FA Cup: Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury Town

Under-strength Liverpool had to come from behind at Anfield against League One Shrewsbury Town to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

But impressive teenager Kaide Gordon quickly levelled, before Fabinho fired the Reds ahead with a penalty for handball just before the break.

Substitute Roberto Firmino’s classy backheel and Fabinho’s late second wrapped up an ultimately emphatic win.

The Brazil midfielder’s penalty to put his side ahead was his first goal at Anfield since June 2020, a 30-yard rocket in an empty stadium that helped beat Crystal Palace and took his side to the brink of their first league title in 30 years.

And his second iced the cake for Covid-hit Liverpool as, with a side containing five youngsters, they were much more efficient in beating Shrewsbury than two seasons ago, when they were taken to an Anfield replay.

• Sunday’s FA Cup action, as it happened
• Klopp says Covid outbreak was ‘a lot of false positives’

After a week in which Liverpool had their training ground closed – with boss Jurgen Klopp one of those isolating with Covid – and their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Arsenal was called off as a result, it was a tricky start to the afternoon for the home side.

Right wing-back Nathanael Ogbeta delivered a superb low left-wing cross and Udoh drifted in unmarked at the near post to poke home right-footed from close range for his 10th goal of the season.

However Shrewsbury’s lead – and their dream of causing the shock of the third round – lasted just seven minutes and Gordon’s cool finish was the signal for Liverpool to take charge.

Conor Bradley, one of four Reds teenagers, drilled over a low cross from the right and 17-year-old Gordon turned Josh Vela then stroked home his first goal for the club with great composure to become Liverpool’s second-youngest ever scorer.

By half time Liverpool were in front after the ball struck Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s hand as he challenged Virgil van Dijk and referee David Coote awarded a penalty.

With regular penalty takers Mohamed Salah and James Milner not on the pitch, Fabinho coolly converted his first spot-kick for the Reds.

It then became comfortable in the second half as the rowdy away following of 5,600 from Shropshire were eventually silenced, first by the artful Firmino, then by his compatriot Fabinho three minutes into injury time.

Liverpool’s youthful look

Liverpool, who had Klopp back on their bench after his Covid absence, made seven changes from last Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Chelsea.

Only centre-backs Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate and midfielder Fabinho, as well as keeper Caoimhin Kelleher – again deputising for Alisson Becker – started.

The Reds were able to call on the relative experience of Curtis Jones, as well as Scotland captain Andy Robertson, who came back in at left-back after his three-game ban.

Gordon made the biggest impact, the winger always looking a genuine threat on only his second appearance.

His first, in the EFL Cup win against Norwich in September, cost the Reds an extra £100,000 as part of the deal agreed when he left Derby County last February.

Derby might wish they had included a clause for goals too, because Gordon looks like a player with a talent for them.

He had a low left-foot shot saved well down at the foot of his post by Town keeper Marko Marosi when it was still 0-0 then, with Liverpool eager for a quick response to Shrewsbury’s goal, he provided it with calm authority.

Gordon was just one of four eye-catching teenagers on show, as well as 21-year-old midfielder Elijah Dixon-Bonner.

Wirral-born striker Max Woltman, 18, was also making his second appearance, Bradley, 18, already a Northern Ireland international but making only his fourth appearance for the Reds and Tyler Morton, 19, on his fifth first-team showing, is now almost a veteran by comparison.

Their performances pleased Klopp, who dismissed reports that midfielder Thiago Alcantara might miss the rest of the season with a hip problem.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told BBC Sport:

“I like the way we responded and the crowd responded after they scored.

“It was a brilliant goal from Kaide Gordon. He was really calm and composed. His main strength is his finishing.

“All credit to our Academy that they produce these boys but we had no other line-up available to us. We had five young players out there. They all did well. We knew we could play better football and we did second half.

“Thiago didn’t train this week but we expect him to be back to do rehab stuff from Monday. It is not that he is out until the end of the season, not at all.”

Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill:

“I don’t think it was a 4-1 game. But, once they got the third goal we probably weren’t going to get back into the game, being a realist.

“We would have liked to have had a go at them but it was very difficult to get the ball.

“We had them worried for five minutes when we got our noses in front but it didn’t last.

“You look at the starting line-up and you have Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson. It is not a bad base to build on and, for good measure, you can bring on Firmino and Minamino.”

What’s next?

Liverpool, who landed another home tie against Cardiff City in the fourth-round draw, face Arsenal in what is now the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Thursday night before hosting Brentford.

Steve Cotterill’s improving Shrewsbury, who have picked up 10 points from their last four games to climb to 15th in League One, are back to local derby action next Saturday when they go to second-bottom Crewe.

Watch five third-round ties live across the BBC including Manchester United v Aston Villa – plus highlights from every match (UK only). Read the full details here.

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