Liverpool’s route to the FA Cup final
Liverpool take on Chelsea in the FA Cup Cup final on Saturday, in a repeat of their meeting for the Carabao Cup final in February.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how Jurgen Klopp’s Reds made it to Wembley.
Liverpool 4 Shrewsbury 1 (third round, Jan 9)
A well-taken strike from Kaide Gordon 🤩— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 10, 2022
Seventeen-year-old Kaide Gordon became Liverpool’s youngest FA Cup goalscorer when he equalised Daniel Udoh’s surprise opening goal for the League One visitors. The £1million signing from Derby last season, aged 17 years and 96 days, started the comeback on only his second appearance which was completed with two goals from midfielder Fabinho, the first a penalty, and a Roberto Firmino backheel.
Liverpool 3 Cardiff 1 (fourth round, Feb 6)
Teenager Harvey Elliott marked his return from almost five months out with a serious ankle injury with his first goal for the club. Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino both scored in the second half before the 18-year-old Elliott, sidelined since a fracture dislocation at Leeds in September, produced a brilliant swivelled finish in front of the Kop. New £37.5million signing Luis Diaz also made his debut, before Cardiff substitute Rubin Colwill scored an 80th-minute consolation.
Liverpool 2 Norwich 1 (fifth round, Mar 2)
A @takumina0116 brace helped @LFC to see off @NorwichCityFC, and book their spot in the #EmiratesFACup quarter-finals 📈 pic.twitter.com/rsNVjDH4j9— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 3, 2022
Cup specialist Minamino scored both goals to put Jurgen Klopp into his first FA Cup quarter-final. In a team registering 10 changes from one which won the Carabao Cup three days previously the Japan international took his tally to seven goals in eight cup games for the season. Lukas Rupp’s goal 14 minutes from time gave the visitors a lifeline but they could not prevent Liverpool booking a place in the last eight for the first time since 2015.
Nottingham Forest 0 Liverpool 1 (quarter-final, Mar 20)
Diogo Jota’s 78th-minute goal was enough to end Nottingham Forest’s valiant FA Cup run. The City Ground had been a graveyard for Premier League sides with Arsenal and Leicester both exiting at the hands of former Reds academy coach Steve Cooper’s exciting side. The match hinged on a three-minute spell preceding Jota’s close-range strike when Forest’s Philip Zinckernagel shot wide with only goalkeeper Alisson Becker to beat.
Liverpool 3 Manchester City 2 (semi-final, Apr 16)
Mané 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 ⚡️#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/IKGpGAApkn— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 16, 2022
Liverpool ended Manchester City’s hopes of a treble in another engaging encounter at Wembley, having drawn 2-2 in the league six days previously. Defender Ibrahima Konate headed home an early corner before Zack Steffen’s error saw Sadio Mane force home from close range and then beat City’s second-choice goalkeeper at his near post on the stroke of half-time. Jack Grealish scored two minutes into the second half but Bernardo Silva’s 90th-minute goal came too late to give City a chance of forcing extra-time.
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