ADORATION: Suarez (right) celebrates his hattrick with team-mates and supporters during the match between Norwich City and Liverpool at Carrow Road stadium in Norwich. Liverpool won 3-0. — AFP photo
NORWICH, United Kingdom: Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish believes the quality of Luis Suarez’s first hat-trick for the club should have come as no surprise.
The Uruguay international scored all three of his side’s goals in a 3-0 Premier League victory at Norwich on Saturday.
Two were fine finishes netted in the space of four first-half minutes while the third was a goal of the season contender – an audacious lob from all of 50 yards.
It was the perfect preparation for the FA Cup final on Saturday, although Liverpool have a Premier League home game with Fulham on Tuesday before they meet Chelsea at Wembley.
“Every goal was a great goal but it’s not a surprise because of the quality of the player he is,” Dalglish said of Suarez, who was barracked constantly by the home fans.
“I don’t have a catalogue of the best hat-tricks ever but certainly it was a fantastic hat-trick. But when you have got people of his ability there are no surprises.
“He is a fantastic footballer and a fantastic person. We are very fortunate to have him playing for us. And when he plays like that it is very difficult for anyone to stop him.”
The Norwich defenders certainly thought so as centre-backs Elliott Ward and Ryan Bennett were given a torrid time. Ward was at fault for the second and third goals.
Dalglish was also delighted with his team’s performance as a whole, especially as their previous game had seen them beaten at home by West Bromwich Albion.
“The level of the performance was not a surprise, they have produced that many times this year without getting their just reward for it,” he said.
“There will always be some individual performances that outshine others and Luis, scoring the three, will get most of the headlines and deservedly so, but it was the way the players went about their work that got us the result.”
Andy Carroll, the England forward, took no part in the game as he has a groin injury but Dalglish confirmed he expected him to be available for the FA Cup final.
Norwich would have drawn level on points with Liverpool had they won but Paul Lambert’s side are still not safe from relegation, although that would be extremely unlikely event.
Lambert, who played under Dalglish at Celtic, was adamant that a sense of perspective was needed as the club had been playing in the third-tier League One just two seasons ago.
“I’m pretty sure everyone thought Norwich would be down there because it was new for us. I have got nothing but praise for them, not just for this year but for the last few years because it has been a success story of three years,” he said. — AFP