Shrewsbury Town v Liverpool: Live matchday blog
Liverpool relinquished a two-goal lead as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round at New Meadow. Curtis Jones and Donald Love's goal had put the Reds into the driving seat, but a brace from Jason Cummings forced a replay for the hosts.
Here's how Opta detailed today's game...
Full Time
Shrewsbury Town 2-2 Liverpool
The Reds let a two-goal lead slip as they're held by Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at New Meadow.
The visitors went ahead through Curtis Jones on 15 minutes before an own-goal from Donald Love doubled the advantage immidiately after half-time.
However, Jason Cummings came off the bench to score twice - one from the penalty spot - to claim a draw for the League One side and force a replay.
Cummings heads over at the back post. He could have won it.
Adrian has to push Laurent's effort around the base of the post.
One last chance for the hosts here.
Four minutes of added time to be played...
Chance
Salah heads wide from Firmino's cross. It was a good opening.
Jones goes agonisingly close, but he has an effort blocked in front of the line with the goalkeeper grounded.
Substitution
Roberto Firmino iss now on for Minamino.
Udoh replaces Whalley for the home team.
Substitution
Mohamed Salah is on for Liverpool. He replaces Matip.
Goal
Goal for Shrewsbury - Jason Cummings
And the hosts are level as Cummings bundles his way beyond Lovren and steers low past Adrian.
2-2 now.
Origi takes aim from range, but he's denied a wonderful goal by a fine stop from O'Leary.
Substitution
Liverpool's first change sees Elliott make way for Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Goal
Goal - Jason Cummings
Shrewsbury have one back as Cummings converts the penalty.
Penalty to Shrewsbury
Laurant goes down under Larouci's challenge and the hosts have a spot-kick.
Another good opening for the home side as they win the ball back inside the Liverpool half.
Laurent strides forwards and drills one a couple of inches wide.
Substitution
Lang goes off and Cummings comes on for the hosts.
Chance
Adrian is called into action once more to preserve Liverpool's two-goal advantage.
This time Lang scampers into the area and shoots low across goal. The Reds 'keeper gets a touch to turn it behind.
Laurent skims an effort wide of Adrian's far post.
Own Goal
Own-goal - Donald Love
Liverpool go 2-0 in front in the most unfortunate of circumstances as far as Shrewsbury are concerned.
Williams hoists a ball into the area, but there doesn't appear any danger as Love meets it to try and sweep it behind.
However, he inadvertantly steers it into his own net.
2-0 to the Reds now.
Kick-Off
Off we go again...
Liverpool get the contest back up and running at New Meadow.
Here's how Opta detailed the first half...
Half Time
Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Liverpool
Curtis Jones' strike in the 15th minute means the Reds hold the lead at the midway point; however, the home side have caused a couple of moments for concern.
Two minutes of added time to be played at the end of the first half...
Some more encouragement for the home fans as Whalley again has a chance - albiet a much more difficult one than the first - that he scoops wide of Adrian's far post.
Chance
The ball sits up nicely for Minamino off Origi inside the area, but his outside-of-the-boot effort flies over the crossbar.
Substitution
Shrewsbury are forced into an early change as Norburn is replaced by Edwards, presumably due to a knock.
Chance
A big opportunity for the home side as Whalley escapes away from the Reds defence and goes one-on-one with Adrian.
The goalkeeper thwarts him with a save with his boot, however.
Jones tries his luck once again, but this time he's off target with a left-footer from the edge of the box.
Goal
GOAL! CURTIS JONES!
Liverpool are in front - and Curtis Jones in on the scoresheet in the FA Cup once more.
It's was a lovely weighted throughball from Chirivella that sent him racing clear and the No.48 kept his composure to slip it underneath O'Leary.
1-0 to the Reds.
Minamino almost meets Williams' centre with a header six yards out, but he can't quite manage to get there and the ball sails behind.
Good effort from Origi just whistles past the base the post after Minamino's pass had sat up invitingly for him.
A half-chance for Minamino as Williams cuts the ball back to him inside the box, but he can't get it under control.
Kick-Off
And we're off...
Shrewsbury start the game at New Meadow.
Come on you Reds!
Here come the teams...
Warming up...
AXA - principal partner and official training kit sponsor
Pitch inspection
The lads take in the surroundings.
Arrivals
Behind closed doors...
A glimpse inside the Liverpool dressing room at New Meadow.
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool make 11 changes for today’s clash with Shrewsbury, with Dejan Lovren – who captains the Reds - Joel Matip and Fabinho all getting the nod to start after recovering from injuries.
Naby Keita is back on the bench, along with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool: Adrian, Williams, Matip, Lovren, Larouci, Fabinho, Chirivella, Jones, Minamino, Elliott, Origi.
Subs: Kelleher, Keita, Firmino, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hoever, Alexander-Arnold.
LFC Women secure cup progress
Elsewhere today, a magnificent four-goal haul from Rinsola Babjide and strikes from Niamh Charles, Niamh Fahey and Kirsty Linnett saw Liverpool FC Women sweep past Blackburn Rovers 8-1 in the Women’s FA Cup.
Four in each half was enough to see off the Championship side and put Vicky Jepson’s team in the hat for Monday’s fifth-round draw.
***LIVERPOOLFC.COM WEATHER UPDATE KLAXON***
We might be switching competitions today, but that doesn't mean our official weather updates take a break. No chance.
Liverpoolfc.com penman Sam Williams has been calculating the conditions at pitchside and he reports it's a rather chilly one in Shrewsbury today, with our thermometer showing eight degrees at the moment.
That could drop a couple of notches throughout the course of the day, so wrap up warm.
Thankfully, the earlier rain has eased off somewhat and our sources tell us they don't expect any further precipitation as the day progresses.
Inside Wolves
Take a behind-the-scenes look at Thursday's victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League with the video below...
Missing Men
A tricky one today indeed. Can you remember Liverpool's starting XI from the 4-0 FA Cup victory at Shrewsbury Town in February 1996?
Click the graphic to reveal the answers.
View from Shrewsbury
Want to know more about today's opponents? Click here to read this chat with a local journalist for all you need to know about Sam Ricketts' League One side.
Did you know?
Jürgen Klopp has been in charge of Liverpool 11 times in the FA Cup and used 60 players in the competition so far.
Today's match officials
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: Dan Cook and Stuart Burt
Fourth official: Oliver Langford
A timely reminder that VAR is NOT in operation this afternoon.
Stat attack
- Victory over Shrewsbury would see Liverpool reach the fifth-round stage of the FA Cup for the first time under Klopp
- New Meadow will be the seventh ground the Reds have played at for the first time this season (after Besiktas Park, Stadium MK, Luminus Arena, Stadion Salzburg, Khalifa International Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium).
- Liverpool have won the FA Cup seven times - most recently in 2006 - and last reached the final eight years ago
- Shrewsbury are 16th in League One having won eight of their 25 matches this term. This is their sixth FA Cup tie of the campaign
The boss on team selection
"We will have a team with fresh legs," said Klopp, who made nine changes for the previous round.
"We have players who came back from injury, so it makes sense to play them because they are pretty good and we want to go through.
"Now we are qualified for the round we want to go through and we know it's a tough place to go, how it always is in cup competitions."
Last time out
A memorable Merseyside derby win brought Liverpool into the fourth round as Scouser Curtis Jones scored a stunning goal to defeat Everton at Anfield. Enjoy the highlights of that one again below...
The fourth round so far
Here's how the Friday and Saturday ties played out...
'We will be ready'
Pedro Chirivella will be hoping to earn another first-team opportunity in the FA Cup today after thriving in midfield when Everton were beaten at Anfield in the last round.
And the Spaniard is sure Liverpool are going to be mentally prepared for the particular task of taking on a lower-league outfit away from home.
"I think it will be a tricky one," he said.
"We have to approach it the same way we always do, try to win and play good football. I think we're going to be ready for that.
"I think it's the biggest game of the season for them or even of their lives. I think Liverpool coming to Shrewsbury to play, it will be a full stadium. We have to be ready for a hard game and I think we'll be ready for that."
The manager's view
Catch up on Klopp's aforementioned pre-match press conference below...
Team news
Dejan Lovren is available to Jürgen Klopp again, further bolstering the Reds' defensive options after Joel Matip returned to fitness.
Naby Keita could also be in contention for this tie, with the manager reporting on Friday that the midfielder would be assessed in training.
James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri are unlikely to be involved, though. And at the time of his pre-match press conference, Klopp did not have an update on the hamstring injury Sadio Mane sustained at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts has no fresh fitness concerns ahead of the game. The League One side recently brought in former Liverpool Academy defender Sam Hart on loan.
Adrian set to start
After a crucial performance in the third-round win over Everton earlier this month, Adrian is set to be back in goal for the Reds at Shrewsbury today.
The last meeting
Where better to start, then, than that one previous fixture between the clubs?
See the highlights of their 1996 contest at Gay Meadow below...
Up for the Cup?
Liverpool continue their FA Cup campaign this evening with a trip to Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round.
It'll be just the second competitive meeting between the two clubs, 24 years after the Reds claimed a 4-0 away win over the Shrews at the same stage of this tournament.
And you can follow all of the build-up, action and reaction from today's tie right here.
