Liverpool’s young stars edged past League One Shrewsbury 1-0 in their FA Cup fourth replay at Anfield on Tuesday night, Ro-Shaun Williams scoring the all important own goal to separate the two sides.
The Reds dominated for much of the evening, though failed to make their dominance count and suffered a scare just before the hour mark when Shaun Whalley’s rebound was disallowed by VAR for offside.
Neil Critchley’s side kept plugging away and eventually got their reward when Williams headed over onrushing goalkeeper Max O’Leary for the game’s only goal, gifting Liverpool the win and an FA Cup date with Chelsea in the process.
LIVERPOOL
Key Talking Point
So, Liverpool fans, happy with that outcome?
The talk preceding the game was all about Jurgen Klopp’s decision to adhere to the newly introduced winter break by resting all of his first team stars, handing the reins to Under-23 manager Neil Critchley and his young band of FA Cup heroes, who have previously had success against Everton and Arsenal in domestic competitions.
That decision seemed perfectly reasonable during the first half as the young hosts took the initiative, dominating possession and popping off four shots while keeping Shrewsbury’s attack blunted.
Right back Neco Williams, one player in particular tipped for big things on Merseyside, was consistently involved in the Reds’ attacking forays, though his shots failed to get Liverpool on the scoresheet.
The hosts’ mettle was tested when Shrewsbury looked to have taken the lead through Whalley, who nodded in on the rebound following Caoimhin Kelleher’s save, only for a VAR intervention to rule the forward offside.
They eventually pulled through, with only a little help from Shrewsbury’s Williams, who evidently thought goalkeeper O’Leary had stayed on his line when he looped a header back towards his own goal.
But the goalie hadn’t, and that was enough to pull the young Reds through and into the fifth round, where a trip to Stamford Bridge awaits them.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: Kelleher (7); Williams (7), Hoever (7), Van den Berg (7), Lewis (6); Clarkson (6), Chirivella (7) Cain (7); Elliott (6), Millar (6), Jones (8*).
Substitutes: Hardy (5), Boyes (N/A), Dixon-Bonner (N/A)
Curtis Jones
Jones looks like he’s got a big future ahead of him. That is if he can get some minutes in Liverpool’s actual first team and not just in Carabao Cup and FA Cup fixtures, which he regularly impresses in.
The stand-in captain was great again on Tuesday, showing his fleet-footedness on the ball and displaying the confidence to take on opposition defenders one-on-one.
SHREWSBURY
Player Ratings
Starting XI: O’Leary (6); Love (5), Ebanks-Landell (6), Williams (5), Golbourne (5); Pierre (6), Edwards (6), Laurent (6); Whalley (6), Lang (5), Goss (5).
Substitutes: Udoh (6), Cummings (5), Walker (5).
Looking Ahead
Liverpool’s young stars have a Premier League Cup game at youth level against Sunderland on Sunday, though most may be held back for the Premier League 2 fixture at Wolves on the 17th.
Klopp’s first team are back in action in 11 days when they face Norwich, looking to build on the 22-point lead they have accumulated in England’s top flight.
Shrewsbury will go back to the League One grind on Saturday when they take on Milton Keynes Dons.