FA Cup, the oldest national football competition in the world is back. And It’s Liverpool vs Shrewsbury Town in the Round 3 fixture on Sunday.
Liverpool have won the competition seven times so far. But the Reds have been disappointing in the competition for the past several years now.
The Merseyside giants last won the FA Cup back in 2006, beating West ham on penalties after the match ended as 3-3.
Liverpool vs Shrewsbury Town: Match preview
Liverpool will surely be leaving recent disappointing results and turn on their focus on domestic cup competition against The Shrews.
The Reds’ against The Shrews should go ahead sanguinely on Sunday. Previously, EFL has granted permission to postpone Liverpool’s game against Arsenal due to the rapid rise in Covid cases in Reds camp.
Liverpool have been without many first-team players lately owing to Covid, injuries, and National duties. Moreover, the Reds Boss Klopp and his assistant Lijnders too have been in isolation with suspected covid infection.
But rebound from the virus and the end of the isolation period for a handful of first-team members could lighten up chances of playing on Sunday.
But there are higher chances that the club’s academy will support the home side if the fixture goes ahead.
The Cup competition games are the ones where several academy players from U-18’s and U-23’s get their chance to experience proper first-team football on the pitch. Moreover, with now Covid running deep in the Anfield camp, the academy players are highly in consideration.
Additionally, with Klopp and Lijnders both in isolation, it could be Peter Krawietz or Barry Lewtas’s need to take the helm.
But if the fixture goes ahead, Liverpool will still be favourites to progress given the history of the fixture.
Liverpool have had the upper hand against Shrewsbury. Previously eliminated the Salops in the fourth round of the competition in both 1995-96 and 2019-20 seasons.
Moreover, since joining the Football League in 1893 the Reds have lost just twice at home in FA Cup games against sides outside the top two tiers of English football. Previously, losing to Norwich City in 1908-09 and Bolton Wanderers in 1992-93 seasons.
Meanwhile, the Shrews have won their last two away FA Cup ties. But interestingly never won three in a row away in the competition.
Team News
Liverpool’s African stars with the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita have travelled to Cameroon for AFCON. The trio will be absent for up to a month.
Meanwhile, Divock Origi, Nat Phillips, Adrian, and Harvey Elliott are surely to miss out with injuries. Besides, Thiago Alcantara and Takumi Minamino had injury concerns before their last game at Chelsea.
But the Japanese should potentially be available to face Shrewsbury.
The trio of Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino, and Joel Matip all were tested positive for Covid-19 before facing Chelsea. And thus are unlikely to feature for Sunday’s game.
Liverpool probable starting line up:
Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Koumetio, Robertson; Henderson, Tyler Morton, Jones; Gordon, Jota, Oxlade-Chamberlain
Liverpool vs Shrewsbury Town: What Anfield Home Predicts
The list of long absentees in Anfield camp might come in handy in influencing the outcome of the game. Moreover, Steve Cotterill’s side would look to take advantage of Liverpool’s enormous crisis.
The Salops are currently unbeaten in the last four games (W3, D1). Meanwhile, Liverpool’s form have taken a big dip thanks to injuries and Covid as they have won just once in the last four games (D2, L1).
A tight contest can be anticipated given the circumstances. The home crowd should have a big impact given Liverpool are likely to posedown a pretty young squad from their academy.
With a renowned Anfield crowd by their side and with some pretty young talent at the helm supported by a handful of first-team players Liverpool are likely to cruise through 2-1 against The Shrews.
