It took as much time for Liverpool to warm up in the first half as it did the crowd, but soon The Kop was in full voice. Twenty-fourth was the number on the clock as a cleverly worked team goal was finished by Adam Morgan. After that it became a quick fire competition of ‘goal of the match’, as both teams looked to take the award home. Goals from Krisztian Adorjan, Serge Gnabry, Chuba Akpom and another Morgan strike created a great game for all that had made their way to Anfield on Monday night.
Jonjo Shelvey, Andre Wisdom and Suso dropped down from the senior squad and made their way into an U21s side that lost their last match (at home on Thursday afternoon to Tottenham Hotspur).
The first twenty minutes was bitty, with neither team really getting at the other. Half chances were made, but nothing solid enough to create a clear goalscoring opportunity.
As Liverpool started to turn on the style, Shelvey tackled strongly in the middle and drove towards goal as Inglethorpe bellowed at him, from the edge of his technical area, to pass it down the inside left channel to Jordon Ibe. The England U21 international midfielder obliged and fed the youngster. The nippy winger broke past Bellerin at right back and pulled it back for Morgan to squirm home.
However, Arsenal were soon to reply. A free kick was floated into the back post area from deep and Sead Hajrovic beat Craig Roddan in the air to loft it back across the face of Danny Ward’s goal. Chuba Akpom was there to fire it in past the despairing goalkeeper who could do nothing more than flail a trailing hand towards the ball.
The goal spurred Arsenal into a succession of chances; the pick of which was when Thomas Eisfeld dribbled past Jordon Ibe on the edge of the box to then cut inside Wisdom and fire, what looked to be, Arsenal infront, bar a great stop from Danny Ward’s legs. The danger was seen off, finally, when Gnabry fired the ball into row Z.
The second half finished with a Jonjo Shelvey chance. After good work from Adam Morgan whilst dropping deep, Shelvey found space and fired a vicious shot towards Wojciech Szczesny’s goal. The Polish international was forced into a smart stop and conceded a corner before the referee blew up for half-time.
The second half resumed with Arsenal dominating the ball to a greater extent than they did in the first period. As a consequence, a series of chances fell their way.
Eisfeld broke free down the right hand side and unleashed a shot towards Ward’s near post and, in honesty, the goalkeeper did well to turn it round the post for an Arsenal corner. Nico Yennaris then hung a curling effort towards Ward’s goal, only for it to cannon off of the far post – the keeper was stranded and only offered a consolation dive.
The final chance of the period fell to Kris Olsson as he danced past Wisdom on the edge of the box and fired narrowly wide of the target.
As this shot was dragged wide by the Arsenal player, the Liverpool side dragged themselves together. After a foul on Conor Coady, Ibe broke with the ball down the left, found Jonjo Shelvey lying deep 30 yards out, who, in turn, found Adam Morgan on the edge of the box. The young Scouser took one touch to flick it up and then looked to loop the ball towards goal. Sczcsney did well to save it to his left.
As Arsenal seemed to tire, Krisztian Adorjan picked up the ball twenty yards out, drove towards goal, dribbled past Isaac Hayden and volleyed the bobbling ball into the far, top corner of the Polish ‘keeper’s net.
But it was again Arsenal who replied instantly. Akpom was tackled by Wisdom just outside the box and the ball ricocheted free to Serge Gnabry who turned smartly past Andre Wisdom and fired a shot, off balance, into the far corner of the Liverpool net.
Saed Hajrovic then proceeded to throw his body in the way of Adam Morgan as he bore down on goal, straight after the Arsenal equaliser, certain to make it 3-2. The defender made up for his colleagues mistake seconds earlier, one of which Liverpool nearly made pay.
As the game was reaching the 80th minute, Suso picked up the ball in space twenty yards from goal; his eyes sparred towards the goal but he spotted the Hungarian playmaker, Krisztian Adorjan, making a bucaneering run down the right flank. The Spaniard’s well weighted pass was met with a driven, first time cross by Adorjan who found Man of the Match Morgan at the back post for his second of the game.
With five minutes to go, and the game seemingly won, Jordon Ibe was replaced by Swedish winger, Kristoffer Peterson – who had little chance to get into the game.
The performance will please the coaching staff at the academy, as will the result. Adam Morgan will go home full of confidence and Liverpool will look to tackle West Brom, at Kirkby on Sunday, with as much passion as they did this tie and come away with a similar result.
