A Liverpool outfit bursting with young talent inflicted yet another defeat over Everton with a 1-0 win in the FA Cup. Here are the best stats from the victory.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side were on hand to pile even more misery on the Blues on Sunday, this time in the FA Cup where Curtis Jones‘ sumptuous strike was enough to send Liverpool through to the fourth round.
The boss had made a plethora of changes for the clash as he looked to hand his first team regulars a break after a hectic festive period.
And while the faces may have been different, the result was the same as Liverpool notched their 11th successive win across all competitions, excluding the result against Aston Villa in the League Cup.
Here are five key statistics from the Reds’ memorable victory over Everton in the cup.
Klopp Goes Level With Paisley
Liverpool’s win saw Klopp stretch his unbeaten streak against Everton to 10 games in all competitions since his arrival in 2015.
It is a result which takes him level with the legendary Bob Paisley for the most derbies undefeated from the start of a managerial career at Anfield.
The German has won seven and drawn three of his 10 meetings with the Blues, where he will now have the chance to make the record his own when two teams meet once more in the Premier League at Goodison Park in March.
The result also saw Liverpool stretch their unbeaten record at Anfield in the Merseyside derby to 23 games in all competitions, winning 13 and drawing 10.
And the cherry on top is that it meant Liverpool have now beaten Everton twice at Anfield in the same season since 1986/87:
23 – Liverpool remain unbeaten in their last 23 home games against Everton in all competitions (W13 D10); they have beaten the Toffees twice at Anfield in the same season for the first time since the 1986-87 campaign. Lopsided. pic.twitter.com/n5YiDzeKNV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 5, 2020
Oh Everton, we’re all laughing at you.
A New Merseyside Prince Arises
Making just his fifth start for the Reds’ first team, Curtis Jones was the man of the moment as his strike from outside the box proved to be the deciding factor in the Reds’ memorable win.
For a local lad scoring in a Merseyside derby at Anfield with your debut goal, life does not get much better.
But he has now become the youngest Red to score in the fixture at just 18 years-old and 340 days since Robbie Fowler – a record he set in the Premier League back in 1994 when Liverpool’s former No. 9 was 18 years-old and 338 days.
It was a confident and assured display from the youngster, with Klopp after the game signalling the bright future which lies ahead for Jones at Anfield.
“Unbelievable player. Scouser, very confident! He can’t wait to play in the first team, and he will be a Liverpool player if nothing strange happens, 100 percent,” the manager said.
And even Fowler himself reached out following the final whistle, with the fellow Toxteth-born rubbing the salt into Everton‘s wounds:
Hello @curtisjr_10 …put your hand up if you're from toxteth and have scored a winner in a Merseyside Derby ?????
— Robbie Fowler (@Robbie9Fowler) January 5, 2020
You love to see it!
Origi’s at it Again
He may not have been the one wheeling away in celebration after finding the back of the net this time around, but that did not mean Origi was not on hand to pile further misery on the Blues.
This time it came in the form of an assist, with the Belgian teeing Jones up for the winning strike.
An involvement which saw Liverpool’s No. 27 notch his sixth goal involvement in his five appearances against Everton at Anfield – five of which are goals.
While Origi is often used as part of Klopp’s rotation plans as a player on the fringe, one cannot question the level of involvement he has in moments which matter the most.
A cult hero and an enigma wrapped in one, but I’m not complaining.
Faith in the Young Guns
It comes as no surprise that Klopp is willing to put his faith in the club’s youngsters, but it is a sight to behold nevertheless.
With a packed schedule throughout 2019/20 to date, we have been fortunate to see a plethora of the club’s brightest talents take centre stage and it was no different on Sunday.
The lineup saw three teenagers feature in the starting XI in a Merseyside derby for the first time since October 2012 when Raheem Sterling, Suso and Andre Wisdom all started in the 2-2 league draw at Goodison under Brendan Rodgers.
This time around it was Harvey Elliott, Neco Williams and Jones – with 19-year-old Yasser Larouci joining them prior to the 10 minute mark after the injury to James Milner.
After failing to name a single teenager in the previous 10 meetings with the Blues it was particularly satisfying to see the young brigade display a level of performance significantly above that of the opposition.
And there is no doubt more opportunities await as well as a bright future.
Full Schedule
The fixture pile-up placed on Liverpool’s doorstep this season has required a wide range of personnel in addition to some creative thinking.
Liverpool plied their trade across three different countries in the last few weeks and the result of their recent success ensured they featured in five different competitions in the space of just 27 days.
A schedule which has resulted in Klopp’s side becoming the first English team in topflight history to play in as many competitions in such a short space of time.
The run started with a win at Salzburg to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League and ended with a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup, not to mention being crowned champions of the world in Qatar or winning four successive Premier League games.
The games are to keep coming Liverpool’s way, but Klopp’s men have proven they are more than up to any task asked of them.
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