper comfortably collected from both Cisse and Riise. That said, however, Bentley and McKenzie's arrival did inject fresher legs and brighter movements into Norwich's game and simply the shape limited the range of passing available to Alonso.

Certainly in the case of McKenzie – while he may not be the tallest target man he does at least possess a fair leap and was winning his fair share of headers as the second half progressed.

Norwich's respite proved short lived as Liverpool extended their advantage in the 63rd minute. With Fleming adjudged to have pulled down Baros some 30-yards out, Riise rolled the subsequent free-kick into the path of Alonso. With the covering Canary defence waiting for the Spaniard to strike he instead rolled it on again to a lurking Cisse and from some 25-yards out he drilled a low shot sweetly into Green's right-hand corner.

The only piece of bright news as far as Norwich were concerned arrived a minute later when Alonso — his work for the day long since done — was replaced by Salif Diao. With Champions League fixtures looming, Liverpool boss Benitez continued to keep more of his playing powder dry in the 70th minute when Cisse was replaced by Djimi Traore.

Four minutes later with the game long since ended as a contest, Worthington made his final change of the afternoon with McVeigh being replaced by Jonson on the right-hand side.

To Norwich's credit they continued to work hard for the ball but by now the home side were in cruise control.

On 76 minutes Finnan broke free down the right and his deep cross was almost met by Warnock — his sight of Green's goal been partially blocked by Edworthy's brave intervention. It proved to be Warnock's last moment of note as he was replaced by Igor Biscan seconds later.

Full-time: Liverpool 3, Norwich City 0