Liverpool To Treat Norwich Like The Best Team In The World

Steven Gerrard has told his team mates to treat Liverpool’s visit to Norwich City like the 2005 Champions League final against Milan and warned a remarkable season will be forgotten should they fail to win the Premier League title.

Brendan Rodgers’ team are four wins from claiming the club’s 19th championship, and first of the Premier League era, following the enthralling 3-2 defeat of Manchester City at Anfield. The next step for Liverpool is Carrow Road on Sunday and Neil Adams’ first home game as the Norwich manager since replacing the sacked Chris Hughton.

Norwich are fourth bottom following Saturday’s defeat at Fulham and face a gruelling run-in to secure their top-flight status but with a first league title since 1990 in touching distance, Gerrard admits the game has assumed the importance of Istanbul for his club.

The Liverpool captain said: “Every game is getting bigger because we are getting closer to the last game of the season. Man City was always going to be huge because they are in the race with us but Norwich now become Man City. Norwich become Chelsea. Norwich become Manchester United. That’s how big it is. We have got to treat Norwich like we treated AC Milan in 2005.

”That’s just how football is. We can’t think about what colour shirts Norwich are wearing and the personnel in them. We have got to treat them like the best team in the world.” Coincidentally, Liverpool overcame Chelsea, their opponents in two weeks’ time, in the semi-finals on their way to meeting Milan.”

Liverpool head to East Anglia on a run of 10 successive league victories but without Jordan Henderson, who collected a three-match suspension for a straight red card against City. Daniel Sturridge is awaiting the results of a scan on a hamstring problem amid concerns he will miss the Norwich game.

“It is a remarkable run but you get nothing for it,” Gerrard said. “You get a pat on the back. We’ve all had them but they come and go. What is key as a footballer is getting something to show for all the hard work. We have been on a magnificent run. We could win 13 on the spin but lose the last one and we will get nothing. Nobody will remember it. The only way people will remember it is if we go on and win it. We have got to forget where we are and forget what we have done. We have just got to focus and prepare for Norwich now. We have got to treat it like it is the last game of all our careers. That is the mentality.”