“It's obviously much more important for them” – Mark Lawrenson reveals his prediction for Liverpool vs Norwich City in FA Cup
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted a routine 2-0 win for Liverpool against Norwich City in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday. Lawrenson stated that Norwich might prioritize their upcoming Premier League game against Brentford rather than go all-out against Liverpool.
In his column for BBC Sport, Mark Lawrenson wrote:
"I'm not sure the Canaries will approach this cup tie in quite the same way, though, because they have an absolutely huge home game this weekend against relegation rivals Brentford that I am sure they will be focusing on - it's obviously much more important for them."
The BBC pundit also expects Jurgen Klopp to field a highly rotated lineup for this FA Cup clash against Norwich. He added:
"I expect Liverpool will leave out quite a few players who featured at Wembley on Sunday but Jurgen Klopp's squad is definitely strong enough to get them through this tie. The way he is managing now, he is giving games to everyone in his squad."
"In previous years, when he didn't have the same strength in depth, these domestic cup competitions were a nuisance. But now, he has a strong squad he can use the cups to give players game-time that they wouldn't otherwise have, and still win the tie."
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It has been relatively smooth sailing for Liverpool in the early stages of the FA Cup. Jurgen Klopp's side secured routine wins against Shrewsbury Town and Cardiff City. They now face a struggling Norwich City side who are currently on a three-game losing run in the Premier League.
It is worth mentioning that the Reds have never made it through to the sixth round of the cup under Jurgen Klopp. The Reds now have enough squad depth to finally take this competition seriously and aim to win it.
Liverpool target the FA Cup after already claiming one domestic cup this season
Liverpool will be looking to win a second domestic cup this season after already securing their ninth League Cup trophy. The Reds defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final in a penalty shootout at the weekend.
Chelsea's substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed his spot kick which resulted in a 11-10 shootout win for the Reds at Wembley Stadium.
WE ARE THE CARABAO CUP WINNERS!!! 😍🏆
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The Reds have not tasted FA Cup success for more than 15 years. The last time they won this prestigious cup competition was back in 2006. They also haven't reached the final since 2012.