Liverpool 3 Southampton 0: Jayden Danns scores twice after Lewis Koumas goal as Klopp’s kids set up Man Utd FA Cup clash
JURGEN KLOPP described Sunday’s Carabao Cup win as ‘one of the best football stories ever’.
Well there could be a few more chapters to write in it yet.
ReutersJayden Danns came off the bench to score twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0[/caption]
If anyone thought the foot would come off the pedal when the manager announced he would be leaving Anfield at the end of this season they can forget it.
Powered by his stars from the Kindergarten Kop he won the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday.
They were excused their homework again last night and produced.
If Klopp feared his young guns might struggle after the headlines from the weekend he need not.
The incredible emotions from that victory under the arch against Chelsea spilled over to Anfield.
Indeed if anything the sight of Klopp’s boy band of brothers running out at this famous footballing cathedral gave this FA Cup fifth round tie an atmosphere it may not have otherwise had.
And 18-year-old Louis Koumas responded to lift the roof with the opening goal just a minute before half time.
It was another one of the teenage heroes from the Wembley that helped to set the chance up.
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Bobby Clark, son of former Newcastle ace Lee, cut in to feed him the ball.
Then Koumas, who has been with Liverpool since the age of 11, achieved a dream.
Cutting in from the right he took a couple of touches and shot towards the bottom right hand corner.
The effort was helped by a bit of a deflection and found the back of the net.
Koumas, son of former Tranmere and West Brom midfielder Jason, loved the moment and so he should.
Along way from a fortnight ago when he was one of eight from last night’s squad who started in the under-21s against Stoke.
Koumas scored twice in that 3-1 win and this will not be his last in a first team shirt.
Manager Jurgen Klopp refers to him as a supreme finisher who can score from anywhere.
The second followed on 73 minutes through substitute Jayden Danns making only his third appearance for the club.
The 18 year-old latched on to a fine through ball from Harvey Elliott and clipped a shot past the advancing goalkeeper.
APLewis Koumas had opened the scoring with a debut goal[/caption]
All in front of one of the most famous ends in football.
He was celebrating in front of it again in the 87th minute.
The player who joined Liverpool’s academy as an eight year old followed up a parried shot to thump the ball into the back of the net.
It is what dreams are made of.
There would be more around Anfield not least when Trey Nyoni at 16 years 212 days became the third youngest Liverpool player ever to tread the Anfield turf.
He could not keep the smile off his face as he ran on and nor could his manager.
He had witnessed his team have a shaky start but come good to book a quarter-final showdown at Old Trafford against fierce rivals Manchester United.
Southampton had started well.
APLiverpool have set up a quarter-final clash with Manchester United[/caption]
Kamaldeen Sulemana’s incredible pace, he’s apparently the fastest player on the planet, was proving a real threat if not his finishing.
Sekou Mara had gone too early in the very first minute to find the net but be flagged for offside.
But Liverpool had the lead at the break and seemed to grow in confidence as they attacked the Kop in the second period.
Still the Saints had a great chance through Shea Charles to level things up in the 68th minute.
He probably had too much time as a deep corner found him unmarked at the far post before he screwed his effort wide of the near post.
The Championship side would be made to pay.
Klopp may be leaving at the end of this season but in the last four days he has proved he is leaving something very special for his successor.
