Liverpool reached the FA Cup fourth round with a comfortable victory over a Covid-affected Aston Villa - but it took until the second half to get on top of a home side made up of academy players with no first-team experience.

A coronavirus outbreak at their training ground this week meant no first-team players were available to Villa, with the club fielding a starting XI composed of seven under-23 players and four from the under-18s.

But despite conceding in the fourth minute when Sadio Mane headed in, they remained resolute in defence for the rest of the half and then stunned the visitors when 17-year-old Louie Barry equalised.

The England Under-17 striker, born just a few miles from Villa Park, signed for the club last January for more than £800,000 having had a spell with Barcelona's academy. His composed finish four minutes before the break was as assured as would be expected from Lionel Messi.

Unfortunately for Villa, the youngsters tired and the Reds exerted more pressure in the second half, scoring three goals in a five-minute spell after the break.

Georginio Wijnaldum stroked in Liverpool's second on the hour mark before Mane looped in a header and Mohamed Salah struck home a low shot from inside the area.

Youngsters provide silver lining for Villa

A penny for the thoughts of the Villa youngsters when they were told they would be lining up against the likes of Salah, Mane and Jordan Henderson.

The club's chief executive Christian Purslow explained how, on Thursday, the staff had to find enough players from the under-23s and under-18s to come up with a matchday squad.

Those players then had to have Covid-19 tests - thankfully for Villa the results all came back negative on Friday morning. Purslow said that many of the players were so young that their "mums and dads would be dropping them off at Villa Park".

There were four players in the first XI who had recently hit driving age, 17, and midfielder Benjamin Chrisene was the youngest of the crop at just 16.

Stand-in manager Mark Delaney looked as startled as those reading the teamsheet when he gave his pre-match interview. He knew his mixed bag of youth players had little to no chance of taking their opponents to even extra time, however they did perform better than some would have expected and the goal from Barry will have lifted spirits at the club.

The confidence shown by the teenager to get in front of defender Rhys Williams and stroke the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher was superb, as was the through ball from Callum Rowe.

His team-mates were equally outstanding. Keeper Akos Onodi, 19, made brilliant stops to deny Curtis Jones and Salah, while the defence in front of him prevented the Hungarian from having an even busier night, with skipper Dominic Revan and Mungo Bridge both excellent.

Villa's realistic hopes of progressing were dashed before kick-off, but the youth on show provided a silver lining.
---
*The Guardian*
*Friday, 8 January 2021*

Sadio Mané double lifts Liverpool but Barry shines for youthful Aston Villa

This was supposed to be a walkover, even after the tie got the go-ahead. But for 45 minutes Liverpool were driven to the brink of humiliation by little known but highly impressive upstarts, with Aston Villa forced to field a team of players who had never contested a senior match.

The youngsters shrugged off the concession of an early goal to Sadio Mané to go in level at half-time thanks to a lovely equaliser by 17-year-old Louie Barry. “I’ve never been so proud of a team,” said Barry later. “My family were probably screaming at the TV. When I scored I actually thought: ‘We might even have a chance here.’” Class and fitness eventually told, as Georginio Wijnaldum, Mané and Mohamed Salah each found the net in a quickfire second-half salvo.

“We were a bit rusty at the start but the second half went exactly as we wanted,” said a relieved Jürgen Klopp. “There was not a lot for us to win apart from going to the next round.”

This was a surreal occasion that owed more to the strangeness of our times than to any magic of the Cup. After Villa’s entire first-team squad – and anyone in close contact with them, including Dean Smith and the senior team’s assistants, physios and kitman – were forced into isolation by a Covid outbreak that led to nine players and five staff members testing positive this week, the hosts had to hastily assemble a side made up of youth team players.

Full-back Jake Walker, 20, had to be recalled from a loan stint at Alvechurch in the Southern Premier League Central Division to help Villa complete their team sheet, which was picked by the club’s under-23s manager, Mark Delaney. He started four under-18 players, since several of the club’s most promising under-23s were among those isolating after training with the senior team earlier in the week. For Villa, then, this was primarily an administrative duty rather than a sporting contest, the most pressing concern being to fulfil a fixture. But it turned into an encounter from which the club can take heart. “That was a monumental effort considering what the players have had to go through in the last couple of days,” Delaney said.

It was all the more commendable because Klopp’s approach made no concessions to the hosts’ predicament. Nor to his own team’s gruelling schedule – Maybe he was aiming for a hefty win to inflate confidence after his team’s recent wobbles in the Premier League, or perhaps he wanted to avenge Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat at Villa Park earlier in the season or the 5-0 defeat that an experienced Villa side inflicted on a young Liverpool team in the Carabao Cup last year. Whatever his motivation, Klopp sent out a surprisingly strong side. Villa were undaunted.

Youthful dreams of the mother of all Cup upsets seemed to evaporate after less than four minutes. Mané crept between two defenders to meet a lovely cross from the right by Curtis Jones and nod into the net.

Liverpool monopolised possession in the early stages but, to their credit, Villa’s players defended with a cohesion and focus at odds with their unsettling buildup. And gradually they grew bolder, venturing forward in the 19th minute with a well worked move that culminated in Kaine Kesler unloading a shot from 20 yards, albeit one that was charged down before it reached the box.

Liverpool found embarrassingly few openings. But they would have increased their lead if not for excellent goalkeeping by Akos Onodi, who made a one-handed save to deny Fabinho before springing to his feet to save Mané’s follow-up.

In an opening from which Villa could take much more heart than Liverpool, Salah made few inroads against the rookie home defence. He finally threatened in the 35th minute but Onodi made another good save. And then came the sensational equaliser. It was anything but a fluke.

Callum Rowe created it with a strong run followed by a visionary pass from midfield that caught Rhys Williams off guard. Barry ran away from the centre-back and held his nerve to finish like an seasoned marksman, guiding a low shot into the net from 15 yards.

Klopp summoned reinforcements, introducing Thiago Alcântara for the second period. Liverpool pushed their possession statistics even higher but still struggled to pick a way through a defence led brilliantly by Mungo Bridge and Dominic Revan. All the same, a Liverpool breakthrough began to look inevitable as Villa began to tire, their players having only returned to training this week after being given the festive period off to study.

Wijnaldum banished the prospect of a shock on the hour, guiding a low shot into the net after nimble work by Salah and Minamino.

Then Liverpool pulled away. Mané sent a clever looping header into the net from a nice cross by Xherdan Shaqiri before Salah swivelled and shot into the net from the edge of the area to make it 4-1.
---
*BBC Football*
*Friday, 8 January 2021*

Louie Barry: Aston Villa teenager revels in scoring against Liverpool

For a short while after scoring a dream goal against Liverpool, Aston Villa teenager Louie Barry allowed himself to think that one of the ultimate FA Cup shocks might be on.

While Villa might be a Premier League side in name, a Covid-19 outbreak at the club in the week leading up to their third-round tie against the Premier League champions meant the hosts' entire first-team squad and manager were unavailable for the game.

Even some of the under-23s could not play as they had been training with the senior side.

So when a Villa team containing seven members of the under-23 squad and four from the under-18s - a total of zero first-team appearances between them - went behind to Sadio Mane's fourth-minute header, there was a fear things could get messy.

But step forward Barry, a 17-year-old debutant who was recently on the books of Barcelona, to score a superb goal, racing from deep in his own half, withstanding the attentions of defender Rhys Williams and slotting past Caoimhin Kelleher like a seasoned pro.

Liverpool ended up 4-1 winners - second-half goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Mane and Mohamed Salah ensuring the top-flight leaders' progress - but Barry will be the enduring memory of Friday night.

"My family will have been screaming at the TV," said the youngster, who grew up in the Midlands and was overcome with emotion while being mobbed by his team-mates.

"I was working very hard. When I celebrated everything came out of me. It was relief.

"I've never been so proud of a team - from start to finish we gave it our all."

Barry's match ended with him swapping shirts with Liverpool defender Fabinho, before quickly realising he wanted to keep his debut kit.

Fortunately, the Brazilian gave it back - and allowed the teenager to keep his Reds top.
---
*Birmingham Mail*
*Friday, 8 January 2021*

Here’s how we rated Villa’s youngsters after a spirited showing on their first-team debuts:

*STARTING FORMATION:* 4-5-1

*AKOS ONODI - 10*
Had no chance with Mane’s bullet header which sailed past his near post. The Hungarian international then produced a few outstanding saves, first it was to deny Fabinho’s directed effort on the 20-minute mark, tipping it around the post. Onodi then saved well from Mo Salah. The youngster’s kicking was superb as well as he looked to hit Ben Chrisene on Villa’s left flank as Villa targeted Liverpool’s Neco Williams. Tried desperately to keep Liverpool at bay and was given a shout-out by Tom Heaton after full-time.

*JAKE WALKER - 10*
The 20-year-old was recalled from Alvechurch for this one who play in the Southern Premier League Central Division. Walker, who wears his shorts high, was committed in the challenge and good in the air and kept Takumi Minamino quiet. Steamed into Mane on the touching and won the ball just after half-time.

*DOMINIC REVAN - 10*
Bodies-on-the-line stuff from Villa’s skipper. The 20-year-old was no-nonsense in his approach and worked really well with Mungo Bridge next to him.

*MUNGO BRIDGE - 10*
Bridge was good in possession tonight. There were a few nervy moments when he was dispossessed on the odd occasion but he more than made up for that with a string of sliding challenges to thwart the likes of Salah and Mane. The kid with the dreadlocks must be pinching himself after the night he’s had. Brilliant.

*CALLUM ROWE - 10*
The left-back was Villa’s oldest squad member at 21. Rowe’s not long back from a devastating knee injury which has kept him out for 12 months. Was Villa’s weak link early on but he soon settled into it and grew in stature which was evident when he pinched the ball in midfield before brilliantly sliding in Louie Barry for his equaliser.

*KAINE HAYDEN-KESLER - 10*
Hayden-Kesler has tasted first-team involvement before after making the bench at Everton during Project Restart. He’s highly thought of at Villa and played on the right of midfield. The England under-19 right-back was great and forced the issue whenever he got forward to put Liverpool left-back and Villa hero James Milner under pressure.

*MOHAMMED SYLLA - 10*
Villa’s dogged defensive midfielder was superb. The Barcelona-born Guinea native put himself about and launched into challenges for the claret and blue cause. His positioning was text-book as well as he refused to get dragged out of position.

*LAMARE BOGARDE - 10*
The 16-year-old has been making waves for Villa’s academy after his summer arrival from Feyenoord, so much so that he’s already been fast-tracked from the 18s to the 23s. Did well in the middle today up against Henderson and Curtis Jones. Stuck to his task well before being brought off for Hayden Lindley with 25 to go. Bogarde has got a huge future, make no mistake about that.

*ARJAN RAIKHY - 10*
I thought Raikhy was excellent. Pinched possession off Liverpool on numerous occasions to start attacks and worked tirelessly for the team. A proper No8 this kid is who’s still playing for Villa’s under-18s. A proud night for him and his family, that’s for sure. The teenager’s got a great future in the game.

*BEN CHRISENE - 10*
Really like this kid. Chrisene was signed by Exeter in the summer amid interest from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. He’s really calm on the ball and is Gareth Barry-esque in his approach; tidy, neat in possession and a good left foot. Chrisene was one of two 16-year-old’s in the starting XI.

*LOUIE BARRY - 10**
Had to wait 15 minutes for his first touch when the ball ricocheted off him. Barry ran his heart out and rinsed Minamino down the right side before delivering a dangerous ball. He was just warming up at that stage and he soon got his chance and didn’t he take it well. It was Rowe with the ball in and Barry got his body between him, the ball and Rhys Williams before sprinting forward and finishing cool as you like. The hype’s real with this kid who’s one of the best finishers at the club. What a moment for the boyhood Villa fan who lived his dream tonight.

*BRAD YOUNG (on for Chrisene, 60) - 10*
The Villa youngster has scored for fun for the under-18s and has seven goals from nine fixtures for Sean Verity’s teenagers. Came on to play on the left-hand side in the second half and put in a shift. Showcased a bit of flair as well when he twirled past Shaqiri.

*HARRISON SOHNA (on for Raikhy, 65) - 10*
One of two brothers at the club, Harrison came on and played in the heart of Villa’s midfield.

*HAYDEN LINDLEY (on for Bogarde, 65) - 10*
The 18-year-old came on and played in midfield and was up against Thiago Alcantara.

*SIL SWINKELS (on for Walker, 75) - 10*
Another European addition from the summer following his move from Vitesse Arnhem. Swinkles is a natural centre-back but came on at left-back to do a job and had Shaqiri to deal with.

*EDWARD ROWE (on for C.Rowe, 75) - 10*
The pint-sized 17-year-old came on at right-midfield and did a job between Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
---