Sterling brace keeps Liverpool on title path

FE Team | Published: April 21, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: April 20, 2014 21:13:53

NORWICH (United Kingdom), Apr 20 (AFP): Liverpool nervously edged closer to a first league title in the Premier League era with a nail-biting 3-2 success over Norwich City at Carrow Road Sunday.
Brendan Rodgers's side now boast a five-point advantage over second-place Chelsea, who had surprisingly lost 2-1 at home to bottom club Sunderland on Saturday and who will be their next opponents at Anfield next Sunday.
Manchester City are also in the equation and have two games in hand, but Liverpool know that a first title since 1990 will be theirs even if they draw with Chelsea, provided they win their two other fixtures.
Raheem Sterling scored two of Liverpool's goals at Carrow Road, with Luis Suarez bringing his total for the season to 30 with the other.
The result was a huge setback for the home side, who remain out of the relegation places but are in danger of being overtaken by any of the three clubs below them.
There were two changes to the Liverpool side that beat Manchester City 3-2 last week, with Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen replacing the suspended Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, who has a hamstring injury.
Norwich had lost 1-0 at relegation rivals Fulham the previous weekend and made a single change, up front, with Gary Hooper coming in for Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
It took Liverpool just four minutes to take the lead in sensational style through Sterling, who celebrated it by running to the touchline and hugging Rodgers.
The winger received the ball from Philippe Coutinho and used his skill to slip past Bradley Johnson before unleashing a 25-yard drive that deflected off defender Michael Turner on its way past goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Norwich replied with a Hooper header that cleared the bar, but it was not long before Ruddy had to make a smart stop to deny Allen.
Goal number two was coming and this time Sterling was the provider in the 11th minute, sending in a low cross from the left for Suarez to poke home his 12th goal in just five games against the Canaries.
Liverpool survived a goal-mouth scramble involving Hooper and Leroy Fer, but the fluidity of their passing and their movement off the ball meant that they remained in the ascendancy.
The second half began with Sterling firing over to end an excellent move that had seen Suarez find Coutinho with a 60-yard crossfield ball, but suddenly, in the 54th minute, Norwich were back in it.