Aston Villa had to field her academy players against Liverpool because of a Covid-19 outbreak at Villa’s camp this week (resulting in the absence of all of Villa’s first team players), and while Liverpool did win the game and are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, the lads at Villa park held their own. They gave Klopp’s men a good run for their money.
Liverpool took the lead four minutes into the game via a Sadio Mane header, which naturally didn’t come as a surprise.
However, the real shocker came in the 41st minute when 17-year-old Louie Barry equalized for Villa, with a run and a goal he won’t forget in a hurry.
Barry’s goal left things all squared at half time, but after the break, an all Charged Liverpool side broke the rather resolute youngsters with three goals in five minutes, thanks to Wijnaldum, Mane, and Salah.
The result could have been different had Villa’s first team played, especially when you bear in mind that Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat at Villa Park last year, or maybe Liverpool could have won. Still, whatever the case may have been, anyone would be proud of the Villa team, which consisted of seven under-23 players and four from the under-18s, with little experience, yet stood up to a Liverpool oozing of expertise and advantage. Well done, boys.
Wolves 1 – 0 Crystal Palace
In the other game of the night, Wolves also made it to the fourth round of the FA Cup, thanks to Adama Traore’s first-half screamer.
