Liverpool survived a brief scare to overcome Shrewsbury Town in their FA Cup third round tie.
The Reds initially trailed thanks to a first-half goal from Daniel Udoh, only for 17-year-old Kaide Gordon to equalise with his first strike for the club.
Fabinho put Liverpool in front from the penalty spot shortly before the break, and would also go on to score his side’s fourth goal in the closing stages.
Substitute Roberto Firmino scored Liverpool’s third with an audacious backheel, as Jurgen Klopp’s side progressed to the next stage.
Liverpool will now take on Cardiff City in the fourth round, with the tie taking place at Anfield on the weekend of February 5 or 6.
Plenty of national media outlets watched Liverpool see off Shrewsbury and have provided their verdicts - here is a round-up of what they had to say...
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Andy Hunter, via The Guardian
“Shrewsbury Town had their moment, a precious lead at Anfield that lasted all of seven minutes, but an inexperienced Liverpool found a mature response.
“Jürgen Klopp’s team ruined any fleeting hopes Steve Cotterill had of an upset as young Kaide Gordon, and the not-so-young Brazilian duo of Fabinho and Roberto Firmino, eased the Premier League hosts into round four, where they will host Cardiff.
“A testing week ended with another complicated assignment for Liverpool, although it was one they ultimately navigated comfortably.
“Klopp was free to lead the team again having been in isolation with Covid since before the draw at Chelsea.
“The Liverpool manager rejoined the group at their hotel on the morning of the game and with positive tests continuing to affect the squad, along with injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations, he was required to improvise with his team selection.
“Four teenagers – the full debutant Max Woltman, Gordon, Conor Bradley and Tyler Morton – started in a side that included the experience of Van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Fabinho.
“That insurance policy was seriously examined in the first half by Shrewsbury’s disciplined and supremely well-organised game plan.”
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Riath Al-Samarrai, via the Mail Online
“For seven minutes the grand heist was on and for another 10 this game was even. Let’s call that the age of innocence before Liverpool found sufficient holes in a yellow wall to kill an unlikely tale.
“They weren’t especially brilliant in doing so, and nor were they poor. But it was a dominant performance wrapped in a feeling that it was occasionally too much of a slog for those given a game by Jurgen Klopp.
“And that is predominantly down to Shrewsbury. They turned up for a fight and to the best of their capabilities they delivered, first in going 1-0 up against all logic and tides through Daniel Udoh, and then in limiting the subsequent damage.
“It wasn’t enough to stop a heavy scoreline, achieved through Kaide Gordon’s equaliser, and the following strikes for Fabinho, who scored the second and fourth, and Roberto Firmino, who back-heeled the third.
“But 4-1 is probably misleading, both in the sense that it was only 2-1 until the 78th minute, and also because it might have been an awful lot more, given Liverpool had 83 per cent of possession. Better teams have spent far less time chasing Liverpool and taken far bigger beatings, so that is a testament of sorts to the work Shrewsbury did in the frenzied, prolonged defence of their penalty area.
“For Liverpool, there isn’t much to shout about from a win over the 15th-placed side in League One, but out of a heavily-rotated side Klopp will have mined some encouraging information. Most of it will centre on their equalising goal, which was built in their academy, with the assist coming from Conor Bradley, 18, and a fine finish from Gordon, 17. Combined they have fewer years on the clock than James Milner; in isolation, Gordon is the second youngest scorer in Liverpool’s history.”
Richard Jolly, via The Independent
“For Shrewsbury, there were seven minutes to savour, for Kaide Gordon one moment that he may recall for a lifetime. The side 15th in League One, 50 places below Liverpool in the pyramid, can cherish the thoughts of the brief time they led at Anfield.
“Daniel Udoh’s goal proved less historic than Gordon’s first for Liverpool, making him the second youngest scorer in their history, behind only Ben Woodburn, and capping his Anfield bow. Fabinho’s brace and Roberto Firmino’s cheeky comeback goal ensured a shock was avoided. Jurgen Klopp, returning to the touchline after a week in isolation, could see a patched-up team progress while offering hints of optimism for the future.
“Some of it revolved around Gordon, the youngest member of a distinctly junior side. With Mohamed Salah absent at the Africa Cup of Nations, he took the Egyptian’s berth on the right flank and inherited his habit of scoring with his left foot.
"A bright display by Curtis Jones, who was catapulted to prominence by a previous FA Cup run, may have more immediate implications as Liverpool look to navigate a month without Salah and Sadio Mane.
“Shrewsbury were aggrieved they faced a youthful Liverpool team in 2020 when Klopp took the senior side on a winter break. This time other reasons accounted for the presence of six starters aged 20 or under.
“Their absentees numbered in double figures, with a combination of Covid, Afcon and injuries. That the missing senior figures also included Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Neco Williams and Joe Gomez helped explain why Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal was postponed.
"With Takumi Minamino and Firmino making their returns as substitutes and the Brazilian latching on to Ibrahima Konate’s scuffed shot to backheel in Liverpool’s third goal, their problems may be easing.”
Paul Joyce, via The Times
“As Daniel Udoh celebrated Cristiano Ronaldo-style in front of 5,600 Shrewsbury supporters packed into the lower Anfield Road, a little further away Steve Cotterill was the epitome of calm.
“After all, the Shrewsbury Town manager had been here before. His CV already boasts Liverpool’s scalp back when he was in charge of Burnley in 2005 and so, while all around him people were losing their heads, Cotterill simply sought to relay instructions to his goalkeeper, Marko Marosi.
“For the next eight minutes, the visitors dared to dream. Nigerian striker Udoh’s classy finish had propelled the League One side into the lead and, with Liverpool unable to find any semblance of rhythm, the whiff of an upset imbued his team-mates’ stride.
“Soon enough reality would bite. The mix of youth and experience in the hosts’ ranks ensured they prevailed, with Kaide Gordon’s equaliser seeing him become the club’s second youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 96 days.
“Yet Cotterill can take pride at his side’s performance and the rich applause they received at the final whistle was warranted and deserved. Progress for the Premier League side seems comfortable but came only after a fright.
“Jürgen Klopp had rejoined the Liverpool squad at their city centre hotel on Sunday morning having missed last weekend’s game at Chelsea due to a positive Covid-19 test. His presence on the touchline offered a sense of familiarity amid the myriad of changes prompted by the absence of 15 senior players from the team-sheet.
“Only Trent Alexander-Arnold was publicly confirmed as suffering from Covid, with illness, injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations all contributing to the number of absentees. Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final, first leg with Arsenal is expected to go ahead, however.”
