Under-strength Liverpool had to come from behind at Anfield against League One Shrewsbury Town to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The seven-time winners were shocked by Daniel Udoh’s opener for the visitors.
But impressive teenager Kaide Gordon quickly levelled, before Fabinho fired the Reds ahead with a penalty for handball just before the break.
Substitute Roberto Firmino’s backheel wrapped up an ultimately emphatic win before Fabinho scored his second.
The Brazil midfielder’s penalty to put his side ahead was his first goal at Anfield since June 2020, a 30-yard rocket in an empty stadium that helped beat Crystal Palace and took his side to the brink of their first league title in 30 years.
And his second iced the cake for Covid-hit Liverpool as, with a side containing five youngsters, they were much more efficient in beating Shrewsbury than they were two seasons ago, when they were taken to an Anfield replay.
After a week in which Liverpool had their training ground closed – and boss Jurgen Klopp was isolating with Covid – and they had their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Arsenal called off, it was a tricky start to the afternoon.
Right wing-back Nathanael Ogbeta delivered a superb low left-wing cross and Udoh drifted in unmarked at the near post to poke home right-footed from close range for his 10th goal of the season.
However Shrewsbury’s lead – and their dream of causing the shock of the third round – lasted just seven minutes and Gordon’s cool finish was the signal for Liverpool to take charge.
Conor Bradley, one of four Reds teenagers, drilled over a low cross from the right and 17-year-old Gordon turned Josh Vela then stroked home his first goal for the club with great composure to become Liverpool’s second-youngest ever scorer.
By half time Liverpool were in front after the ball struck Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s hand as he challenged Virgil van Dijk and referee David Coote awarded a penalty.
With regular penalty takers Mohamed Salah and James Milner not on the pitch, Fabinho coolly converted his first spot-kick for the Reds.
It then became comfortable in the second half as the rowdy away following of 5,600 from Shropshire were eventually silenced, first by the artful Firmino, then by his compatriot Fabinho three minutes into injury time.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp said, “I like the way we responded and the crowd responded after they scored.
“It was a brilliant goal from Kaide Gordon. He was really calm and composed. His main strength is his finishing.
“All credit to our Academy that they produce these boys but we had no other line-up available to us.
“We had five young players out there. They all did well. We knew we could play better football and we did second half.”
