Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury: Jurgen Klopp's Covid-ravaged Reds march on in the FA Cup

For seven minutes the grand heist was on and for another 10 this game was even. Let’s call that the age of innocence before Liverpool found sufficient holes in a yellow wall to kill an unlikely tale.

They weren’t especially brilliant in doing so, and nor were they poor. But it was a dominant performance wrapped in a feeling that it was occasionally too much of a slog for those given a game by Jurgen Klopp.

And that is predominantly down to Shrewsbury. They turned up for a fight and to the best of their capabilities they delivered, first in going 1-0 up against all logic and tides through Daniel Udoh, and then in limiting the subsequent damage.

Daniel Udoh opened the scoring for the plucky visitors by getting in front of Ibrahima Konate and volleying home

The big striker celebrated in front of a raucous away end of Shrewsbury fans inside Anfield

The Reds however were back level within minutes after youngster Kaide Gordon tucked home at the Kop end

The former Derby starlet opened his senior account for the Reds and let out the emotion during his celebration

It wasn’t enough to stop a heavy scoreline, achieved through Kaide Gordon’s equaliser, and the following strikes for Fabinho, who scored the second and fourth, and Roberto Firmino, who back-heeled the third.

But 4-1 is probably misleading, both in the sense that it was only 2-1 until the 78th minute, and also because it might have been an awful lot more, given Liverpool had 83 per cent of possession. Better teams have spent far less time chasing Liverpool and taken far bigger beatings, so that is a testament of sorts to the work Shrewsbury did in the frenzied, prolonged defence of their penalty area.

For Liverpool, there isn’t much to shout about from a win over the 15th-placed side in League One, but out of a heavily-rotated side Klopp will have mined some encouraging information. Most of it will centre on their equalising goal, which was built in their academy, with the assist coming from Conor Bradley, 18, and a fine finish from Gordon, 17. Combined they have fewer years on the clock than James Milner; in isolation, Gordon is the second youngest scorer in Liverpool’s history.

‘They can both do so much better because they are really talented,’ said Klopp. ‘I’m really happy with how they did.’ 

Jurgen Klopp had handed opportunities to several of his youth players to take their chance to impress

Liverpool then took the lead after Fabinho tucked home a penalty, following a handball inside the Reds' area

Beyond satisfaction at their contributions, the prime emotion for Klopp appeared to be relief at the end of a week in which preparations were ravaged by Covid. In among it all Liverpool’s training ground was briefly closed, with their Carabao Cup clash against Chelsea also postponed because of an apparent outbreak in Klopp’s squad and staff, including Klopp himself.

The Liverpool manager, who was back on the sidelines after seven days in isolation, was forced by necessity to field four teenagers for this game, before later detailing how many of the absences from his squad were caused by ‘false positives’.

‘We thought we had a proper outbreak last week and it showed up we had a lot of false positives,’ said Klopp, who confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned a legitimate positive test. ‘The rules are like they are. The false positives couldn't play.’

In reflecting on the result in trying circumstances, he added: ‘It was a very difficult week and the boys did well. We are just happy to go through.’ 

Fair enough, though it will have no doubt frustrated Klopp that his side so often lacked the wit to break through a team happy to sit back. Especially when his own team, for all its missing stars, still had the quality of Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Fabinho. For that reason it was difficult to forecast any serious jeopardy in the situation ahead of kick-off, even if Shrewsbury did take Liverpool to a replay just two years ago.

The early scraps this time all favoured Klopp’s side, before Shrewsbury jolted Anfield with a goal from a rare attack. 

Substitute Roberto Firmino produced some Brazilian magic by tucking a back-heel beneath defenders and the keeper

The striker peeled away with a big grin on his face after getting himself among the goals

Fabinho capped off an emphatic afternoon for Liverpool by volleying home with the last kick of the game to make it 4-1

The move started with a long diagonal from Ethan Ebanks-Landell, which Nathanael Ogbeta took down on his chest on the left before tricking some space from Bradley. His cross to the near post should have been cut out by Ibrahima Konate, but instead travelled on to Daniel Udoh, who knocked past Caoimhin Kelleher. Steve Cotterill, who was in hospital this time last year with Covid, couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

For a brief period, the dream was on, but Gordon finished well for the equaliser, with one touch to control Bradley’s cross and another to turn Josh Vela ahead of a well-measured finish.

Shrewsbury attempted to push back, but the prospects of romance took a sharp dip when Ebanks-Landell handled a cross for a penalty. Fabinho sent Marko Marosi the wrong way.

With multiple Liverpool attacks disappearing down dark alleys, Klopp brought on Firmino and among his first touches was the backheel for 3-1. Fabinho got his second from close range in stoppage time.

Cotterill, who labelled Van Dijk a ‘gentleman’ for his kind words in the Shrewsbury dressing room after the match, said: ‘I didn’t think it was a 4-1 game. I thought it was a 2-1. I am very proud of my players.’

Scroll down below to re-live all of the action with Sportsmail's DANNY GALLAGHER, who provided live FA Cup coverage from Anfield, along with updates on West Ham vs Leeds, Tottenham vs Morecambe and Wolves vs Sheffield United.