Crikey, he only looks 16, you might have heard mentioned around Carrow Road on Tuesday night. That’s because he is, and Kaide Gordon displayed enough moments of class on his Liverpool debut to suggest Jurgen Klopp is on to a winner with this English teenager.
At 16 years and 351 days, Gordon became the fifth youngest player in Liverpool’s history, after Jerome Sinclair, Harvey Elliott, Jack Robinson and James Norris. He was not alone in making his first-team bow as he was joined by 18-year-olds Conor Bradley and Tyler Morton.
The Carabao Cup is apparently in a fight to remain relevant. Try telling that to this trio of teenagers. Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi got the goals but Klopp’s kids played their parts.
Kaide Gordon became the fifth youngest player in Liverpool’s history in the Reds’ Carabao Cup victory against Norwich City
Takumi Minamino fired the Reds into a fifth-minute lead, reacting quickest to Divock Origi’s knockdown from a corner
Norwich’s Christos Tzolis spurned a great chance to equalise but his penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kellehe
Divock Origi doubled Liverpool’s lead after half-time with a terrific glancing header from Kostas Tsimikas’ accurate cross
Japanese international Minamino made sure of the Reds’ passage to the fourth round with his second goal of the evening
Gordon, in particular, must have loved this occasion, playing the first half on the right wing directly in front of Liverpool’s fans, who were cheering his every move.
‘I really liked that,’ Klopp said. ‘He (Gordon) has a lot of things to improve, to settle, to learn, but there are already a lot of things there. We will treat him carefully.
‘Conor is the first Northern Irish player (to play competitively for Liverpool) since 1954! He played a super game, and Tyler as well. It was a big game for all three.’
Liverpool were not the only winners in all of this. Derby, the Championship club in dire straits, will have welcomed the sight of the team sheet. Owing to a clause in the contract that saw Gordon make his £1million move to Merseyside, his first start means they get an extra £100,000.
For Norwich, this was just an extension to their sorry start to the season, with boos greeting the final whistle. They did have a chance at making it 1-1 before half time via a penalty but Christos Tzolis went down the middle and saw it saved.
Manager Daniel Farke wasn’t happy with Tzolis, because the 19-year-old was not his designated taker. ‘Naive mistake of a young player,’ Farke said. ‘After I’ve spoken with him, one thing is for sure, he will never, ever do this mistake again in his career.’
It took Liverpool less than four minutes to breach Norwich’s backline and how easy it was. It started with a Kostas Tsimikas corner and was followed by an Origi headed knockdown. The ball then fell to Minamino, who scored through the legs of Angus Gunn.
As half time neared, a fierce shot by Tzolis was palmed out by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Dimitris Giannoulis picked up possession and put his body between himself and the ball, anticipating the challenge by Bradley.
Giannoulis dropped down and referee Darren England awarded the penalty.
Gordon played the first half on the right wing directly in front of Liverpool’s travelling fans who were cheering every move
Conor Bradley made his Reds debut at 18 and looked assured, other than giving away a penalty for a clumsy foul in the box
Tyler Morton, also 18, came on at half-time for Naby Keita and controlled proceedings well in the centre of the park
Tzolis took it but Kelleher saved with his legs. A brilliant block by Joe Gomez, captain for the night, in the aftermath denied Norwich any chance of scoring from the rebound.
The hosts really ought to have levelled at the start of the second half when Pierre Lees-Melou had all of the goal to find. Instead he blazed his shot from 12 yards over.
In the 50th minute, it was 2-0. Tsimikas crossed, Origi headed and just like Liverpool’s first, it was all so easy.
Following this, a lovely through-ball by Gordon found Origi, who narrowly missed out on making it 3-0. Liverpool did get their third eventually, with Minamino sneaking the ball under Gunn in the 80th minute.
Morton and Gordon applaud the Liverpool supporters at the end of a dream night for the pair of teenagers at Carrow Road
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