Liverpool produced a professional display, to win their first game in the League Cup for three years, as they won at MK Dons. In what could have been a banana skin against hungry lower league opposition, the men from Merseyside showed their resolve, and will now play at home to Arsenal in the 4th round of the Carabao Cup.
In front of a raucous record crowd of 28,521 at Stadium MK, Liverpool, who have an early kick off on Saturday in the Premier league against Sheffield United, fielded a team with an average age of 23. 20-year-old Caoimhin Kelleher, made his first start for the club in goal, to give Adrian a break, as first choice keeper Alisson is not expected back from injury until well into next month. 17-year-old Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever, made his first senior start, but this was not his first appearance after he featured in the FA Cup last season in the defeat at Wolves. Up front, 19-year-old Rhian Brewster was also handed his first senior start by Jurgen Klopp, while Curtis Jones (18), made his second start for the Reds. Harvey Elliott, the 16-year-old signed from Fulham in the summer, was trusted by Klopp to start and he became the youngest ever player to start a senior match for Liverpool.
The game had a slightly cautious start, but in the 10th minute MK Dons almost took the lead. Dejan Lovren was dispossessed, and the ball eventually found its way back to Conor McGrandles, but he could only shoot well over the bar. A couple of minutes later, and it was Liverpool who should have taken the lead. Some good work by James Milner on the left hand side, ending with him cutting the ball across the box, where it found Harvey Elliott, but he could only hit the crossbar from just inside the six yard box. Later on, Milner continued to have his way on the left, and he fed Curtis Jones, but his effort was saved by Stuart Moore. Elliott, continued to cause MK Dons problems himself, and he produced a lovely bit of skill to beat two defenders, but Milner could only head his cross wide of the goal. In the 29th minute: Milner found room again and played a teasing ball into the box, but Rhian Brewster could not reach it. Caoimhin Kelleher, had some expected nerves on his debut and he almost handled outside of his own area in the 36th minute. The deadlock was broken in the 41st minute, when the ball found its way to Milner, he looked up and hit a shot from just inside the angle of the penalty area, and Stuart Moore looked to have it under control, but he fluffed his lines and by the time he could react the ball had already crossed the line. 1-0. At the other end, Kelleher, was starting to grow as the game went on, and he did well to come off his line and clear the danger at the end of the first half.
In the second period; Elliott went close again, hitting the side netting with a right foot shot. In the 58th minute, Liverpool were almost caught napping, when they thought they would be saved by the offside flag, luckily Lovren was able to get back and made the block. From the resulting corner, Milner dived in and did well to distract Jordan Bowery and his effort clipped the outside of the post. Liverpool, put the tie to bed in the 69th minute when Milner who had been a constant threat filling in at left back put in a teasing left foot cross and Ki-Jana Hoever leaped to head them 2-0 in front, his first senior goal. Liverpool almost made it 3 when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the post with a long range effort, the replay showed that the keeper got a fingertip on it, a great save. Either side of that Oxlade-Chamberlain shot, Kelleher, made saves to deny Bowery, one from a shot from outside the box, the other a great save with his legs to deny a point blank header. In the 78th minute, Bowery's efforts were in vain again as Milner hared back to make a superb block on him. A minute after this, Lovren had to head off the line, when Kelleher never dealt properly with a punched clearance. it was quite clear it was not going to be the MK Dons' day. In the last minute of the game, Elliott was to hit the bar once again, this time with a right footed effort.
So the job was done, Liverpool had advanced to next round, however they would have liked to have got lower league opposition rather than drawing Arsenal, this way they could have named a similar side to this one. Curtis Jones was given the Carabao man of the match, but James Milner who was the oldest man on the pitch, played really well and probably deserved it, despite some of the brilliance that Jones showed on the ball. Harvey Elliott, has a very bright future ahead if he keeps up this level of performance. He has guile, is comfortable with both feet and tenacious. A good day at the office for Jurgen Klopp, and his main xi are well rested to attack their Premier League game away to Sheffield United on and their Champions League game against Salzburg.
@DubulDee
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