Why Liverpool fans can expect goals as Sadio Mane eyes history against Norwich

Liverpool open their Premier League campaign at home to new boys Norwich tonight. Here are all the key stats and facts ahead of kickoff at Anfield.

Mane to Make History?

Sadio Mane could become the first Liverpool player in history to score in the opening league game of four successive campaigns.

He scored one each at Arsenal and Watford (2016 and 2017 respectively) and two at home to West Ham last season.

 

Dominance Over the Canaries

In the Premier League era, Liverpool have won 11 and drawn three of the 16 meetings between the sides. They are unbeaten in the last 12 clashes, winning all but two.

At Anfield, the Reds have won five and lost one of eight Premier League clashes, scoring 23 times in the process.

The last Anfield meeting saw the teams play out a 1-1 draw in September 2015. Danny Ings gave the Reds the lead with his first goal for the club only for Russell Martin equalise soon after.

The Carrow Road return saw nine goals in an extraordinary game that the Reds won 5-4 despite being 3-1 down at one stage and conceding a stoppage-time leveller.

All five goals came from players still at Anfield—Roberto Firmino (two), Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Adam Lallana.

 

Expected Goals

The 16 Premier League meetings between the sides have produced 63 goals with Liverpool scoring 45 of them. That equates to 3.94 goals per game.

It is more than any other Liverpool fixture of the Premier League era that has had more than four encounters.

Thirty-seven goals have been scored in the last seven encounters, with the Reds netting five times in four of the last six clashes.

 

Firsts and Centuries

The first goal of Jordan Henderson‘s career came against Norwich while he was on loan at Coventry in a 2-1 win in February 2009.

Xherdan Shaqiri made his English league debut against Norwich. Four years ago this month he featured in Stoke’s 1-1 draw at Carrow Road.

James Milner could make his 100th league start for Liverpool if selected.

Joel Matip and Divock Origi could both make the 100th appearance of their Liverpool careers in all competitions.

 

Fortress Anfield

Liverpool started last season with a 4-0 home win over West Ham—it was their biggest opening-day league victory since winning 6-1 at Crystal Palace in 1994.

It was also their biggest opening-day league win at Anfield since the 5-1 victory over Wolves in 1932.

The Reds are unbeaten in their last 40 home league games since losing to Crystal Palace in April 2017. It is their second-longest ever home run without defeat.

They won 17 of their 19 at home in the top-flight last season—their best since taking maximum points in 19 of 21 Anfield games of 1978/79.

Liverpool also earned their best points/game ratio in the top-flight of 2.55 points.

 

Norwich and the Kop

City have won once in their last 11 visits to Anfield—the famous ‘Kop’s Last Stand’ game in April 1994 thanks to a first-half Jeremy Goss goal.

Their last two victories on the ground have both been a 1-0 scoreline—the other coming in December 1988 with Andy Townsend’s goal settling the match.

The Canaries have scored seven times in the last 13 league clashes in front of the Kop.

The last time they scored more than once in a meeting on this ground was in November 1986 when Mike Phelan and ex-Red David Hodgson scored in a 6-2 defeat.

 

For Farke’s Sake

Daniel Farke was appointed as head coach of the club in May 2017. He has since overseen 42 victories in 92 league games in England.

From 2015-17 he was coach of Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team.

Farke will be one of five managers taking charge in the Premier League for the first time this season—joining Chris Wilder, Dean Smith, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard as debutants.

He will be the fourth German to take charge of a club in the competition, after Jurgen Klopp, Felix Magath and Jan Siewert.

 

Last Season’s Scorers

Liverpool: Salah 27, Mane 26, Firmino 16, Milner 7, Origi 7, Shaqiri 6, Van Dijk 6, Wijnaldum 5, Sturridge 4, Keita 3, Alexander-Arnold 1, Fabinho 1, Henderson 1, Lovren 1, Matip 1, own goals 3

Norwich: Pukki 30, Stiepermann 10, Vrancic 10, Hernandez 9, Rhodes 9, Buendia 8, Godfrey 4, Klose 4, Aarons 3, McLean 3, Srbeny 3, Zimmermann 3, Leitner 2, Trybull 2, Cantwell 1, Hanley 1, Tettey 1