Premier League Preview: Norwich City v Liverpool

Norwich City will face their nemesis Luis Suarez when they host Liverpool in a game that has huge implications at both ends of the table.

The Uruguayan has scored 11 times just four appearances against Sunday’s opponents, including four in the reverse fixture at Anfield in December, which Liverpool won 5-1.

If Suarez scores a hat-trick at Carrow Road for the third season in succession, he will break the Premier League record of 31 goals in a 38-game season, held by Alan Shearer (1995-96) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08).

Liverpool will also be chasing a club-record 11th straight Premier League win, which will surpass the 10 they achieved in the 2005-06 campaign, but they may have to manage without Suarez’s strike partner Daniel Sturridge, who has a hamstring problem.

Jordan Henderson is definitely out, serving the first of a three-match suspension after receiving a straight red card in the 3-2 win over Manchester City last weekend.

They could come into the game sitting second in the table, with Chelsea hosting Sunderland 24 hours earlier, but Brendan Rodgers’ men know their fate lies in their own hands, and 10 points from their remaining four fixtures will see them lift a first league title since 1990.

Despite being so close to glory, Rodgers is urging his players to retain their short-term focus.

“We never look too far ahead and that’s the key to managing that expectation,” he said.

“We have to do the job against Norwich. We’ve had other games where we’ve had pressure, we had to stand up and be counted. We do not underestimate them, we know they are a threat.”

Rodgers will be wary of a Norwich side fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table, and manager Neil Adams will hope to hit the ground running in his first home game in charge since the departure of Chris Hughton.

A 1-0 defeat at Fulham last time out leaves Norwich just one place and two points clear of the bottom three.

Despite the disappointing result, Adams saw positive signs in defeat, and sees no reason why Norwich cannot bring to an end Liverpool’s blistering run of form.

“I saw everything I wanted to see apart from a goal,” he told the club’s official website. “They’re the best team in the country at the moment on merit, they’re top of the table and it’s their title so to speak, it’s theirs to lose.

“It’s been such a long wait so it brings its own pressure. All runs are due to come to an end sometime and why not at Carrow Road on Sunday?”

Adams also confirmed that long-term absentee Elliott Bennett (knee) remains out, as does Nigeria international Joseph Yobo (calf).