A glorious night at Anfield as Liverpool’s kids dealt with a strong Everton side and extended their unbeaten run at Anfield against the noisy neighbor’s in the FA Cup. It’s now 20 years since Everton have beaten Liverpool at Anfield, and if they were going to have a chance then this game was surely it. Klopp, essentially, played a mixture of his second and third teams and it was too much for Everton.
The German started with Origi, Lallana, James Milner, Joe Gomez and Adrian in goal. The rest were kids. In all 9 changes were made from the Sheffield United game in the Premier League. Williams came it at right back, Chirivella and Curtis Jones in midfield, with Harvey Elliot joining new signing Minamino and Origi in a front 3. After James Milner was taken off with an injury in the first 5 minutes, the only downer on the night for Liverpool, the team was about half filled with kids.
Liverpool’s kids didn’t disappoint. Everton, in fairness to them, played OK and created some chances in the first half. Adrian was the hero and kept Liverpool in the game having made some good saves, although one or two of the efforts were right at him, but he was in the right place at the right time and all that.
In the second half this Liverpool side really upped their game, they started dominating possession and had a lot of the play. Everton, on the other hand, looked like a different team in the second half, really poor from a very strong line up, but Liverpool’s mixture of youth and experience can really take a lot of the credit for that. They passed the ball beautifully and constantly played their way out of tight spots and when Jones scored an absolutely wonderful goal in the 71st minute Liverpool seemed to just get better and better.
After some nice interplay with Origi, Curtis Jones picks the ball up on the left hand edge of the box, takes one quick touch to get the ball out of his feet before curling it high and hard over the diving Jordan Pickford and straight off the crossbar and into the top corner of the net at the Anfield Road end. The crowd, of course, went mental and Liverpool were on their way against Everton once again at Anfield.
After the goal Liverpool just got better and better, Klopp brought Minamino out for Oxlade-Chamberlain and he looked lively right away. Linking up well with a tireless Adam Lallana the two Englishmen started to dominate the midfield, they passed the ball beautifully and controlled and dominated the game in combination with a now super confident Jones Liverpool’s midfield didn’t really give a frustrated Everton a sniff.
So Liverpool go through and have since been drawn to play either Bristol City or Shrewsbury Town away. Obviously the Premier League and the Champions League come first for the Redmen so expect to see some youngsters starting for Liverpool again for this one. Also expect them to be confident and have a real chance to go through, I for one fancy them to make it through and to keep our treble hopes alive!
