LIVERPOOL 4-1 SHREWSBURY : MATCH REVIEW

Liverpool came from a goal down to dispatch League One side Shrewsbury Town 4-1 at Anfield yesterday. Goals from Gordon, Fabinho (×2) and Firmino sealed passage into the 4th round of the FA Cup. We review the game.

You can find player ratings from the match here:

https://made4liverpool.com/2022/01/09/player-ratings-liverpool-4-1-shrewsbury/

° Squad. With what turned out to be false positive Covid test results sparking fears of an outbreak, we saw a Liverpool side devoid of most of their first team squad. Only 10 senior first team members were available, with 2 of those being goalkeepers.

° The gaffer’s back. Jürgen Klopp missed the game at Chelsea after registering a positive Covid test result. He returned from isolation to take charge yesterday after his assistant, Pep Ljinders, also contracted the virus. It was good to see the boss back on the touchline.

° Proud day for the Academy. As a result of the numerous absentees, Jürgen Klopp gave several youngsters a chance. Bradley, Morton, Dixon-Bonner, Gordon and Woltman all started, with Frauendorf and Norris coming on for their debuts second half. It was another proud day for Alex Inglethorpe and the Academy.

° Sucker punch. Shrewsbury netted against the run of play when Udoh converted a cross from close range midway through the first half. It was a poor goal to give away with Bradley not doing enough to block the cross and Konaté asleep at the near post. It’s now 6 matches without a clean sheet. A worrying statistic.

° Swift response. It took just 7 minutes for the Reds to equalise, with youngsters Bradley and Gordon combining well down the right. It was an eye catching performance from both youngsters, with Gordon becoming the second youngest goalscorer in the club’s history.

Youngest goalscorers in Liverpool’s history:

17y-045d – Ben Woodburn
17y-096d – Kaide Gordon
17y-143d – Michael Owen
17y-183d – Jordan Rossiter
17y- 307d – Raheem Sterling

° Fabinho at the double. With Mohamed Salah at AFCON, we could be seeing Fabinho take more penalties (if Milner isn’t on the pitch). Fab had an excellent record from the spot at Monaco. He took his second goal well too, reacting quickly to smash home from a tight angle. A much needed riposte after the last game.

° Bright Bobby cameo. Firmino has suffered a stop start season so far with injuries and Covid ruling him out for prolonged periods. He marked his return from isolation with a bright 30 minute cameo yesterday. He found the net with a cheeky backheel and linked play in attack. It’s key he keeps firing during this period.

Roberto Firmino has now been directly involved in 10 goals in 16 appearances this season. (7 goals, 3 assists).

He’s averaging a G/A every 70 minutes.

° 4th Round draw. The Reds were drawn at home to Championship side Cardiff City in the next round. It could serve as another opportunity for the youngsters depending on the shape of the squad at the time. The tie will be played on the opening weekend of February (same weekend as the AFCON final).

° What’s next? Arsenal come to Anfield on Thursday for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final. The postponement last week means the home leg comes first, before the trip to the Emirates for the second leg. The aim will be to take a healthy lead to London.