Seventy-six hours after winning one domestic cup, Liverpool advanced into the last eight of another with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Southampton. And similarly to Sunday’s Carabao Cup success, this FA Cup victory had more than a touch of youth about it.
Two goals from substitute Jayden Danns and one from Lewis Koumas — both of whom are only 18 years old and the latter was making his first start for the club — secured Liverpool’s passage into a quarter-final with Manchester United at Old Trafford next month.
This was the latest example of young players stepping up and keeping Liverpool’s dream of a quadruple alive.
Given the number of injuries to senior players has now swelled to 12, Jurgen Klopp’s side was very similar to the one that finished Sunday’s final. It featured seven players 21 years old or under — albeit one of them was the relative veteran in Harvey Elliott.
Most of them would have expected to play in the cup this week anyway… just in the FA Youth Cup against Leeds United at Elland Road this evening. Yet when Koumas struck the opening goal and Danns added two late on before sliding on his knees in front of the Kop, they made the leap up to the senior team look smaller than it is in reality.
Before Danns put the tie beyond doubt, Southampton were more than in it. The Championship side tired after the break but had enough chances to be ahead themselves before Liverpool took the lead in the 44th minute.
Russell Martin, the Southampton head coach, rested eight players with an eye on their promotion prospects, which have suffered of late with three losses in the past four games. Yet, he admitted the result was not a true reflection of the account his side had given.
Southampton, commendably backed by 5,500 supporters who had made the long trek from the south coast, were brave in possession.
Story of the game
The visitors certainly made the early running with Kamaldeen Sulemana seeing a shot kiss the base of the post and Sekou Mara, who converted past Caoimhin Kelleher after only 29 seconds but when clearly offside, also had an effort denied by the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Kelleher would go on to deny Sulemana twice more and Joe Rothwell placed another attempt wide of the post. Such prolificacy would prove costly for Martin’s team.
Elliott stung the palms of Joe Lumley, the Southampton ‘keeper, before Liverpool took the lead one minute before half-time.
Koumas, who is the son of former Tranmere and Wales midfielder Jason, ran on to a pass by Bobby Clark before cutting inside Jack Stephens to score with a shot that took a deflection off Jan Bednarek. It was a moment to remember for the debutant.
Cody Gakpo could have added to the hosts’ advantage either side of the interval but dragged one shot across both ‘keeper and post after being picked out by Koumas and then pulled another one wide when found by Clark.
Southampton, committed to neat and thoughtful possession, continued to squander their own openings with Sulemana firing at Kelleher and an unmarked Joe Ariba glancing a header over the crossbar from a corner. Shea Charles would also fire into the side-netting from another corner.
It was with just less than a half-hour remaining that Klopp sent on Alexis Mac Allister and Danns — and it was Danns who made the difference.
Southampton substitute Will Smallbone played a stray pass to Elliott in the 73rd minute and he released Danns with a perfectly-weighted pass. The 18-year-old showed great composure to calmly lift his shot over the advancing Lumley to give Liverpool breathing room.
Then, two minutes before time, Danns was quickest to react when Lumley parried Conor Bradley’s shot and finished first time into an empty net before sliding along the turf to great acclaim.
“We haven’t won a trophy since Sunday afternoon,” sang a playful Kop. They don’t believe that Klopp and his kids have finished collecting cups yet.