Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead to League One Shrewsbury and will now face a replay in the FA Cup.
Shrewsbury 2-2 Liverpool
FA Cup Fourth Round, New Meadow
Sunday, 26 January 2020
Goals
Jones 15′ (assist: Chirivella)
Love (OG) 46′ (assist: Williams)
Cummings (pen) 65′
Cummings 75′
Klopp made 11 changes to the Reds’ side, but it was still a very strong lineup, underling the strength of the Liverpool squad. So many changes though did make for an understandably disjointed performance.
It was an opportunity for youngsters who impressed in the third round against Everton, while the trio of Fabinho, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip made their returns from injury.
Two of the youngsters coming into the side, Pedro Chirivella and Curtis Jones, combined for the opening goal, with Chirivella playing a lovely defence-splitting pass for Jones who slotted nicely past the keeper.
Chirivella, playing in a more advanced midfield role, really impressed and along with Takumi Minamino was the Reds’ liveliest player in the first half.
At the other end, Adrian made an excellent save with his feet after Fabinho gave the ball away in midfield – the Brazilian midfielder was more than a little rusty on his first start for two months.
Half time: Shrewsbury 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool’s lead doubled within a minute of the re-start when defender Donald Love sidefooted Neco Williams‘ cross into his own goal, but despite that, Shrewsbury had plenty of chances and Liverpool struggled to create anything.
The returning trio of Fabinho, Lovren and Matip were very rusty and often created their own problems in defence.
Eventually, that sloppiness cost Liverpool, with Yasser Larouci giving away a penalty which Jason Cummings slotted past Adrian.
It was a goal that the home side deserved, but had VAR been in place, it would likely have adjudged the foul to be just outside the box.
10 minutes later, Cummings slotted his second to level things up. It came about from a long goal kick which Matip failed to win the header from, then Lovren dived in and got nutmegged. Shocking from the centre-backs.
Klopp, desperate to avoid a replay that would disrupt the February winter break, brought on Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in an attempt to win the game late on.
Liverpool were awful and struggled to complete a pass for a long spell, but did eventually create chances and Salah should have headed in Firmino’s cross in stoppage time.
A replay will now take place back at Anfield; Klopp will be fuming about that and he only has his own team to blame.
TIA Man of the Match: Pedro Chirivella
Referee: Andre Marriner
Shrewsbury: O’Leary; Williams, Golbourne, Pierre; Love, Norburn, Goss, Whalley, Ebanks-Landell; Laurent, Lang,
Subs: Murphy, Edwards, Beckles, Walker, Udoh, Cummings, Hart
Liverpool: Adrian; Williams, Matip (Salah 79′), Lovren, Larouci; Fabinho, Chirivella, Jones; Elliott (Oxlade-Chamberlain 71′), Origi, Minamino (Firmino 85′)
Subs: Kelleher, Hoever, Alexander-Arnold, Keita
Next Match: West Ham (away, Wednesday 29 January)
