28 February 2024 , 23:03
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for youngsters Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns as the pair fired them to victory over Southampton in the FA Cup.
Koumas, making his debut, put the Reds in front with a deflected effort late in the first half. Danns replaced his fellow teenager with half an hour remaining and added two goals of his own, the first with a deft chip over Saints keeper Joe Lumley.
Klopp also called upon young talents James McConnell, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark and Jarell Quansah from the start, while Kaide Gordon and Trey Nyoni came off the bench in the second period. Liverpool's manager has been down to the bare bones after a succession of injuries, while illness meant neither Andy Robertson nor Alexis Mac Allister was fit to start on Wednesday.
Despite the growing absentee list, though, the results keep coming. The 3-0 win over Russell Martin's Southampton was enough to send Liverpool through to the quarter-finals of the cup, where Manchester United await after claiming a late victory at Nottingham Forest.
"I said before the game, Lewis is a fantastic finisher," Klopp told ITV. "He'll have to improve, and learn so much, but he's a fantastic finisher already and the goals are the same size in youth (football), there's no difference.
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"And Dannsy, we knew as well that he's quite a good finisher but then the way he played. You saw this [first] goal is exceptional, but again that's no difference to youth level, because the ball is played, he's a striker, he knows what he has to do."
Speaking about a "pretty special" victory, Klopp was also quick to point to the challenges facing his side ahead of a number of make-or-break games in the title race. Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch were the latest injury victims, with problems sustained at Wembley on Sunday ensuring they played no part in midweek.
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Lewis Koumas opened the scoring at Anfield (AFP via Getty Images)"The situation we are in, the situation is horribly difficult," Klopp added. "We have too many games and not enough players, but... there's a really positive mood around the dressing room and in the training ground. We just accept the fact that we are a little bit in trouble and we have to find solutions, and we tried that, and now let's see who can play the next game."
That next game comes at the City Ground on Saturday, with opponents Nottingham Forest coming off a frustrating late cup exit. They were level with Manchester United going into the final few minutes, only for Casemiro to steal in to turn a Bruno Fernandes delivery beyond Matt Turner.
"I'm disappointed for the fans," Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC Sport after his team's defeat. "We all had the dream for the FA Cup. Now it’s over. We’ll try again next time."
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