A largely youthful and untested Liverpool FC XI came out on top against Lincoln City in a 7-2 rout of their League 1 opponents in the third round of the EFL Cup and in the process book a fourth-round date with Arsenal.
TEAM NEWS
Featuring academy graduate Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones, and Neco Williams, was always going to be a task for Jurgen Klopp, however, the Liverpool FC boss gave starts to fringe squad players in Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, the latter making his first start for the Reds since December.
MATCH PROCEEDINGS
It was Shaqiri who opened the scoring for Klopp’s side in only the ninth minute following kick-off with a neatly struck free-kick into the top corner of the net. Takumi Minamino made the most a first-team opportunity coming his way and scored an absolute worldie just minutes after Liverpool FC had taken the lead.
Curtis Jones got a brace inside the opening 45 minutes, with both of the 19-year old’s goals coming in quick succession. The Reds concluded the proceedings of the first half with a scoreline of 4-0 in their favour and advancement to the next round all but confirmed.
Minamino found the back of the for the second time within 18 seconds of the second-half whistle as Liverpool FC increased their lead to five. Marko Grujic handed a surprise start by Klopp despite the midfielder’s uncertain future at Anfield, got the penultimate goal for the Merseyside giants with a neatly tucked low finish past Lincoln goalkeeper Palmer.
The hosts, however, switched their gears and bounced back with two of their goals coming within a span of just six minutes, both being scored on either side of Grujic’s strike.
Origi wrapped up the game in near certainty with his first of the evening and Liverpool FC’s seventh, thereby completing a 7-2 humbling of Lincoln City as Jurgen Klopp’s men look set to go up against Arsenal on Monday next week in the Premier League.
MATCH STATS
SCORE: 2-7
Possession: Lincoln City FC- 28% Liverpool FC- 72%
Yellow Cards: Lincoln City FC- 1 Liverpool FC- 0
Shots: Lincoln City FC FC- 13 Liverpool FC- 23
Offsides: Lincoln City FC FC- 5 Liverpool FC- 0
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
