Liverpool 3-0 Southampton (Koumas 44′, Danns 73′, 88′)
ANFIELD — Three days after their Wembley heroics, Liverpool’s kids produced another rabbit from the hat at Anfield, beating Southampton 3-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
In keeping with the recent narrative surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s side, it was a pair of teenagers who did the damage for the Reds, debutant Lewis Koumas scoring in the first half before another home-grown hero, Jayden Danns, added two more in front of the Kop after the break.
With no fewer than 13 players absent due to injury, this was yet more evidence of both the talent at Klopp’s disposal beyond his established first team, and the manager’s ability to extract big performances from it. The Liverpool boss was beaming at the final whistle, and rightly so.
His youngsters, once again, delivered.
Klopp’s selection showed six changes from Sunday, with Bobby Clark and James McConnell rewarded for their Wembley efforts with a start here, while Koumas, son of former Wales midfielder Jason, was handed his professional bow.
Southampton rang the changes too, eight of them from the side beaten by Millwall on Saturday.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges, Sekou Mara having a goal ruled out inside a minute and Kamaldeen Sulemana hitting the post after a giveaway in midfield by Harvey Elliott.
Mara forced a fine save from Caoimhin Kelleher after dispossessing McConnell on the edge of the Liverpool box, Joe Rothwell curled an effort wide and Kelleher was needed again to save from Sulemana after the Saints winger skinned Jarell Quansah.
Liverpool lacked punch to that point, but they exploded into life on 44 minutes, as Koumas marked his big day in style.
Clark was the provider, rapping the ball into his fellow academy graduate’s feet, and after Koumas had shifted inside from the left, his 18-yard shot took a nick off Jan Bednarek and wrong-footed Joe Lumley in the Saints goal.
After the break the excellent Kelleher denied Sulemana at the back post before Gakpo dragged a good chance wide after a flowing move involving Elliott and Clark.
Southampton should have levelled on 68 minutes, but Shea Charles sent his effort into the side-netting at the far post.
That proved a costly miss, as five minutes later Elliott fed Danns, who clipped a beautiful finish past Lumley.
And the young Scouser was there again, two minutes from time, following up after Conor Bradley was denied by Lumley to seal another remarkable Reds win, one achieved at Anfield but which was very much made in Kirkby.
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