Despite that early cramp stoppage and three goals in this half, we're in for only two more minutes before the final whistle.
81'
It's a testament to the strength of this Reds side that they have been able to bring a fleet of world-class superstars off the bench and improve their flow here. If Thiago had started this match, he might have given them some early hustle and flow they lacked at points before the break.
79'
Don't be too surprised if Onodi is singled out for praise post-match too. The keeper's record has been blemished by the flurry of late goals but he has looked every inch the future top-flight shotstopper with some of his work today.
77'
At the very least for Villa - as Liverpool roar forward again - this will have been an education for their youngsters. The depths of their pandemic-blighted issues are yet to be fully realised perhaps, but this will be an invaluable experience for their academy side.
75'
S. Swinkels enters the game and replaces C. Rowe.
E. Rowe enters the game and replaces J. Walker.
Rowe meanwhile makes way for Sil Swinkels in a Villa change.
Walker is then replaced by Edward Rowe for the hosts.
74'
D. Origi enters the game and replaces S. Mané.
A. Oxlade-Chamberlain enters the game and replaces Mohamed Salah.
Divock Origi is now on for the Reds, replacing Mane. The former has been linked with an Anfield exit this term, his minutes increasingly limited.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain too is on for goalscorer Salah.
72'
Play grinds to a pause now with some movement on the touchline, as both sides mull changes and players deal with cramp.
70'
This has been a rude last quarter-hour for Villa, and it is unfair on some of their youngsters. Mark Delaney has guided them against the odds with a spirited performance - but just after the hour mark, they have been downed in brutal fashion here.
68'
Mane for the hat-trick! It is Revan who gets his body on the line to deny the attacker his third of the game with a last-gasp block. Villa see the subsequent corner back to the centre-circle too.
Minute
Description
66'
H. Lindley enters the game and replaces L. Bogarde.
The hosts also replace Bogarde with Hayden Lindley.
65'
H. Sohna enters the game and replaces A. Raikhy.
Mohamed Salah has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by X. Shaqiri.
Villa ring some further changes now as Raikhy makes way for Harrison Sohna.
It is that man Shaqiri again who nudges the ball onto Salah. Two assists in the space of two minutes or so for the ex-Stoke player.
GOAL! MOHAMED SALAH GETS IN ON THE ACTION FOR LIVERPOOL! 4-1! It's fast becoming a Reds rout here, the one that was expected in the build-up to this game. The striker meets a well-slotted delivery, works the space inside the box and tucks a fast, low finish past Onodi into the bottom-right corner.
63'
S. Mané has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by X. Shaqiri.
Shaqiri has barely been on the field a minute and he nabs an assist there. Not a bad start for the substitute.
GOAL! SADIO MANE BAGS A BRACE FOR LIVERPOOL! 3-1! It is as if the floodgates have opened for the Reds, as the striker nudges a second header - this one a looping finish that almost skims the underside of the bar - beyond Onodi's outstretched gloves. That should be the visitors home and dry.
61'
B. Young enters the game and replaces B. Chrisene.
Roberto Firmino enters the game and replaces C. Jones.
X. Shaqiri enters the game and replaces T. Minamino.
Lastly, Aston Villa make a swap themselves, replacing Chrisene with Brad Young. They're only one goal down; could they keep their hopes alive here?
It is the last act for Minamino up front too - and what a major one it may prove to be. Xherdan Shaqiri is on in his place for Liverpool.
Roberto Firmino too is on for the visitors, replacing Jones.
60'
G. Wijnaldum has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by T. Minamino.
That is a tough one on Onodi, excellent for so much of that first half. Visibility just gets away from him in a crowded box and Minamino exploits it neatly.
GOAL! GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM NETS FOR LIVERPOOL! 2-1! The Reds have the breakthrough they need! It is the midfielder, who missed some early sitters, atoning for them with a cool strike from the edge of the box, slamming a Minamino cut-back in at the right post.
58'
It feels like Liverpool have two men perpetually welded to the corner posts right now. Mane is the latest man to see a speculative ball turned away for a set-piece and once more Villa repel the attack.
52'
Another Liverpool corner is swung in by Milner after Villa defused a half-chance ball passing close to Salah. Fabinho heads this one straight to Onodi's arms and the visitors shake their heads as they return to halfway.
50'
Sterling work from Revan, the young skipper for Villa today, as he deflects a trio of chances in the space of a minute, sparking two corners for Liverpool that amount to no real golden opportunity.
48'
It's wave upon wave of early pressure again from the Reds, banging on the door again. If they keep this up, Villa will have their work cut out at the back.
46'
Thiago Alcântara enters the game and replaces J. Henderson.
There's been a change at the break for the visitors too; captain Henderson is off and Thiago is on. Let's see how that shakes up things out there.
We're back underway at Villa Park. Can the hosts' young guns hold on for something special here or will the Reds muscle them out of this match?
45' +2
HALF-TIME: ASTON VILLA 1-1 LIVERPOOL
45' +1
How on earth are Villa keeping these out? We're into one added minute of injury time and Liverpool are blasting shots in low and high, including from a corner. They take deflections left, right and centre, before Onodi punches a final effort away to earn the whistle. A breathless finish to the half.
44'
C. Jones gets yellow.
It goes from bad to worse for Liverpool now as Jones throws a reckless leg out in midfield to cut off a Villa move and gets booked for his troubles. The hosts look absolutely elated. Joyous doesn't cover the strength of their energy right now.
42'
You'll never take that away from Louie Barry. He will be able to say, for the rest of his life, that he scored the equaliser for an effective academy side against the best team in the country in an FA Cup tie. The stuff dreams are made of.
41'
L. Barry has scored a goal for Aston Villa! Assist by C. Rowe.
If there were supporters in Villa Park tonight, that would have blown the roof off. This second-string academy side is level against the champions of England. Rowe picked a fantastic pass there.
GOAL! LOUIE BARRY LEVELS FOR ASTON VILLA! 1-1! MY WORD, THE HOSTS HAVE SQUARED THINGS UP WITH A SUPERB FINISH! Rowe picks up Onodi's goal-kick, and drags a throughball into space for the striker, who shrugs off Rhys Williams, races to the box and buries it into the bottom-right corner!
38'
Liverpool didn't have the greatest FA Cup run last term of course; while they made the fifth round last term, they needed a late Jones goal to beat Everton at this stage and were then forced into a replay with Shrewsbury Town. A second goal would make this far more comfortable.
36'
Salah! It is Onodi with the stop again, after the striker dinks around two defenders and curls an effort in off the right edge of the penalty area towards the near post, tipped away for a corner. The forward butchers a follow-up from the set-piece to leave the keeper with an easy catch.
34'
The offside flag comes up for a Villa long ball and Liverpool then head back down the wings, searching for more than simple territorial purchase. Jurgen Klopp may feel his side should have more on the board here.
32'
Let's give full credit to Aston Villa here. Liverpool have perhaps eased off the pedal - they've played better this season - but they are making a spirited showing despite the gulf in class.
30'
Salah! The Egyptian should do better there, nudging what was a neat cross the wrong way and finding only Onodi rather than the back of the net. A great chance for the Reds man.
28'
A shocking lapse in midfield by Fabinho now though invites Hayden to steal into the Liverpool half and Jones has to act fast to edge his delivery out for a corner. The result is poor from the set-piece but Villa are crafting these half-chances solidly.
26'
Another Liverpool corner now as their latest cross is deflected neatly behind and this time Fabinho is the man with the finish, looping a relatively loose header well over the crossbar.
24'
Save by Onodi! The youngster gets a glove to a low, rifled effort drilled in low through a crowded box and then Bridge counters at blistering pace. Villa win a remarkable corner of their own down the other end, though Kelleher claims safely in the end.
22'
Wijnaldum has another crack at goal for Liverpool now, lashing a shot in with a wicked deflection that spirals out for a corner. Milner taps the set-piece and the Reds ping it back in, but Villa studiously clear it. A second wave comes down the opposite edge; another deflection means another corner.
20'
Hayden! A smart counter from Villa and the hosts have their first half-chance of the game, with the midfielder smashing a strike from outside the box off the first man. A looping follow-up can't find Chrisene before skipping out of play on the left.
18'
Liverpool are rarely surrendering possession cheaply here - they have had 88 per cent of it so far - but they're also taking their time, measured in their game plan. Perhaps the peak of success for Villa here will be getting a shot in this match.
14'
Kelleher gets what is likely to be a rare touch in this game as Liverpool play it back to their own rear third before coming again, placing pressure on the Villa box without crafting a golden chance.
12'
The phrase "training run" might get bandied around a lot with this match, but that will be no excuse to Jurgen Klopp if his side fail to convince. So far, they are comfortably on top though.
10'
Wijnaldum! The Reds should have a second there as a looping pass finds the midfielder in open space inside the penalty area, before he attempts to creatively chip into the top-right corner and puts it wide.
6'
Now it is Milner's turn to take a knock, as Hayden catches him with an elbow to the jaw after overstepping a delivery. The elder statesmen of this Reds side is good to continue after the accidental blow.
4'
S. Mané has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by C. Jones.
It's a top-drawer delivery by Jones, albeit the sort of one that, nine times out of 10, would be cleared by the first or second man before it found the mark. Mane looks to have hurt his back in the process though; that's a potential worry down the line.
GOAL! SADIO MANE HEADS LIVERPOOL INTO THE LEAD! 1-0! It's taken just over 180 seconds but the Reds are on the front foot. Jones is played in down the right edge and he lofts a lovely cross in to the edge of the six-yard area. Villa's markers get their placement wrong and the striker nudges neatly in at the near post past Onodi.
3'
Nobody will be surprised that it is one-way traffic in these opening exchanges, Liverpool passing slippery deliveries down both wings and forcing early defensive moves from the youthful hosts.
1'
We are underway in this FA Cup tie between Aston Villa and Liverpool!
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2020-21 FA Cup as Premier League champions Liverpool face off with depleted top-flight rivals Aston Villa in a third-round clash at Villa Park.
24 hours ago, a major question mark loomed over whether we would be even seeing this game following a major Covid-19 outbreak amid the hosts' ranks. The match is on - but it will look different even by pandemic standards.
Gone are the first-team faces who helped Dean Smith's side to a seismic 7-2 rout in October - as indeed, is Smith. In fact, with 14 positive cases and likely more to come, it's effectively an under-23s side led by their coach Mark Delaney.
Jurgen Klopp on the other hand - smarting, no doubt, from that blow to his side's title defence against Southampton on Monday - is able to call upon a clutch of big names, though it still doesn't truly solve his mounting centre-back injury problem.
There is a perverse reverse to this game of course; just over a year ago, a senior Aston Villa team ran riot in the Carabao Cup against a second-string Liverpool whose best players were at the FIFA Club World Cup. How time flies.
The teams are out at Villa Park. Buckle up, folks; this could be a hefty scoreline if Liverpool play the way they can - and arguably should - against what is mostly a bunch of teenagers.
Well, it is fair to say that Mark Delaney will be the far happier of the two coaches here. This pandemic-ravaged Villa side are, against all expectations, level at the interval. Jurgen Klopp will likely not be apocalyptic, but he'll know now his side have to pick it up.
Also, Liverpool may need to buy a new centre-back this transfer window. That really should be on their priority list.
Mark Delaney deserves all the plaudits too, thrown in at the deep end today. He exchanges a fist-bump-turned-hi-five with Jurgen Klopp. The German looks satisfied. His side are back to winning ways.
Louie Barry embraces with Neco Williams at the full-time hooter, the former grinning with an exhausted smile. You wouldn't guess that his side just went down on the wrong end; these young Villa players all oddly glowing after that result. They played their part in a match they will remember for a long time.
So what next for these two then? Well, for Villa, it is a further chance to stake their top-four credentials against rivals in the shape of Tottenham - though Dean Smith will hope to have his first team back by then. Liverpool though have a true title challenge match, with fellow Premier League leaders Manchester United. Until then, thank you for joining us - and have a good week!
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