Liverpool are on the hunt for their first-ever FA Cup fifth round appearance under Jurgen Klopp, here are all the best stats ahead of today’s kickoff.
A Brief History
The teams have met only once before in history and that came in this round of the FA Cup in 1996 with Liverpool winning 4-0 at Gay Meadow.
The Reds goals came from Stan Collymore (8 minutes), Dave Walton own goal (68), Robbie Fowler (74) and Jason McAteer (83).
That game kicked off at 11am on the Sunday of fifth round weekend following two postponements due to snow.
Liverpool went on to reach the final, only to lose to Manchester United.
This will be the Reds first visit to the New Meadow which opened in 2007 and was the first to introduce safe standing. It will be the seventh ground they have appeared at for the first time this season following trips to Besiktas, MK Dons, Genk, Salzburg, Doha and Tottenham.
Cup History & New Territory
The Reds last away win in the competition came in January 2017 when they defeated Plymouth Argyle 1-0 in a replay at Home Park thanks to a Lucas header. Divock Origi saw his late penalty saved.
That is their only FA Cup victory on the road since beating Blackburn in April 2015.
Liverpool are looking to reach the fifth round of the competition for the first time under Jurgen Klopp. They last did so in 2015 when they eventually lost in the semi-final to Aston Villa.
Klopp has been in charge of Liverpool 11 times in the FA Cup, so far he has used 60 players. Of those 11 matches, he has won four, with three draws and four losses.
Liverpool have scored nine goals in their last nine FA Cup games and only once in the last 26 matches in the competition have they scored more than twice in a game – they beat Exeter 3-0 in 2016.
Beyond the Premier League
Liverpool were last beaten by a non-Premier League team in the FA Cup in 2017 when Championship outfit Wolves won at Anfield in 2017.
Wolves are one of seven lower division sides to have knocked Liverpool out of the Cup in this millennium – the others being Blackburn (2000), Crystal Palace (2003), Burnley (2005), Barnsley (2008), Reading (2010) and Oldham Athletic (2013).
From that 3-2 loss at Oldham only Jordan Henderson remains at Anfield.
The last Liverpool hat-trick in the FA Cup was scored by Yossi Benayoun against non-league Havant & Waterlooville in the fourth round in 2008. It is one of 19 hat-tricks scored by a Liverpool player in this competition.
The youngest Liverpool player to score in this competition is Sheyi Ojo who was 18 years 215 days when finding the net against Exeter at Anfield in January 2016.
Fate Sealed From the First
The Reds have won each of the last 42 games in which they have scored the first goal, including the penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal in the League Cup. This season they have won all 28 when netting a game’s opening goal.
They are unbeaten in league and cup in the last 56 games (53 wins, 3 draws) when scoring the first goal since losing to Chelsea at Anfield in the League Cup last season.
Adam Lallana scored against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup in November 2010 as Southampton recorded a 2-0 first round home victory. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also played that day.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, himself, scored against today’s opponents in an Arsenal League Cup victory (3-1) at the Emirates in September 2011.
Town View
Shrewsbury Town go into this game 59 places below the current European and World champions. They are 16th in League One, having won eight of their 25 matches.
In 19 home games this season in league and cup they have won nine with five draws and five defeats, with one of those losses coming on penalties to Manchester City’s Under-21’s in the EFL Trophy.
The late victory over Bristol City is their only success in their last three games at the New Meadow and is their only victory in the last seven games home and away in all competitions.
Town have scored in all but two of their last 17 league and cup matches.
In the last 12 games Shrewsbury have let in 11 goals, including two in last Saturday’s draw at Fleetwood.
In 2003 and languishing near the bottom of the Football League they beat Everton (80 places above them) with Nigel Jemson scoring twice, including the 89th-minute winner, in a 2-1 home victory. The Shrewsbury boss that day was former Goodison legend, Kevin Ratcliffe.
Familiar faces & Red History
Goalkeeper Joe Murphy’s first touch of the ball in his Premier League career came for West Brom at Anfield in 2002 when he saved a Michael Owen penalty.
He entered the field as a 21-year old-substitute after Russell Hoult had been sent off and promptly saved the England forward’s kick with the game goalless. Liverpool did however go on to win the game 2-0. It is Murphy’s only appearance against the Reds.
David Edwards has faced the Reds twice before in the FA Cup and was part of the Wolves team that won at Anfield in 2017. He also played for Luton in 2008 in a 1-1 draw, so is unbeaten against the Reds in this competition.
Donald Love made one Premier League appearance for Manchester United and played against Liverpool for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in January 2017 in a 2-2 draw.
Scott Golbourne played for Exeter against Liverpool in a League Cup tie in August 2011 – Liverpool winning 3-1 at St. James’ Park.
Sam Hart, who joined on loan recently from Blackburn, is a former Liverpool youngster who played for the Reds first team in a pre-season friendly at Mainz in 2016.
Romain Vincelot was in the Brighton team beaten by Liverpool in the League Cup in 2011.
Striker Callum Lang was at Anfield earlier this month to see his beloved Everton lose to the Reds in the Third Round.
The Adjacent Dugout
Manager Sam Ricketts was appointed as Town boss in December 2018 after a spell with Wrexham.
He led them to the fourth round last season after beating Stoke in a third round replay. It took a replay for Wolves to eliminate them, again in replay. Wolves were two goals down with 75 minutes gone and required a 93rd minute to force the replay.
Ricketts appeared six times against the Reds as a player with Hull and Bolton winning once with Wanderers in 2012. He lost on four occasions. He was capped 52 times by Wales.
Scorers This Season
Liverpool: Mane 15, Salah 15, Firmino 10, Origi 5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 5, Milner 4, Van Dijk 4, Keita 3, Wijnaldum 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Henderson 2, Matip 2, Robertson 2, Fabinho 1, Hoever 1, Jones 1, Lallana 1, Lovren 1, Shaqiri 1, own goals 3.
Shrewsbury: Cummings 5, Laurent 4, Edwards 3, Norburn 3, Okenabirhie 3, Pierre 3, Beckles 2, Golbourne 2, Udoh 2, Walker 2, Whalley 2, Ebanks-Landell 1, Giles 1, Goss 1, Lang 1, Thompson 1, own goals 2.
