Liverpool edged Norwich City 5-4 in a modern day classic at Carrow Road on Saturday.
Adam Lallana scored a late injury-time winner to give the Reds all three points in a pulsating match which ebbed and flowed.
The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute through Roberto Firmino before Dieumerci Mbokani levelled on the half-hour mark with a clever backheel.
Four minutes before half-time, former Everton forward Steven Naismith fired home from an angle to mark his Norwich debut with a goal against his former rivals before the home side went two goals ahead less than 10 minutes into the second half thanks to a Wes Hoolahan penalty.
Liverpool responded moments later through captain Jordan Henderson before Firmino grabbed his second to tie it up at 3-3.
James Milner pounced on a defensive error to give the Reds a 75th-minute lead prior to Sebastien Bassong's rifled left-footer in the second minute of added team which turned the game on its head but Lallana's bouncing volley in the 95th minute sparked scenes of celebrations on the Liverpool touchline as Jurgen Klopp's side arrested a three-game winless streak to move up to seventh.
For Alex Neil's Canaries, it was a third straight defeat which sent them down to 17th position.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Norwich City: 4 (Dieumerci Mbokani 29', Steven Naismith 41', Wes Hoolahan (PEN) 54', Sebastien Bassong 90+2')
Liverpool: 5 (Roberto Firmino 18'/63', Jordan Henderson 55', James Milner 745', Adam Lallana 90+5')
Carrow Road, Norwich - 27,108
TALKING POINTS
- Wow! What a game. Is the type of victory that will see Liverpool kick on or were they lucky to get away with this one? How can they get better defensively?
- Norwich starting to look vulnerable after conceding 11 goals in their past three. What can they do to arrest this slide and avoid falling into the bottom three?
WHAT'S NEXT?
Liverpool next meet Stoke City in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final at Anfield on Tuesday before they take on West Ham United in the FA Cup forth round next weekend. After they focus their attention on Premier League leaders Leicester City on February 2.
Norwich will have some time to think about their loss before hosting Tottenham next week.
TWITTER INSIGHT
What a game, what a feeling!!! #YNWApic.twitter.com/0wKsid8skH
— Nathaniel Clyne (@Nathaniel_Clyne) January 23, 2016
Back to #Liverpool with my teammates after the win #LFC#YNWA - Retour à Liverpool après la victoire ! pic.twitter.com/K4vhxzgKnb
— Mamadou Sakho (@mamadousakho3) January 23, 2016
QUOTES CORNER
Norwich boss Neil on the frustration of losing such a game:
"I didn't really celebrate the fourth goal, because I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"I'm extremely angry. And so should they be. Angry with themselves, frustrated.
"We managed to score four goals at home, which should mean we're going home with three points."
Liverpool's Klopp on getting better defensively:
"We've made different mistakes. If you win 5-4 it's a funny story, but it's not that funny. We have to solve it.
"Today we conceded four goals after set-plays, but we defended them better. We got all the goals after second ball set plays. Things like this can happen.
"That's how life is: solve one problem and you have another one."
STATS SPECIALS
*Thanks to Opta
1 - Steven Naismith has now scored his first Premier League goal for both Everton & Norwich against Liverpool. Replay.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 23, 2016
5-4 - There have been four 5-4 results in Premier League history and Norwich have lost two of them (also v Southampton in April 94). Chaos.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 23, 2016
