VILLA KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT...
But Mane man has last laugh
Aston VILLA’s kids shone e last night before falling to o liverpool as the Covid-affected - FA Cup third round got under way at Villa Park.
two goals by sadio Mane (right) and one for Gini Wijnaldum and Mo salah saw liverpool through, though prodigious 17- year- old louie Barry scored for a Villa side who impressed on their big night out and were level at half-time.
‘it was the proudest moment i’ve ever had,’ said Barry. ‘i’m sure my family were screaming at the tV!’
SO Liverpool travelled back up the M6 having not managed to balance the aggregate against Aston Villa for the season. Having lost here 7-2 against Villa’s first team back in October, they could only win by three against this team of youngsters. On one of the strangest nights in FA Cup history, what a superb and heartening effort this was by this team of young Villans.
Hero of the night was 17-year-old forward Louie Barry. There was some controversy about how he went from West Bromwich to Barcelona and then to Villa in the space of just five months.
But his goal that enabled his team to go in level at half-time was beautifully simple. A pass from Callum Rowe, a dart through the centre and a side-foot, open-body finish in to the corner.
What a moment for Barry and his team, one so special that referee Craig Pawson even seemed to congratulate him as he ran back to his position after celebrating. Nothing wrong with that.
A goal down to an early Sadio Mane header, Villa had briefly looked as though they may be overawed and then overrun. But it wasn’t to be. They found some spirit and some belief and they gave the champions of England a proper game. It was great to see.
Liverpool got them in the end, of course. That was always likely to happen. Three goals in five second-half minutes made sure there was to be no humiliation for Jurgen Klopp’s team. Gini Wijnaldum, Mane again and Salah scored them and from that point Liverpool were able to ease home.
But this was Villa’s night in a way. The Midlands club could have attempted to get this game postponed after double- digit Covid positives laid low Dean Smith’s first-team pool. But instead Villa found a way to give some of their academy players a night to remember. It was an admirable thing to do but a risk, too.
Some people arrived here expecting Liverpool to run riot. But that didn’t happen and instead this turned in to a showcase for players such as Barry, goalkeeper Akos Onodi and 20-year- old defender Mungo Bridge. It is unlikely to be the last we hear of some of the players in claret and blue.
The young Villa players spent the first 15 minutes or so looking and playing as though they were facing giants. Only when it dawned on them that this was only a football match did they start to emerge from their shells. When they did they were impressive for the rest of the opening half.
To be level at the break was an astonishing achievement, especially as the Liverpool goal arrived as early as the fourth minute and from what was pretty much Liverpool’s first attack.
It was a pretty simple goal in its creation but very well taken by Mane. The cross from the right from Curtis Jones fell between two Villa defenders and Mane timed his leap well to head down and in to goalkeeper Onodi’s left from about seven yards.
Jones, the provider, played here for Liverpool just over a year ago when a young team lost in the Carabao Cup quarter-final. On that day it was Liverpool’s team sheet full of unfamiliar names as Klopp took his first team to the Club World Cup in the Middle East. Here, it was very different.
Villa’s team was not even taken from their strongest pool of Under 23 players. A handful had been training with the first team in recent days so had theoretically been exposed to the virus. This side, therefore, included seven teenagers — one being 16-year-old Ben Chrisene.
So their early sense of inferiority was understandable. For the first period of the game, they just sat off Liverpool. Too much reverence and not enough energy. It was a dangerous combination.
Liverpool did have other chances in that spell. Wijnaldum carelessly spooned over after Salah picked him out and Wijnaldum also had a shot deflected over by the impressive 20-year-old Bridge.
Over time, though, Villa began to play. They started to press a little higher and go in search of possession. And when they did find it they discovered they were able to stretch Liverpool a little bit, particularly down the flanks.
Villa’s first shot arrived in the 19th minute when Kaine Hayden had an effort charged down. Their first corner came four minutes later after James Milner — who made his league debut before four of these Villa players were born — was forced to clear a cross behind at the near post.
The home team still needed their keeper to be on form. Onodi, only 19, saved low from Fabinho in the 24th minute and then somehow blocked the follow-up from Mane. That was some save. He did well again 10 minutes later, diving low to his left again to deny Salah. But this was a game that had grown into a contest by this time and the big moment arrived just before half-time. The ball through from Callum Rowe was lovely and Barry held Rhys Williams off to ease clear and score with some composure with his right foot.
Liverpool sensed embarrassment. They threatened early in the second half — Salah having a goal disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper — before finally taking the game away from Villa.
It was tough on them but it had been coming from the moment the second half started. Liverpool’s pride had clearly been pricked and the home team should take that as a compliment.
Wijnaldum drove Liverpool back in front after Salah and Takumi Minamino had combined to set him up exactly on the hour. Liverpool had the good manners not to wildly celebrate but they must have felt like it. Until then Villa had been threatening to throw a body in front of everything.
Next it was Mane — Liverpool’s best and most hungry player — who scored, heading another one past Onodi after rising above two defenders to meet a chipped cross from substitute Xherdan Shaqiri, before Salah turned tightly to score low in the corner in the 65th minute.
So just like that, Villa’s light had been turned out. They had started to tire, too, and that was understandable.
ASTON VILLA (4-5-1): Onodi 8; Walker 7 (E Rowe 75min, 6.5), Revan 7, Bridge 8, C Rowe 7 (Swinkels 75, 6.5); Hayden 7, Raikhy 7 (Sohna 65, 6.5), Sylla 7, Bogarde 7 (Lindley 65, 6.5), Chrisene 7 (Young 61, 6.5); Barry 8. Subs not used: Zych, Tait, Ealing, Hart. Scorer: Barry 41. Booked: None. Manager: Mark Delaney 7. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Kelleher 6; N Williams 6, R Williams 6, Fabinho 7, Milner 7.5; Jones 6 (Shaqiri 61, 7), Henderson 6 (Thiago 45, 7), Wijnaldum 7.5; Salah 7 (Origi 73, 6), MANE 8.5 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 73, 6), Minamino 6 (Firmino 61, 6). Subs not used: Alisson, Robertson, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold. Scorers: Mane 4, 63, Wijnaldum 60, Salah 65. Booked: Jones. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7. Referee: Craig Pawson 7.