Takumi Minamino impressed Klopp in 78th minute vs Norwich and with good reason

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Takumi Minamino did something he very rarely does for Liverpool in the 71st minute vs Norwich City last night. Jurgen Klopp certainly noticed it.

Takumi Minamino had his best game in a Liverpool shirt last night. At least, that’s how Jurgen Klopp saw things after the 27-year-old bagged both goals in a 2-1 win over Norwich City.

His first-half strikes saw off the Canaries and put the Reds into their first FA Cup Quarter-final under Klopp. But that wasn’t all his game was about. Minamino put in a great all-around display that got Liverpool over the line here.

Interestingly, Klopp picked out one specific moment to praise Minamino for. It wasn’t either goal, however, nor did the moment actually lead to anything for Liverpool.

“The second half, the situation when he stepped inside with the little dribble and sets the ball up,” Klopp told ITV. “Unfortunately, I think Diogo slides.”

The fact Klopp took the time to point that out is interesting. Minamino had picked the ball up on the right-hand side before driving past his defender, getting into the box and setting up Diogo Jota on the penalty spot. The Portugal forward fell over, however.

Takumi Minamino shines for Liverpool

No, that doesn’t seem like much. Players drive with the ball to create chances reasonably frequently – only, Minamino doesn’t. He almost never does, in fact, and has only carried the ball into the penalty area four times for Liverpool in the Premier League.

That’s not four times this season – it’s four times ever. In terms of creating a shot off the dribble, Minamino has done that once across all of his Premier League games, including those for Southampton.

This was a rare moment for Minamino, then. But it’s also exactly what Liverpool have wanted to see from him since he arrived. Back in 2019, he shone at Anfield for RB Salzburg as he showed an ability to ghost past players with the ball and create in small spaces. It was a huge reason for us tipping him as a potential signing back then.

We just haven’t seen it very often since Minamino joined the club. But with all of his recent goals – and moments like this – perhaps he’s finally finding the confidence to show his ability. It’s been a long time coming but we’re very encouraged.