Liverpool host Shrewsbury Town for a 3rd round FA Cup clash today.
The reds do welcome back Jurgen Klopp who has completed his 7 day isolation but a host of other players are unavailable.
Elijah Dixon-Bonner and Max Woltman make their first senior starts for Liverpool in the starting XI.
Newcastle lost yesterday to Cambridge United and LFC will be hoping for a fairly smooth passage into the next round of the cup. The shrews are one place higher than Cambridge in League One.
Klopp does have a couple of attacking players on the bench but has given youth a chance in this domestic cup fixture.
As it happened...
Perhaps a slightly stronger line up for Liverpool than two years ago when they faced Shrewsbury at Anfield in the FA Cup 4th round. Also a couple more senior players on the bench.
A first senior start for Woltman and Dixon-Bonner.
Kelleher, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Morton, Dixon-Bonner, Gordon, Jones, Woltman.
Subs: Adrian, Firmino, Minamino, Tsimikas, Matip, Mabaya, Norris, Balagizi, Frauendorf.
The Liverpool boss returns after missing the Chelsea game last weekend after a positive test.
He has now resumed duties and will lead the Reds into today’s meeting with the League One club.
Pepijn Lijnders will be absent from the bench as he continues his own stint in isolation after registering a positive test last week.
Van Dijk leads the reds out at Anfield.
Underway at Anfield for this season's FA Cup!
17' Liverpool's most dangerous moment have come from the corners or free kicks when the likes of Konate and van Dijk are marauding around the penalty spot.
Young players a little hesitant to pull the trigger in front of goal.
Shrewsbury starting with a clear plan to try and frustrate the reds as long as possible.
20' Kaide Gordon, from outside the area, fires a left footed shot that is tipped around the post.
Corner for the reds.
Comes to nothing.
28' Dan Udoh makes it 1-0 for Shrewsbury. Long ball out to the wing.
Cross sent over, Konate wasn't close enough to it and Udoh fires in from about 6 yards out.
A solid start for the away side.
36' Kaide Gordon grabs his first Liverpool FC senior goal.
Conor Bradley with the cross across the area. Gordon collects, turns a defender, and then drills into the net. 1-1.
That goal makes Kaide Gordon the second youngest scorer in LFC history. After Ben Woodburn.
Kaide is 17 years, 3 months and 4 days old.
Woodburn was 17 years, one month, 14 days when he scored against Leeds United.
#EmiratesFACup debut goal for Kaide Gordon ????@LFC pull themselves level with @shrewsweb. pic.twitter.com/Zk7qLHKAxe
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2022
PENALTY FOR LIVERPOOL.
Handball. Fabinho to take.
Outrageous handball from Ebanks-Landell from a Robertson free kick.
What was he doing?
Fabinho steps up to take the penalty..... He sends the keeper the wrong way.
2-1.
45+2' Kelleher has to scramble back to his line to stop a nicely turned header by Vela.
Late push before half time from the away side.
Liverpool 2-1 Shrewsbury
The reds youngsters not getting it all their own way here. Shrewsbury taking the lead from a corner cut across Konate.
But Kaide Gordon scores the equaliser before a daft handball allows Fabinho's penalty to put Liverpool in the lead.
This is definitely not done and dusted yet. The away team have been lively.
Back underway.
Takumi Minamino is a half time substitute, replacing Max Woltman.
49' Dixon-Bonner latches on to a cross from Andy Robertson but the keeper stops that.
It all happened so quickly but Dixon-Bonner maybe should have put that outside the goalkeeper's reach.
52' A very short backpass from Virgil there. Kelleher luckily gets to it before the advancing Shrewsbury attacker!
59' It's been low on excitement so far in the second half.
That Dixon-Bonner chance the pick of the bunch.
But out of the corner of my eye we can see Firmino getting ready to possibly come on.
64' Dixon-Bonner replaced by Roberto Firmino.
73' Ball played out to the edge of the area for Shrewsbury but Vela fires that in to the back of The Kop.
Shrewsbury not done here.
A CHEEKY BACKHEEL BY FIRMINO!
78' Cross into the area, Konate has first digs at it but it's collected by Bobby, just in front of the keeper, and he backheels it in!!
3-1.
80' Kaide Gordon is replaced by Melkamu Frauendorf, a debut for the youngster who represents Germany.
BOBBY FIRMINO!!!pic.twitter.com/N7rQPUN1yp
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) January 9, 2022
83' For Shrewsbury. A last hope that six extra fresh legs can grab a couple of late goals at Anfield.
Not long left. Liverpool's name is going in the draw for the fourth round.
90+2' Robertson replaced by Tsimikas. Morton replaced by James Norris.
90+3' It's FABINHO AGAIN!
Free kick to the reds and it is SMASHES in by Fabinho.
4-1. Reds strolling into the next round.
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury Town
A slighty worrying start but the reds simply too good for their League One opposition.
A rare two goal day for Fabinho, helped by his first half penalty.
Kaide Gordon becomes Liverpool's second youngster ever goalscorer and of course, Bobby Firmino with a backheel finish.
A nice day all around and Klopp claps the Anfield crowd.
