Harvey Elliott, who recovered from his horror ankle injury, scored the third – and final – goal of Liverpool’s win over Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth round. In the same round, Championship side Nottingham Forest thrashed Leicester City 4-1.
An unproductive first-half gave way to a fruitful second for Liverpool, who, seeing how results panned out elsewhere, escaped any painful surprise that Cardiff City might have had in store for them. Still, without AFCON finalists Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Jurgen Klopp instead relied on much of his second-string attack to give him an edge over the Championship outfit.
But, it was regular league starter Diogo Jota who gave the Reds the lead in the 53rd minute, flicking a Trent Alexander-Arnold inswinging delivery from a set-piece situation.
With Liverpool in control, Klopp sent on winter signing Luis Diaz for his debut, along with Elliott, finally back from his injury hell. Diaz proved to be an instant hit, winning the ball by the touchline inside the Cardiff box before setting up a shot for Jota with his quick feet. While the ball escaped Jota, it didn’t, Takumi Minamino; the attacker pounced on the loose ball to put Liverpool 2-0 ahead in the 68th minute.
Shortly after, Elliott gave a glimpse of his immense potential. The full-back set up a shot for himself with the softest of touches before swivelling around the ball and smashing it into the bottom corner – his side now 3-0 ahead.
Rubin Colwill pulled a goal back for Cardiff with a confident finish in the 80th minute, but Klopp’s men protected their lead well to progress through to the next round.
Elsewhere, Championship outfit Nottingham Forest obliterated Leicester City. Forest raced into a 3-0 lead by the 31st minute with goals from Philip Zinckernagel, Brennan Johnson, and Joe Worrall.
Kelechi Iheanacho made it 3-1 in the 40th minute, knocking the ball past goalkeeper Brice Samba – who had raced off his line – outside the box and squeezing it in from a tight angle.
But Djed Spence restored Forest’s three-goal lead in the 61st minute when he burst past the Leicester defence, played a give-and-go with Zinckernagel, and arrowed the ball into the corner.
