Norwich City exited the Emirates FA Cup at the fifth round stage despite a battling performance against Liverpool.
Takumi Minamino hit a first half double to put the Reds in a commanding position, after a positive opening from the Canaries. It looked as though Jürgen Klopp's side were going to cruise to victory from that point, but Lukas Rupp fired Norwich back into the match in the second half before teenage Jonathan Rowe brought a stunning save out of Allison Becker in the closing stages.
City head coach Dean Smith made seven changes from Friday’s defeat to Southampton. Tim Krul, Dimitris Giannoulis, Christoph Zimmermann, Sam Byram, Lukas Rupp, Pierre Lees-Melou and Przemsław Płacheta came into the side and Ben Gibson captained the team in the absence of Grant Hanley, who was suspended.
The Canaries started the game brightly, looking for a ball over the top of the Liverpool defence where possible, while the hosts sent early efforts from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones just wide of the mark.
On 15 minutes, Norwich had a great chance to take the lead when a dart forward from Płacheta got the ball to Milot Rashica in the box. The Kosovan then teed-up Teemu Pukki but his effort, through the legs of Jones, was a yard wide.
Liverpool hit back with a good ball to the back post which Konstantinos Tsimikas volleyed towards goal; bringing a good block out of Byram. The Greek international was involved again as Klopp's men went 1-0 up as he crossed from the left for Divock Origi to move the ball on for Minamino to fire past Krul.
That goal saw the hosts get a grip of the match and they made it 2-0 seven minutes before the break as a corner was flicked on to the back post for Minamino to grab his second by rattling a half volley off the inside of the post. \
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Rashica had a chance to pull a goal back in first-half stoppage time, but his effort from just outside the box was covered by Allison as it went wide of his post.
Norwich made on change at the break bringing on Josh Sargent for Płacheta. And the American almost pulled a goal back instantly as Pukki played him in down the right and he sent a shot arrowing past the post.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain then came close to making it 3-0 when he curled an effort towards the near post and grazed the outside of the woodwork. Then Zimmermann needed to put a sliding challenge in to stop Origi getting through on goal against Krul.
Sargent then had another chance on the hour as Giannoulis floated a great ball to him at the back post, but he sent his header wide. Then, 10 minutes later, Jota missed a similar chance when he got on the end of a Harvey Elliott cross.
Norwich then got back in the cup tie, with 15 minutes to go as Sargent fed a ball into Lukas Rupp, who fired a shot past Gomez and into the back of the net.
Klopp responded by sending on Luis Díaz and Sadio Mané for the final 10 minutes of the match. However, it was Norwich who went close a moment later as substitute Rowe breezed past James Milner in the area and brought a superb one-handed save from Allison.
The Canaries could not find an equaliser and exited the competition on the back of a 2-1 defeat.
Liverpool: Becker; Milner, Gomez, Konaté, Tsimikas; Henderson (C) (Morton, 60), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones (Elliott, 45); Minamino, Origi (Mané, 83) Jota (Díaz, 83).
Subs not used: Kelleher, Adrián, Robertson, Matip, Bradley.
Bookings: Jota (33), Henderson (49)
Goals: Minamino (26, 38)
Norwich City: Krul; Byram, Zimmermann, Gibson (C), Giannoulis; Normann (Gilmour, 60), Lees-Melou, Rupp; Rashica (Rowe, 60), Pukki (Dowell, 60), Płacheta (Sargent, 60).
Subs not used: Gunn, Tzolis, Sørensen, McLean, Tomkinson.
Bookings: Byram (16), Sargent (58)
Goals: Rupp (75)
HT: 2-0
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Venue: Anfield
Attendance: TBC