Jurgen Klopp compares Liverpool's young stars to Luke Littler
With absentees in the double figures just three days on from a gruelling 120-minute EFL Cup final against Chelsea, the Reds boss unsurprisingly drafted a few inexperienced academy products into his first XI for the visit of the Saints.
Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Lewis Koumas were all given the nod from the first whistle, while Jayden Danns, Trey Nyoni, Kaide Gordon, Calum Scanlon and Amara Nallo all occupied places on the bench.
The hosts' decimated team came under the cosh against their Championship foes on several occasions, but Caoimhin Kelleher stood tall in the first half, where Koumas opened the scoring with his first senior goal.
On his maiden first-team appearance for the Reds, Koumas — son of former Liverpool youngster and Wales international Jason Koumas — darted infield, let fly from inside the D and saw his low strike deceive Joe Lumley thanks to a deflection off of Jan Bednarek's leg.
Southampton let a couple more promising openings pass them by in the second half, in which Koumas's fellow 18-year-old Danns came off the bench to double Liverpool's lead with a delicate chip over Lumley in front of the Kop.
Just 15 minutes later, Danns capped off a magical evening with his second and Liverpool's third, showcasing exceptional predatory instincts to lash home the rebound after Conor Bradley's effort was saved by Lumley.
The three-goal beating of the Saints marked the first time in Liverpool's history that two players aged 18 or under have scored in one senior game, but Klopp has implored journalists not to pile the
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