Goal rush saves Reds from being humbled by Villa kids
Alcantara and Shaqiri restore order for Klopp’s men after first-half scare
TO PUT this peculiar experience into context, many of Aston Villa’s players were dropped off at the stadium before kick-off by their parents as they are yet to pass their driving tests.
The average age of the starting line-up was 18 years and 294 days, yet this was a night they will never forget, with forward Louie Barry producing a brilliant equaliser before a sense of normality returned in the second half.
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool were never going to win any plaudits for this victory, whatever the scoreline, and it was an evening for Villa’s youngsters to savour in such illustrious company as Mohamed Salah, Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane.
With Villa’s first-team and management staff all absent due to a “very nasty” outbreak of Covid-19 at the training ground, this was a night where the future looked bright.
Under coach Mark Delaney, Villa included seven Under-23 players and four U-18 players yet their first-half performance was outstanding and Barry’s excellent goal will make an indelible mark in this year’s competition.
Signed from Barcelona for £880,000 last January, the 17-year-old’s finish underlined his vast promise and why he is viewed as a future Premier League star. He will never tire of watching replays of his goal before half-time.
Liverpool scored three goals in five minutes in the second-half to avoid any embarrassment, but this was a night to reflect on the prospects of Villa’s next generation after a difficult few days.
Looming
With Villa’s first-team squad, plus the management and backroom staff all self-isolating, there is another huge problem looming next week.
After nine players and five members of staff tested positive, Villa’s Premier League games against Tottenham and Everton are both under threat.
Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said: “In the course of two sets of testing this week we went from clear, to nine, to 14 in a six-day period which was obviously very alarming and we will see where we are next time.
“It is much too early to tell (whether Tottenham or Everton can go ahead as scheduled). We are now obviously in the hands of the Premier League medical people and Public Health England and the experts who will have to form an opinion as to whether the outbreak has been contained.
“We are waiting for the next round of tests this weekend. It is much too early to talk about next week’s fixtures.”
Villa had no option but to include players from their academy, and Klopp was in a ruthlessly professional mood. His team would have given any title contender in the Premier League a decent contest.
It was the complete reverse of events at Villa Park 13 months ago, when Liverpool fielded the youngest team in the club’s history, with an average age of just over 19, for a Carabao Cup quarter-final. With Klopp and the first-team in Qatar for the Club World Cup, Liverpool’s kids succumbed to a 5-0 defeat.
Before this game it was a question of how many Liverpool would win by and the opening goal came after four minutes, and was brutally simple in its execution.
Sadio Mane was given far too much space in the area to head Curtis Jones’ cross into the corner.
Would this be the start of a humiliation? Far from it. At one stage in the opening 15 minutes Liverpool had hogged 88 per cent possession, but Villa were defending resiliently and resisting the waves of pressure.
There was a brilliant double save from Villa’s goalkeeper Akos Onodi, diving to his right to keep out Fabinho’s low shot and then preventing Mane from finding the corner from a tight angle.
Villa have spent over £20million on the academy since the takeover by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and here were encouraging signs for the future.
Mungo Bridge – a defender – midfielder Ben Chrisene and winger Lamare Bogarde all stood out and look like players to keep an eye on.
Four minutes before half-time the unthinkable happened. Barry was signed from Barcelona last season and his finish for the equaliser was pure class, sliding the ball past Irish keeper Caoimhín Kelleher after using his strength to brush off Rhys Williams.
Klopp had seen enough. He introduced Thiago for the second half and suddenly there was more urgency and intent from Liverpool.
Goals were inevitable, as Villa’s players visibly tired as the game grew older. Salah had a goal disallowed for a foul on Onodi, but Georginio Wijnaldum put Liverpool back in front on the hour, finding the corner from inside the area.
Liverpool added two goals in four minutes with Mane’s looping header and Salah’s shot on the turn to kill off the tie.
It was damage limitation for Villa from this point, but they had done the club and the FA Cup proud. (© Daily Telegraph, London)