Cup specialist Takumi Minamino stars again as Liverpool beat Norwich

Cup specialist Takumi Minamino kept Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple on track with both goals in a 2-1 win over Norwich as Jurgen Klopp reached his first FA Cup quarter-final.

The Japan international has made the majority of his starts in knockout competitions and in a team registering 10 changes from the one which won the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday his was an influential one.

Minamino now has seven goals and one assist in eight cup games this season and since the start of 2020 the 27-year-old has scored more than twice as many goals in domestic cup competitions (nine) than any other Liverpool player.

Lukas Rupp’s goal 14 minutes from time gave the visitors a lifeline but even a second-string Liverpool team were too experienced to succumb to late pressure as they booked their place in the sixth round for the first time since 2015.

Despite playing a significant role in his side reaching the League Cup final, Minamino did not even get on at Wembley but he used that disappointment to his advantage by seizing his opportunity against the Canaries.

He was a threat all night cutting in off the right and he instigated the moves which ultimately led to both his goals extending Liverpool’s winning run to 11 matches, their best since August 2007.

After Curtis Jones was only inches away from reproducing a carbon copy of his FA Cup winner here against Everton in January 2020 and Teemu Pukki fired a shot wide of the far post, Minamino stepped up.

He started the 27th-minute attack on the right wing and when the ball was transferred to the left Kostas Tsimikas crossed to Divock Origi, another cup specialist, whose close control allowed him to tee up Minamino who had continued his run to the far post.

It was the