A place on the scoresheet for Curtis Jones tonight will see the teenager equal an FA Cup record last set by Luis Suarez.
Anfield’s Weak Spot
The Reds have won three of their last nine games at Anfield in this competition – a replay with Exeter in 2016 and two ties with Everton – in 2018 and earlier this month.
They have been eliminated at home in two of the last three seasons.
Liverpool last won two home FA Cup ties in the same season in 2012 on their way to a cup final appearance against Chelsea, who they will play in the next round should they win this game.
Liverpool have lost at home to lower-league opposition 11 times in total in the FA Cup. On only two of those occasions did they lose to a team more than one division below them – in February 1909 to non-league Norwich City and in January 1993 to Bolton Wanderers of the third tier.
Last Time Out
Donald Love’s own goal was the first scored in Liverpool’s favour by an opposition player in this competition since Oldham’s James Tarkowski at Anfield in 2014.
In the meeting at New Meadow, Curtis Jones (aged 18 years 361 days) became the first teenager to score in successive appearances for the club since Raheem Sterling in 2014.
The game at Shrewsbury was the first time Liverpool had failed to win a game after being at least two goals in front since April 2018 when they drew 2-2 at West Brom in the Premier League. They had won their previous 47 such games.
Liverpool’s youngest ever player in this competition is Harvey Elliott who was 16 years 276 days when appearing against Everton earlier this month.
The Reds youngest ever starting XI was the team that played at Aston Villa in the League Cup in December (19 years 183 days).
Lethal From the Spot
Liverpool have yet to reach the last 16 of this competition under Jurgen Klopp.
In all competitions, Liverpool are unbeaten at home in the last 39 games (35 wins, four draws) since going down to Chelsea in the League Cup (1-2) in September 2018.
The Reds have been successful in 16 out of 21 penalty shoot-outs in all competitions and have won three out of three in the FA Cup – the last being the 2006 Final against West Ham.
The is the first season ever they have been involved in three in a single season and they have fielded a different goalkeeper in each – Alisson in the Community Shield, Adrian in the UEFA Super Cup and Caoimhin Kelleher in the League Cup against Arsenal.
The Reds last went to extra-time in the FA Cup at West Ham in 2016 when they went down 2-1 at West Ham.
A Look at the Unders
Liverpool’s U21’s took part in the EFL Trophy this season for the first time – a competition involving League One & Two sides and 16 Under-21 teams from the Premier League and Championship.
Playing all their matches away from home they were in a group alongside Oldham, Fleetwood and Accrington Stanley. They failed to win any of those games.
They lost 3-2 at Oldham with Neco Williams and Harvey Elliott getting the goals.
The young Reds were then beaten in a penalty shoot-out against Fleetwood after a 1-1 draw (Williams once again scoring). In the shoot-out, Williams, Layton Stewart and Elijah Dixon-Bonner scored with both Jake Cain and Tom Clayton seeing their penalties saved.
In the final group game, they went down 5-2 at Accrington with Dixon-Bonner and Stewart both on the scoresheet.
The club’s U23’s have won six and lost five of their 16 games in Premier League 2 with five draws, scoring 32 while conceding 33.
Captain Jones?
Curtis Jones could captain for the first time in his career. He celebrated his 19th birthday last Thursday.
He has scored in both rounds of this season’s competition and if he finds the net this evening he will become the first Reds player since Luis Suarez in 2012 to score in three successive Liverpool FA Cup games.
Liam Millar scored one goal in 22 appearances for Kilmarnock while on loan this season before being recalled in January. He has won eight full caps for Canada.
Joe Hardy only joined Liverpool last month for an undisclosed fee from Brentford. He had previously been at Manchester City’s Academy. He has already scored three goals.
Kelleher saved a penalty from Dani Ceballos in the League Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal on this ground earlier this season. In his last two appearances, the Reds have conceded 10 goals.
In the League Cup defeat at Aston Villa shortly before Christmas, Morgan Boyes, Tony Gallacher, Isaac Christie-Davies, Tom Hill, Luis Longstaff, Jack Bearne, Leighton Clarkson, and James Norris all made their Liverpool debuts.
Of the players expected to be involved in this replay, Pedro Chirivella has made most appearances for the Reds – 10.
Liverpool have already used 40 players this season – a new club record (one more than 2015-16) – and could add to that tally this evening.
A Bumpy Road for Town
Shrewsbury Town are 59 places below the current European and World champions and currently 16th in League One.
Shrewsbury in the first meeting became only the seventh team to score more than once against the Reds in a game this season and only the fourth to put two second half goals past Klopp’s men.
Town have been knocked out of the competition in each of the last nine seasons on an opponents ground.
Shrewsbury have won just one of their last 10 matches – the replay against Bristol City that earned them this tie – with five draws and four defeats.
Away from the New Meadow, they have failed to win any of the last six (three draws and three losses) since recording a 1-0 victory at Blackpool four days before Christmas.
They have kept one clean sheet in the last 10 games – the home win over Bristol City in the FA Cup and have not scored since the first game with Liverpool, losing 0-2 at Gillingham and 0-1 at Rochdale.
A Rare Feat
Jason Cummings became only the third man to score twice in a match against Liverpool during the campaign following Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal and Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia.
The Shrewsbury player became the first substitute to score twice in an FA Cup tie against top-flight opposition while playing for a lower league team since January 2011 when Hull’s Nick Barmby achieved the feat against Wigan.
The Man in the Middle
This evening’s referee is Andy Madley. His only other previous Liverpool game was in September 2015 when the Reds game with League Two Carlisle United went to penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Reds prevailed 3-2 in the shoot-out.
Madley was in charge of the Crystal Palace vs. Sheffield United game last Saturday when he overruled his own red card decision by visiting the pitchside monitor.
Scorers This Season
Liverpool: Salah 18, Mane 15, Firmino 10, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7, Origi 5, Milner 4, Van Dijk 4, own goals 4, Henderson 3, Keita 3, Wijnaldum 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Jones 2, Matip 2, Robertson 2, Fabinho 1, Hoever 1, Lallana 1, Lovren 1, Shaqiri 1
Liverpool goalscorers at U18 to U23 level: Stewart 16, Jones 14, Hill 8, Cain 7, O’Rourke 7, Brewster 6, Longstaff 6, Dixon-Bonner 5, Elliott 5, Balagizi 4, Bearne 3, Bradley 3, Hardy 3, Kane 3, Williams 3, Clarkson 2, Larouci 2, Norris 2, Woltman 2, Beck 1, Boyes 1, Chirivella 1, Christie-Davies 1, Gallacher 1, Millar 1, Morton 1, Ritaccio 1, Savage 1, Varesanovic 1
Shrewsbury: Cummings 7, Laurent 4, Edwards 3, Norburn 3, Okenabirhie 3, Pierre 3, Beckles 2, Golbourne 2, Udoh 2, Walker 2, Whalley 2, own goals 2, Ebanks-Landell 1, Giles 1, Goss 1, Lang 1, Thompson 1
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