Liverpool’s wonderkids give Shrews old pros the

LIVERPOOL’S remarkable season continues as their youngest first team in history earned a glamorous fifthround tie with Chelsea.

And it was a well-deserved FA Cup victory too, with the young Reds dominating this replay against hapless Shrewsbury, whose Ro-Shaun Williams scored the own-goal winner.

The Reds’ performance and result set Anfield alight and justified manager Jurgen Klopp’s faith in his juniors.

The German coach was not here in person to see his boys show the same qualities as the first team, as they played with a similar style and tempo. The kids were also unmoved in the face of the strength and aggression of their League One opponents.

They created plenty of chances too, with man of the match Neco Williams proving a huge threat from right-back.

He eventually provided the assist for the goal 15 minutes from time, when Williams headed into his own net. That raised a chorus of approval from a delighted, sell-out stadium.

Klopp may have been viciously criticised for his decision to trust in youth – and their coach Neil

Critchley– to give Shrewsbury a proper game, but his answer came in this impressive performance.

Liverpool’s starting XI had an average age of 19 years and 102 days, and was the weirdest team sheet that will surely ever appear in top-flight football, with the lowest shirt number being the

No.46 worn by Adam Lewis, going all the way up to substitute James Norris with 93. Yet there was nothing uncanny about the skill and application on show.

They demonstrated to their League One opponents how to control and pass the ball, and kept possession for the majority of the contest. What Liverpool’s

LIVERPOOL:

SHREWSBURY:

Sheffield Wed v Manchester City Reading v Sheffield Utd Chelsea v Liverpool

West Brom v Newcastle Leicester v Birmingham

Derby v Manchester United Southampton or Tottenham v Norwich City

Portsmouth v Arsenal