Liverpool witness a first in 131-year history vs Southampton

Liverpool experienced a first in their 131-year history as they beat Southampton 3-0 at Anfield in the FA Cup. The kids' success is unprecedented.

An injury crisis has left Jurgen Klopp relying on the kids right now. We saw it against Luton Town last week and then, more prominently, as Liverpool saw out a Carabao Cup victory at Wembley.

But the 120 minutes there forced Klopp to really lean into the academy against Southampton. This included Lewis Koumas making his debut from the left, while both Bobby Clark and James McConnell started into midfield.

Jayden Danns, Kaide Gordon and Trey Nyoni then all came off the bench, making the likes of Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, and Conor Bradley actually seem like experienced pros.

Most notably, though, Liverpool had the teenagers to thank for the win. Koumas scored the opener just before half-time, while Danns scored twice as a substitute to seal a 3-0 win.

The records fell, of course. Koumas is the fourth-youngest debut scorer in Liverpool's history, while Danns is the second-youngest player to score a brace for the club (Michael Owen tops both stats, for those wondering).

And above all, this is the first time a pair of players aged 18 or younger have scored in the same game for the Reds (per Opta's Michael Reid). 131 years of football have come and gone but we've never once seen this before.

It makes Liverpool vs Southampton a unique fixture in the club's history. Klopp backed his academy players as much as it was possible and they repaid him with a solid victory over a Championship team that played very well.

Thus it's easy to think that the records may not stop tumbling. Liverpool may welcome a few back for the weekend's fixture against Nottingham Forest but there will undoubtedly still be a few kids in the squad.

Another opportunity to deliver something special.