Pile-up of fixtures is no worry for Carlos

THE dear old FA Cup was thrown into 21st-century bedlam at Anfield last night with new technology taking a starring role in a game of Hokey Cokey.

It was a case of ‘in, out, in, out, shake it all about’ as the controversial Video Assistant Referee system took centre stage in what – infuriatingly – turned out to be one hell of a video game.

Decisions given, decisions refused by the controller Andre Marriner sitting in the warmth and safety of a studio almost 200 miles away from the action.

VAR ruled okay – or not in some cases on a mad night, with West Brom hanging on by their fingernails for a precious FA Cup fourth-round victory courtesy of a Jay Rodriguez double and a Joel Matip own goal.

Liverpool had taken an early lead through Roberto Firmino to the delight of boss Jurgen Klopp who also saw Mo Salah score a 77th-minute second – his 25th of the season.

But it was just not enough and West Brom boss Alan Pardew returned to the Midlands with one of the most memorable triumphs in the history of the famous cup.

It was the classic kind of FA Cup tie Klopp has learned to relish in his two years and three months in English football. He loves the drama of the world’s oldest cup competition.

Liverpool began with a zest to give the faithful a warm glow inside against a West Brom side determined not to be cannon fodder.

And they could not have been any better prepared with former referee Chris Foy calling into the training ground in midweek to explain how VAR works. How valuable that lesson would be was proved later. But new technology was not needed when Liverpool took a clear-cut lead in the sixth minute.

Skipper Jonny Evans hesitated in picking up a Chris Brunt back-pass and Mo Salah was on it in a flash.

Salah thought he had done enough but keeper Ben Foster saved well only for Firmino to follow up and chip home the rebound.

Liverpool were in the mood and everyone inside Anfield sat back and expected another demolition job.

But Alan Pardew’s Baggies had other ideas and within 65 seconds they drew level when Rodriguez – out of nothing – slammed into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

And then the seemingly impossible happened. West Brom stormed into an 11th-minute lead in front of a startled Kop.

Kieran Gibbs cleverly picked out Rodriguez with a slide-rule pass across the box and the West Brom hitman coolly slotted home his second.

Pardew and his team were then celebrating a “third” in the 19th minute when Brunt’s corner was headed in by Craig Dawson only for the dreaded VAR to intervene and frustrate the Baggies.

Referee Craig Pawson checked his ear-piece to be told that Gareth Barry was in an offside position when the ball hit the back of the net. And VAR was again called into question when Liverpool protested that Salah was pulled down by Jake Livermore.

Much to Albion’s fury – after what seemed an eternity – Pawson awarded a penalty.

But Firmino whacked the 26th minute spot-kick on to the bar and the ball bounced out.

The action was thick and fast and in the 31st-minute there was another scare when Salah overran the ball only for Firmino to see his follow-up blocked.

And with just four added minutes awarded after all those lengthy breaks, West Brom did get their third.

Dawson sprang the offside trap, drove forward and Joel Matip bundled in a disastrous own goal.

A call for VAR once more only this time the overworked official awarded the goal.

It was surreal at times with the Liverpool faithful astounded at what was unfolding before them in the shape of a West Brom side in total control of this explosive cup tie.

You knew Liverpool would not give up without a fight even though Klopp swapped his pitch-side madcap antics for an unusual place in the dug-out.

He looked totally shattered. Bemused.

This was not in the script of how his Saturday night was to be played out. It called for drastic action with Klopp making a triple substitution in the 65th-minute with Jordan Henderson, Danny Ings and James Milner joining in the scrap.

West Brom, though, were not in any mood to surrender with keeper Foster brilliantly diving to save a goal bound effort from Ings.

But they were powerless to prevent Salah getting Liverpool back into the game with a 78th-minute shot tucked into the far corner. CARLOS CARVALHAL does not think an FA Cup replay will harm Swansea’s fight for Premier League survival.

Carvalhal’s side, who are bottom of the Premier League table and three points from safety, face another fixture in their schedule after they were held to a draw by Notts County.

Luciano Narsingh’s strike on the stroke of half-time put Swansea ahead.

But the underdogs from League Two responded and Jon Stead scored the equaliser just after the hour mark at Meadow Lane.

It was put to Carvalhal that a replay was probably not what he wanted but the Swansea boss sees the competition as a chance to give some of his players valuable playing time.

“We have a squad that is ready and other players can play games so I don’t think this is a negative,” he said.

“I don’t agree that it’s bad because I changed eight players. Maybe if we were playing the next games with the same 11 players then yes but I will move eight or nine players again.

“I don’t feel it is a negative, it’s not a problem. That is how we will be in this competition, playing the players who were not involved in the previous game.”

The Portuguese added: “In this competition we are not losing and we still have the chance to go through.

“If we don’t get through and achieve the next stage then it is not the end of the world because our main competition is the Premier League, this is very clear.

“But this competition is good because we have all the players involved.”

Notts County responded brilliantly to going behind in the 45th minute and enjoyed their best spell of the match at the beginning of the second half.

Magpies manager Kevin Nolan was proud of how his team battled back.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted, I thought the boys were fantastic.

“The lads’ work-rate was brilliant and so was the togetherness – we were magnificent. This is why you work so hard and put in the hours, for moments like this.”