Teenagers Danns and Koumas take Liverpool past Southampton

Debutant Lewis Koumas was one of six Liverpool starters aged 21 or underTeenager Lewis Koumas scored on his debut and fellow 18-year-old Jayden Danns netted twice off the bench as Liverpool beat Southampton to set up an FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United.

With injuries to a host of first-team players, Jurgen Klopp named six players aged 21 or younger in his starting XI and, just as in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, the youngsters did not let him down.

Southampton had a host of chances in the first half but having failed to make them count, they were punished when Koumas collected Bobby Clark’s pass and found the bottom corner as his low shot deflected off Saints captain Jack Stephens a minute before the break.

The visitors had further opportunities to level in the second period but remained profligate in front of goal.

Again they were made to pay as Danns, on for Koumas to make just his third Liverpool appearance, ran on to Harvey Elliott’s pass to score with a lovely dinked finish at the Kop End.

Danns struck again two minutes from time, thumping the ball home after Southampton goalkeeper Joe Lumley had parried Conor Bradley’s shot into his path.

While Liverpool remain in contention for a quadruple, and can look forward to a mouth-watering meeting at Old Trafford in the last eight, Russell Martin’s Saints can now give their full attention to trying to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

Klopp’s kids keep quadruple hopes aliveAfter their Wembley heroics at the weekend, for much of the first 45 minutes, this looked like a game too far for an injury-hit Liverpool as their younger players struggled to make an impact.

Southampton had also made eight changes from their home loss to Millwall at the weekend but remained committed to their usual approach, cutting through the hosts on a number of occasions with their attractive passing game.

However, the finishing let them down as Sekou Mara was twice denied by Caoimhin Kelleher when well placed, while Kamaldeen Sulemana hit the post.

Liverpool were hanging on but a moment of quality, plus some good fortune, gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Clark found Koumas with an incisive pass and the latter – son of former Wales international Jason – moved across the edge of the box before seeing his shot deflected in.

The goal gave the hosts more confidence and they were much more imposing after the break, although the visitors still had chances. Shea Charles missed the best of them when he scuffed his shot wide after being left completely unmarked at the back post at a corner.

It was then over to Danns, who showed composure beyond his years to lift the ball over Lumley for his first after Will Smallbone had lost possession in his own half.

When he hammered in his second, at 18 years and 43 days, the striker became the youngest Liverpool player to score two or more in a game since Michael Owen scored a hat-trick against Grimsby in November 1997.

Klopp will hope to have a few of his more experienced players back from injury before they travel to face United in a couple of weeks but, if not, his youngsters have risen to every challenge they have faced so far and would surely relish the opportunity to show their class once again.

Relive Liverpool v Southampton and all of Wednesday’s FA Cup action

Player of the match

DannsJayden Danns

with an average of 8.36

Squad number76Player nameDanns

Squad number10Player nameMac Allister

Squad number98Player nameNyoni

Squad number5Player nameKonaté

Squad number62Player nameKelleher

Squad number19Player nameElliott

Squad number67Player nameKoumas

Squad number4Player namevan Dijk

Squad number49Player nameGordon

Squad number42Player nameClark

Squad number84Player nameBradley

Squad number78Player nameQuansah

Squad number53Player nameMcConnell

Squad number21Player nameTsimikas

Squad number2Player nameGomez

Squad number18Player nameGakpo

SouthamptonSquad number23Player nameEdozie

Squad number7Player nameAribo

Squad number20Player nameSulemana

Squad number35Player nameBednarek

Squad number19Player nameRothwell

Squad number3Player nameManning

Squad number18Player nameMara

Squad number5Player nameStephens

Squad number24Player nameCharles

Squad number13Player nameLumley

Squad number2Player nameWalker-Peters

Squad number14Player nameBree

Squad number9Player nameA Armstrong

Squad number10Player nameAdams

Squad number21Player nameHarwood-Bellis

Squad number16Player nameSmallbone

Line-upsLiverpoolFormation 4-3-3

62Kelleher84Bradley78Quansah4van DijkSubstituted forKonatéat 45’minutes21Tsimikas53McConnellSubstituted forMac Allisterat 62’minutes2Gomez42Clark19ElliottSubstituted forNyoniat 78’minutes18GakpoSubstituted forGordonat 90’minutes67KoumasSubstituted forDannsat 63’minutesSubstitutes5Konaté7Díaz10Mac Allister13Adrián48Scanlon49Gordon65Nallo76Danns98NyoniSouthamptonFormation 4-3-3

13Lumley14BreeSubstituted forWalker-Petersat 58’minutesSubstituted forHarwood-Bellisat 75’minutes5Stephens35Bednarek3ManningBooked at 79mins7Aribo24Charles19RothwellSubstituted forSmallboneat 69’minutes23EdozieSubstituted forAdamsat 69’minutes18Mara20SulemanaSubstituted forA Armstrongat 58’minutesSubstitutes1McCarthy2Walker-Peters9A Armstrong10Adams16Smallbone21Harwood-Bellis27Amo-Ameyaw29Meghoma33DiblingMatch StatsLive TextMatch ends, Liverpool 3, Southampton 0.

Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Southampton 0.

Attempt missed. Adam Armstrong (Southampton) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Stephens.

Substitution, Liverpool. Kaide Gordon replaces Cody Gakpo.

Foul by Cody Gakpo (Liverpool).

Ryan Manning (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal! Liverpool 3, Southampton 0. Jayden Danns (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.

Attempt saved. Conor Bradley (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Ibrahima Konaté.

Attempt missed. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a fast break.

Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Bobby Clark.

Foul by Cody Gakpo (Liverpool).

Ryan Manning (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Ryan Manning.

Foul by Bobby Clark (Liverpool).

Joe Aribo (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt blocked. Jayden Danns (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

Ryan Manning (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Ryan Manning (Southampton).