I’ll leave you with Paul Doyle’s match report from Villa Park. Enjoy it, and thanks for your company and good humour tonight. See you again soon!
Conor Hourihane speaks: “Not easy at the start, they’re a young team and would have been bang up for it. But we weathered the storm and our qualify came out in the end. It was probably a lose-lose so we had to be professional and get over the line.
“I can’t believe you’re even asking me, it’s mine [on the first goal]! Kodjia actually said to me he didn’t get a touch.”
That’s just the two for Kodjia then, it seems!
“My reaction to this result can be summarised by the first three letters in Doha, followed by an exclamation mark,” says Peter Oh.
That second half was mainly a non-event really, though Liverpool kept at it really well. They clearly have some superb players and we will hear a *lot* more of Harvey Elliott, for one. In the end it was a case of the more practised team having what it took to win, and win well. No shame for anyone in how that turned out – except for the sport of football itself, of course, and the fact we had to witness this in the last eight of a supposedly major tournament.
Full-time: Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool
There we go – Villa are in the semi-finals!
Updated
Goal! Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool (Wesley 90+2)
With the game’s last action Wesley gets his goal! It’s well taken, running round the ball when sent away on the left of the box, and he’ll be delighted with that. He hasn’t deserved the stick he has taken.
Updated
90+1 min: We will only see two minutes of added time.
88 min: “Just to put this in perspective, imagine playing for your school sixth form football team and coming up against these boys,” writes John Davis. “Jesus. Probably don’t spend as much time in the Miners’ Arms as we did, though.”
Nah, Ipswich School first XI of 1999/2000 would have taken them.
87 min: Trezeguet fluffs a header from a fine cross by his fellow Egyptian, Elmohamady, when he should hit the target.
86 min: Elliott is involved again, teeing up Gallacher for a blast that Nyland bats away. The keeper then clutches Kane’s header on the follow-up. Liverpool are still going and do deserve a goal here, at least.
84 min: Elliott has been really impressive and picks out his team-mate – didn’t quite see who it was – again with a wonderfully lofted pass, only for the ball to end up turned into the side netting. We will be seeing a lot more of him; he has looked at ease here.
82 min: The ball finally goes dead and Liverpool can bring on their substitute, James Norris.
79 min: Nope, Hoever’s night is done and DUSTED. There’ll be a replacement on for him soon.
78 min: Lansbury gets an invitation to shoot and accepts it, seeing Kelleher fist his drive away. The keeper has made a number of impressive saves. Hoever is receiving treatment for cramp – which *sucks*, we’ll all agree – while Hause replaces Chester. Leighton Clarkson replaces Christie-davies for Liverpool.
Updated
75 min: Almost an early assist for Wesley there, but he slides one across goal and just past Trezeguet. That would have helped his confidence.
73 min: Now Kane gets a mite of space and drags one wide from 25 yards. Two-or-perhaps-three-goal hero Kodjia is then replaced by Wesley, who hasn’t scored in nine and could do with one of his own.
71 min: Kelleher makes another good stop, repelling Trezeguet from an angle after the wide man gets around the back.
Updated
70 min: A lull after those few relatively action-packed minutes.
67 min: More lovely play from Elliott, who weights his passes so well, sees him float a ball to the back post, where Kane can’t get much power on his header but still forces a useful save from Nyland.
65 min: Liverpool replace Longstaff with Jack Bearne.
64 min: As I write though, it’s nearly five as Trezeguet nudges a long ball beyond Kelleher but can’t get enough on it and a defender shepherds it away from the vacant goal. More Villa possession follows – and ends with Trezeguet jabbing just over from 12 yards after good work from Kodjia.
63 min: Villa are showing a bit more intent now but, look, this isn’t ending 8-0 and nor is it finishing 4-4. Which leaves us at a bit of a loss.
60 min: Kodjia draws a one-handed stop from Kelleher but is flagged offside so would have been denied a third – or fourth – anyway.
Updated
57 min: That was a rare bit of action. But Villa get a flag kick of their own now, Kelleher pawing it away before Trezeguet drills well wide from the edge of the area.
55 min: Liverpool win a corner now and work it quickly ... and force a brilliant save from Nyland! It’s half-cleared and drilled back into the six-yard box, where Kane deflects towards goal and watches the keeper somehow make a fine reaction stop!
53 min: Still slow going, although Liverpool did try one skirmish in the Villa box before it was snuffed out.
50 min: Literally nothing has happened here since half-time. I don’t think Villa will go for the rout unless it’s presented to them.
48 min: It’s Dortmund 3-2 Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Dortmund were 2-0 up, pegged back to 2-2, and now Jadon Sancho has scored. Obviously my attention is 100% on this one though.
Peeeep! The second half commences!
But it’s happening alright, so on we go.
The teams are back out for a second half that, let’s be frank, nobody would miss if it didn’t happen.
Seems as if Kodjia *did* get a touch on that Hourihane free-kick so, on his first start of the season, he might just have a hat-trick ...
And I should have linked to this earlier ... but it’s a superb interview from last year by your friend and mine Ben Fisher with that man Herbie Kane:
“Will a Klopp half-time Skype chat have the necessary impact without the hugs?” muses Ian Copestake.
It is of course Neil Critchley managing Liverpool today.
Meanwhile in Doha ...
Half-time: Aston Villa 4-0 Liverpool
Yes, this has been very strange. Liverpool’s youngsters started superbly, were caught by two deeply unfortunate sucker punches, but rallied well before conceding nicely-taken third and fourth goals to Kodjia. They’ve played nice stuff and threatened several times, but look very porous when a distinctly patchy Villa do go forward and they’ve paid for that. Now to avoid an absolute tanning.
Goal! Aston Villa 4-0 Liverpool (Kodjia 45)
Villa’s best-worked of the bunch, Elmohamady sliding across a precise centre and Kodjia applying a clinical finish. This deeply weird game now stands at 4-0 to Villa.
Updated
43 min: Roger Wallace wants you to keep reading in the second half –
“This scoreline is incredibly harsh on Liverpool’s youngsters, obviously, and you wouldn’t put money on it, but I’m still not completely convinced this is over and something wild doesn’t happen. In any case Liverpool’s academy team should take a bow, because for the most part as a team they’ve been seriously good.”
41 min: Christie-Davies is booked for a heavy tackle on Lansbury. Pretty much the first meaty challenge of the game!
Old Kodjia sinks young Reds ...
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) December 17, 2019
I’m sitting right behind Ed, the wag that he is.
40 min: Fuel for the They Don’t Coach Defending Anymore brigade, this. But really this is just a consequence of the fact that, in “men’s football”, mistakes pay ... and you don’t learn that until it’s happened to you.
Goal! Aston Villa 3-0 Liverpool (Kodjia 37)
That’s the game, that. Villa win a 50/50 in midfield and Jota releases Kodjia, who races through and finishes coolly. Very harsh lesson, this, for Liverpool’s youngsters.
Updated
36 min: Kane crosses deep towards Hoever but there’s no “Dyson” with death for Nyland! He jumps up and collects assuredly.
34 min: No doubt about it, Liverpool continue to be much the better-footballing of these two sides.
32 min: Better from Villa now as a good move gives Hourihane the chance to fizz a ball across goal ... with nobody rushing in to convert.
31 min: Longstaff tries to turn in the box after more creativity from Elliott but he’s snuffed out by Villa’s defence.
28 min: Kodjia dallies on the right of the box with at least two men to square to, causing a few waved arms of frustration.
26 min: Elliott, who looks a luscious prospect already, scoops a wonderfully imaginative pass to Christie-Davies and, on the turn, he volleys – only to see Nyland tip over! Liverpool are still attacking really well.
Updated
25 min: Hoever hoovers – yes! – up well as Jota looks to make ground by the left corner flag.
24 min: Kelleher sweeps up well again as Lansbury looks to spring Kodjia away down the inside-right channel.
22 min: Some good possession by Liverpool now. They’ll be properly miffed that Villa have attacked twice and scored twice through efforts that were, on *at least* one of those occasions, intended as crosses.
20 min: Liverpool spring back upfield and force a couple of corners. This is tremendously harsh on them but tonight is all about learning and I guess it’s men against .. errm ... Boyes.
Goal! Aston Villa 2-0 Liverpool (Boyes 17 og)
And that is soft too. Villa look relieved by the opener and sweep upfield again, working the ball right to the overlapping Elmohamady. His cross flicks off Boyes and loops high into the sky before dropping beyond a helpless Kelleher and into the corner.
Updated
Goal! Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool (Hourihane 14)
Ah, it’s soft. Hourihane whips it in low, Kodjia is among those jumping in front of Kelleher and the keeper loses sight of it, diving too late and watching the ball skid past him and into the corner. That’ll settle Villa, who had been unimpressive.
Updated
14 min: Now a very dangerous free-kick for Liverpool on the right of the box but about 17 yards from the byline. Hourihane takes aim and ...
13 min: Perhaps there is something in the fact that many of these Liverpol players have worked together for some time, while this is a Villa side thrown together of first-teamers and fringe men. Villa look like strangers. But even then, a lot of Liverpool’s side have been out on loan or joined fairly recently. Kelleher punches a wide free-kick clear in Villa’s first real sortie.
10 min: Close for Liverpool – twice! Elliott weaves inside and then belts in a left-footer that Nyland, the Villa keeper, bats wide with a flailing hand! It is all Liverpool ... and they almost score again when the corner isn’t cleared and Kane ends up one-on-one with Nyland, who saves again with a leg!
@NickAmes82 Average age: 19
— Extrospector (@extrospector) December 17, 2019
Average shirt number: 67
Stat.
8 min: Half a sight for Liverpool as Kane receives the ball on the left of the box after some really sloppy Villa defending but flashes his effort only. Villa aren’t really here yet.
Updated
6 min: Elliott, stationed on the right, links with Hoever and wins a corner. Liverpool don’t make anything of it but they have definitely started the better here.
4 min: Kelleher, the Liverpool keeper, gets to a loose backpass ahead of Kodjia. Overall it’s been a confident and lively start from Liverpool, who get Elliott on the ball around the box but the attack comes to nothing.
2 min: Liverpool are patiently building from the back, in the modern way.
Peeeep! Off we go!
Liverpool and in white and kicking, in your mind’s eye, from left to right.
Ok, the teams are on the pitch and we start soon!
Updated
Fair’s fair though – I’m looking forward in particular to seeing Harvey Elliott, the exciting attacking whizz who is only 16 and debuted for his old club Fulham at 15. He’s well worth a look and so, among others, is the very highly-rated defender Ki-Jana Hoever.
The Haven writes:
“Why the negativity about this tie? We constantly hear about the lack of chances for young players amongst Premier League teams and yet here we have a plethora of young players getting their chance. Also, Liverpool as representatives of England in a world level tournament should be celebrated as such. Less of your browbeating whingeing please!”
They should have taken the kids to Doha.
This is great, and topical – when Mark Hughes played for Bayern and Wales on the same day:
And so’s this!
As Sean Coffey points out: Liverpool’s squad has seven more appearances in the Eredivisie than in the Premier League – centre-back Sepp Van den Berg has played 22 times for his previous club, Zwolle. He only turns 18 on Friday!
Updated
“Strange times indeed,” mourns Ian Copestake. “Man Utd were accused of killing the FA Cup by withdrawing from it in 1999 to do the Club Championship thing and boost an England World Cup bid (that Germany won, the bid that is). This time everyone involved is doing the killing in a spirit of agreement and understanding. It is really impressive to see.”
Liverpool's matchday 18 have made 34 more appearances for Doncaster than for Liverpool. https://t.co/UhqA8Xoden
— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) December 17, 2019
Rich’s latest work of genius alludes to the fact that Herbie Kane played 49 times on loan for Donny last season. You do the mathS.
Villa haven’t exactly gone full tilt, with the likes of McGinn, Grealish and Wesley all kept in reserve. But this is Liverpool’s youngest-ever team!
Teams
Aston Villa: Nyland; Elmohamady, Chester, Konsa, Taylor; Lansbury, Douglas Luiz; Jota, Hourihane, Trezeguet; Kodjia. Subs: Kalinic, Guilbert, Hause, McGinn, El Ghazi, Grealish, Wesley.
Liverpool: Kelleher; Hoever, Van den Berg, Boyes, Gallacher; Kane, Chirivella, Christie-Davies; Elliott, Longstaff, Hill. Subs: Winterbottom, Clayton, Norris, Clarkson, Dixon-Bonner, Bearne, Stewart.
Reaction to this in a few minutes ...
Hello
Welcome to Aston Villa v A Liverpool XI, brought to you by Everything That Is Bad About Modern Football. Not that you shouldn’t stick around, though, as I do expect this should have some entertainment value. There’s nothing much to lose for Liverpool’s youngsters and fringe players, unless they particularly had their hearts set on a December mini-break benchwarming in Doha, so they’re bound to Play Without Fear; as well as that, you’ll almost certainly get to see a few stars of the future, because some of these kids are absolutely going places, whether at Liverpool or somewhere else.
So this could be fun, particularly as Villa aren’t on great form and have it in them to make this – as a minimum – unnecessarily complicated. It’d be a touch embarrassing to slip up here even if this is, given the quality that comes out of academies these days, probably equivalent in difficulty to playing ... I dunno ... a League One side? Banana skins have been skidded upon before.
Notwithstanding the fact that this bit of scheduling is a disgrace and makes a mockery of the competition, etcetera and so forth, strap in and let’s wade through this uncharted territory together. Very hard to imagine this being a drab 0-0 and, hey, we’ll learn something along the way!
