Liverpool started tonight’s FA Cup tie as odds-on favourites to beat Exeter City, which was ridiculous.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp had made 11 changes to his injury-hit team following Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Stoke, leaving Christian Benteke as the only first-team player in the side.
Add Exeter’s awful pitch into the mix and an FA Cup ‘shock’ looked more than likely. It looked even likelier nine minutes in when the League Two strugglers took the lead through Tom Nichols.
Nichols slid the ball into the net after a fine cross from Jamie Read, who embarrassed the overweight Jose Enrique down Liverpool’s left flank.
Exeter’s lead only lasted three minutes, as Jerome Sinclair equalised in scrappy style.
Nevertheless, judging by Liverpool’s edgy start to the game, an ‘upset’ is still very much on the cards for the side who are 16th in England’s fourth tier.