Liverpool’s youngest-ever team claimed a famous FA Cup victory as they edged out Shrewsbury Town in the sides’ fourth-round replay.
A Ro-Shaun Williams own goal and a performance that belied the tender years of the Reds’ starting XI secured a place in the next round on a proud night for the club’s academy.
Absent from Anfield as he enjoys the Premier League winter break, Jurgen Klopp must now decide who will contest a trip to Chelsea at the next stage of the competition.
Under-23s boss Neil Critchley - filling in for Klopp - named the youngest-ever starting XI in the club’s history, with their average age of 19 years and 102 days surpassing the side put out at Aston Villa in December.
But that lack of experience hardly told during a confident start to the game that saw the hosts quickly assert their dominance in terms of possession.
They struggled to turn that into chances, but the same could be said for the Shrews during the rare periods in which they saw the ball.
One woeful corner routine - an area the visitors might have expected plenty of joy - stood out, and that wastefulness was nearly punished before the break when Liverpool carved out two big chances.
Both fell to Neco Williams, who sent a shot just wide of the far post moments before seeing another effort desperately blocked after great football around the box.
Somewhat bizarrely for a right-back, the Welshman was at the heart of everything the hosts did going forward, and found himself on the end of another great chance following the restart.
However, Max O’Leary produced a fine save with his legs, which looked even more crucial on the hour mark.
Shrewsbury and their fans thought they had taken the lead when Shaun Whalley headed in after Dave Edwards’ close-range effort had been instinctively kept out by Caoimhin Kelleher.
But a lengthy VAR check fell in the hosts’ favour, finding an offside that did not seem apparent on first watch and letting Liverpool off the hook.
The Reds made the most of that break, weathering a brief impressive period from Shrewsbury to begin reasserting their dominance of the ball.
And that finally told thanks to - inevitably - more brilliance from Williams.
The young defender cut out a cross-field attempt to find Jason Cummings before sending his own lengthy pass towards Harvey Elliott on the other flank.
And, despite failing to find his team-mate, he succeeded in tempting his namesake Williams into nodding into the Kop End goal.
Shrewsbury attempted to rally after that setback, increasingly going long in the final moments, but the young Reds held firm to claim their place in the next round.
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