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In what will probably go down as one of the strangest FA Cup ties of all time, Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 1-4 in a third-round match tonight.
A COVID-19 outbreak forced Aston Villa to play their youth team, but they actually gave Liverpool a good game and should be proud of their efforts.
With Jurgen Klopp naming practically a full-strength side, Liverpool opened the scoring within five minutes, with Sadio Mane scoring from a header. The Reds dominated possession, and it looked like a hammering was about to take place. But Villa’s kids hung tough.
And incredibly, on 41 minutes, Callum Rowe stole the ball and threaded a beautiful pass to former Barcelona academy player Louie Barry. Barry still had work to do, but he shrugged off Rhys Williams's challenge and calmly slotted the ball home, stunning Liverpool and their boss Jurgen Klopp.
Villa’s kids continued to defend well in the early part of the second half, frustrating Liverpool, but eventually the pressure told. After Mo Salah had a goal disallowed, Georginio Wijnaldum slotted home from distance. And within three minutes, Liverpool were 1-4 up, with Mane and Salah adding the Reds’ third and fourth goals.
Liverpool continued to pile on the pressure from there, but Villa hung tough, and in the end, should walk away with their heads held high.
Here are five talking points from Liverpool’s FA Cup win over Aston Villa.
#1 Why did Jurgen Klopp name such a strong Liverpool side?
The big question from tonight’s game has to be why Jurgen Klopp chose to name such a strong Liverpool side. Sure, Alisson, Roberto Firmino, and Trent Alexander-Arnold were given a rest. But the Reds still started the match with Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Fabinho in their line-up.
Had Klopp not been aware of Villa’s need to play their youth side, perhaps this would’ve been understandable. After all, Liverpool were destroyed 7-2 in their last visit to Villa Park and were probably smarting for revenge.
However, Villa’s COVID-19 outbreak was reported yesterday, and their enforced decision to play the tie with their academy players was announced this morning.
So considering Klopp’s constant – and often aggressive – complaints about the 2020-21 season’s scheduling and the damage it’s done to his squad, it seemed highly hypocritical for him to use the likes of Salah and Mane in tonight’s game.
This FA Cup tie was practically a bye for Liverpool when Villa’s intentions were made clear, and it was the perfect chance for Klopp to give his key men a rest. The fact that he didn’t should mean he has no room for any more complaining.
#2 Villa performed remarkably well given the circumstances
Given the fact that they were forced to field a side of youth players – all of whom had no first-team experience to speak of – Aston Villa performed remarkably well in this game.
Sure, the statistics and the scoreline show that this was a thoroughly one-sided match in favor of Liverpool. The Reds not only came away with a 1-4 victory, but they also had 83% possession and 29 shots. 13 of those were on target, and most of the game took place deep inside Villa’s half.
And yet Louie Barry took his goal marvelously. Villa’s young defenders – Callum Rowe, Mungo Bridge, Dominic Revan, and Jake Walker did brilliantly to restrict Liverpool’s star-studded attack, particularly in the first half.
Add in the solid performance from goalkeeper Akos Onodi – who made eight saves and had no chance with any of Liverpool’s goals – and Aston Villa youth team manager Mark Delaney should be massively proud of his youngsters.
Whether any of them make it through to the top level is a massive question mark, but at least a handful of them clearly have the potential to do so – so watch this space.
#3 Can Louie Barry make an impact in Villa’s first team this season?
When tonight’s Aston Villa side was named, most fans – even hardcore Villans – probably hadn’t heard of many of the players. The one name they probably might’ve recognized was striker Louie Barry.
Signed from Barcelona’s academy last January for a fee of £880k, the boyhood Aston Villa fan – who turned 17 in the summer – reportedly raised eyebrows in a lockdown friendly against Leicester last summer. Brendan Rodgers was apparently impressed by him.
Tonight’s match saw him barely given a kick, as Liverpool forced his teammates to defend deep into their own half for the majority of the game. But when Barry was given a chance, boy did he take it.
Played through by Callum Rowe, the 17-year-old still had work to do. But he shrugged off a potential challenge from Rhys Williams, sprinted into the box, and calmly slotted the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher into the net.
It was a truly wonderful goal that will probably be replayed for years to come – and was reminiscent of a young Michael Owen, in fact.
The big question now becomes whether Barry has enough about him to make an impact in Villa’s first team this season. Sure, he didn’t have a chance to prove much tonight, but judging by his goal, he’s a calm and natural finisher.
And with Villa short of forward options outside of Ollie Watkins, that ability could be enough for Dean Smith to name him on the bench in his side’s upcoming fixtures.
#4 Is COVID-19 about to ruin the season?
When it was announced that Aston Villa had seen a serious COVID-19 outbreak this week and had been forced to close their training ground, it was hardly something new. However, to see Villa’s entire first team – as well as their coaches and backroom staff – forced into self-isolation was more than a little worrying.
Sure, Villa got through tonight’s game by playing their youth team, but they also have a Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur coming up on Wednesday.
And given that other Premier League sides – namely Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Fulham – have been allowed to postpone games during lesser outbreaks than this, it’d be hard to blame the Villans for expecting the same.
But if the game between Villa and Spurs is postponed, then where exactly will the Premier League hope to fit it in? After all, both teams are already behind in their schedule – Villa by two games and Spurs by one. And Spurs also have the Europa League, EFL Cup, and FA Cup to contend with.
At this point, it might be worth considering the options for the season. Should the Premier League force teams who need to postpone to forfeit games? Or is it time to pause the season and put pressure on UEFA to cancel this summer’s European Championship again?
Most fans hoped we wouldn’t have to get to this stage – but after this week’s events, it almost seems unavoidable.
#5 Are Liverpool taking the FA Cup seriously this season?
While it’s worth questioning Liverpool’s choice of starting XI tonight, one explanation could be that the Reds are taking the FA Cup seriously this season. If that is the case, it may make sense given the controversy around Liverpool’s FA Cup campaign in 2019-20.
For those who’ve forgotten, Jurgen Klopp drew plenty of criticism when he sent a squad filled with U-23 players to a fourth-round replay with League Two side Shrewsbury Town. The German tactician refused to attend the game himself to give his first-team squad a breather.
Liverpool won that replay and eventually fell to Chelsea in the fifth round. And while they comfortably won the Premier League title, their performance in the FA Cup definitely left a sour taste with some fans.
So was tonight’s team and performance almost a way of Klopp showing that in 2020-21, he is taking the cup seriously? It’s possible. After all, the German boss has won both the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool. But the FA Cup has its own history and is massively well-regarded in English football.
For Klopp to bring the FA Cup to Liverpool for the first time since the famous Gerrard Final in 2005-06 would be a great achievement in its own right. Perhaps we’ll learn more about his intentions in the fourth round.
