Three top seeds crash out in semi-finals
By DONNA HELMER – Squash Mad Correspondent

It was a good day for the hosts as Sam Todd (B17), Yusuf Sheikh (B15) and Mariam Eissa (G11) all advanced to the finals of the Dunlop British Junior Open at the University of Birmingham with comfortable wins. Katie Malliff couldn’t add to the tally as she retired injured halfway through her G15 semi-final.

There was plenty of drama and more upsets as three top seeds perished in the G11, B13 and the G17, where Malaysia’s Aira Azman was beaten in a thrilling finish by Egypt’s Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim.

Aira’s sister Aifa Azman made it through to her fourth BJO final in dramatic fashion as she held off a comeback from Egypt’s Farida Mohamed, winning when a no let on match ball to the Malaysian was overturned by the video ref into a stroke.

Malaysia’s [3/4] Harleein Tan struck the first major upset when she overpowered Egyptian favourite Jana Mohamed 3-0 in the GU11’s, then BU13’s top seed Mohamed Zakaria (Egypt) was taken out 3-0 in a whirlwind 21 minutes by compatriot [9/16] Ahmed Rashed.

And in the day’s second-longest encounter, GU17’s [1] Aira Azman met her match in [3/4] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim who won 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 16-14) in 47 minutes, a result carrying extra special significance for the Egyptian after Azman’s own U15 upset in 2018.

“I lost to Aira in the quarters when I was top seed, so it was nice to get a bit of revenge,” said Aboulmakarim. “When I was 7-10 down in the fourth, I was so tired but I kept saying to myself ‘you can make it, it’s only the fourth game.’”

The upset put fire in the belly of Azman’s older sister [2] Aifa who kept her nerve to defeat GU19’s [3/4] Farida Mohamed (Egypt) 3-1 in a physical and compelling tussle as she moved one step closer to a fourth BJO title.

She will play Egyptian top seed Jana Shiha, who looked ominous in a brief encounter with Team USA’s [3/4] Marina Stefanoni and will be itching for her maiden BJO crown.

“I’ve played in the British Junior Open five or six times and I’ve never won a title and this is my last chance so hopefully I can win tomorrow,” said the World No. 84.

BU19 Egyptian top seed Moustafa El Sirty outhit India’s [3/4] Veer Chotrani 3-1 to reach his first BJO final before he was joined by three-time champion [2] Yahya Elnawasany, the winner of an all-Egyptian semi against [5/8] Karim El Barbary 3-1.

Malaysian boys U17’s [5/8] Ishant Shah put on a patient display to outmanoeuvre and ultimately frustrate his talented Egyptian opponent [5/8] Ahmed Aly 3-1 in 55 minutes to set up a clash with home favourite [1] Sam Todd, who is seeking a third BJO title.

GU17 second seed Sana Ibrahim expended little energy in pencilling in Monday’s all-Egypt final when English [3/4] opponent Katie Maliff retired in the second due to injury.

Boys under 15 second seed Muhammad Humza Khan was rewarded for his persistence at this event as he set up a final with England’s [5/8] Yusuf Sheikh, who followed yesterday’s upset with a straight-games defeat of Khan’s fellow Pakistani Muhammad Ammad.

“I got to the semis two years ago and the quarters last year so it feels great to finally reach a final,” said Khan.

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GU15 second seed Fayrouz Abouelkheir looked the pick of the bunch by needing just 18 minutes to dispatch compatriot [9/16] Habiba Hani Diab (Egypt) after [5/8] Malak Taha showed little sign of fatigue after yesterday’s surprise win against the favourite as she sent Team USA’s Caroline Fouls home.

BU13 second seed Youssef Salem won 3-0 when fellow Egyptian [3/4] Eyad Hossam retired in the third while girls under 13s [3/4] Anahat Singh (India) caused another Sunday shock with a 3-2 win over Egypt’s [2] Janna Galal in 39 hard-fought minutes to move into Monday’s final with [1] Amina Orfi.

GU11 [2] Mariam Eissa of England warmed up for Monday’s final against Tan with another straight-games victory while BU11 [3/4] Seif Belal El Shal set up another all-Egypt final against [2] Yassin Kouritam.

Eissa, 10 said: “I’m very happy to reach the final beating really tough players from my first match all the way to the final. I have been working very hard and winning my fist BJO title would be great!”
 
Dunlop British Junior Open 2020, University of Birmingham, England.

Semi-final results:

GU11
[3/4] Harleein Tan (Mas) 3-0 [1] Jana Mohamed (Egy) 11-4, 11-5,11-7 (21m)
[2] Mariam Eissa (Eng) 3-0 [3/4] Maya Mandour (Egy) 13-11, 11-7, 11-6 (23m)

BU11
[3/4] Seif Belal El Shal (Egy) 3-0 [9/16] Yassin Azouz (Egy) 11-7, 11-8, 11-1 (22m)
[2] Yassin Kouritam (Egy) 3-0 [5/8] Farouk Mohamed (Egy) 11-6,11-9,11-7 (22m)

GU13
[1] Amina Orfi (Egy) 3-0 [9/16] Barb Sameh (Egy) 11-4, 11-3, 11-0 (17m)
[3/4] Anahat Singh (Ind) 3-2 [2] Janna Galal (Egy) 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 5-11, 17-15 (39m)

BU13
[9/16] Ahmed Rashed (Egy) 3-0 [1] Mohamed Zakaria (Egy) 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (21m)
[2] Youssef Salem (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Eyad Hossam (Egy) 11-5, 14-12, 8-3 rtd (26m)

GU15
[5/8] Malak Taha (Egy) 3-1 [5/8] Caroline Fouls (Usa) 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (29m)
[2] Fayrouz Abouelkheir (Egy) 3-0 [9/16] Habiba Hani Diab (Egy) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (18m)

BU15
[5/8] Yusuf Sheikh (Eng) 3-0 [9/16] Muhammad Ammad (Pak) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (22m)
[2] Muhammad Humza Khan (Pak) 3-0 [5/8] Yassin Shohdy (Egy) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (22m)

GU17
[3/4] Nour Khaled Aboulmakarim (Egy) 3-1 [1] Aira Azman (Mas) 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 16-14 (47m)
[2] Sana Ibrahim (Egy) 3-1 [3/4] Katie Maliff (Eng) 11-3, 5-0 rtd (11m)

BU17
[1] Sam Todd (Eng) 3-0 [9/16] Noor Zaman (Pak) 11-6, 11-1, 11-1 (18m)
[5/8] Ishant Shah (Mas) 3-1 [5/8] Ahmed Aly (Egy) 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (55m)

GU19
[1] Jana Shiha (Egy) 3-0 [3/4] Marina Stefanoni (Usa) 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (23m)
[2] Aifa Azman (Mas) 3-1 [3/4] Farida Mohamed (Egy) 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10 (32m)

BU19
[1] Moustafa El Sirty (Egy) 3-1 [3/4] Veer Chotrani (Ind) 7-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 (33m)
[2] Yahya Elnawasany (Egy) 3-1 [3/4] Karim El Barbary (Egy) 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (43m) 

Report by DONNA HELMER (ES). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures by STEVE CUBBINS courtesy of England Squash 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Tim Wilkerson has confirmed an agreement with Ford Performance to extend his partnership with the marque in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Wilkerson made the move to Ford Performance in 2009, and since that time has acquired 10 NHRA Wally trophies for Ford.

The only drivers to have more wins in a Ford Funny Car are Force and Hight.

“This is a great way to close out 2019 and ring in the New Year,” said Wilkerson, who made his Funny Car debut in 1996 and since then has claimed 20 NHRA victories. “Not only are we excited to extend our relationship with Ford, but we’re also thrilled to continue our partnership with Dick Levi and LRS. They’ve been so good to us for so long, and I don’t think there are many folks out there who can say they’ve had a relationship with a sponsor that spans over two decades.

“We feel like our 21st season with Levi, Ray & Shoup has the potential to be our best yet.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A year ago, there was much fanfare surrounding Oliver Jarvis and the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest RT-24P at the end of Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona qualifying for garage and pit stall selections in the Daytona Prototype international class.

The reason for the fanfare was the fact that Jarvis had just unofficially broken P.J. Jones’ 26-year-old track record of one minute, 33.875 seconds. When he returned for the race three weeks later, Jarvis officially claimed the track record with a lap of 1:33.685 en route to the Motul Pole Award.

On Sunday, Jarvis’ new endurance racing teammate Olivier Pla unofficially toppled the not-quite-year-old record with a lap of 1:33.324 (137.321 mph). As a result, the No. 77 team, which includes co-drivers Pla, Jarvis and Tristan Nunez, will – for the second consecutive year – have first choice of garage location and pit stall for the 58th Rolex 24 At Daytona on the weekend of Jan. 23-26.

“We knew this morning that the conditions would probably be fast with the cold air temperature but some sun, so we were expecting a fast lap time,” Pla said. “I’ve been told to push and to push hard so that’s what we did. I have to thank my team for allowing me to because the car was really good. We’ve been working always really hard. We are pleased with that. It doesn’t mean anything, but I think it just showed a continuity of last year.”

The race kicks off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the four-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Pla moves over to the No. 77 after sharing the team’s No. 55 Mazda with Jonathan Bomarito and Harry Tincknell, who now have 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay as their co-driver.

Pla was among five drivers to post speeds faster than the track record, which can be set officially in qualifying on race weekend. Ricky Taylor was second fastest in the No. 7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05 at 1:33.543 (137.000 mph), followed by 2019 WeatherTech Championship DPi champion Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 6 Acura DPi at 1:33.565 (136.967 mph).

Felipe Nasr was fourth fastest in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R at 1:33.652 (136.840 mph) and Bomarito rounded out the top five at 1:33.660 (136.828 mph).

In the GT Le Mans class, James Calado led an extremely close session, posting the fastest time of 1:42.685 (124.803 mph) in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE he is sharing this weekend with Daniel Serra. Calado and the team are coming off a victory in the 2019 WeatherTech Championship season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta last October.

Calado’s time was .001 seconds faster than Nick Tandy’s second-fastest time in the session of 1:42.686 (124.801 mph) in the No. 911 Porsche GT Team RSR-19. The entire GTLM field was covered by just 0.446 seconds.

“The difference this year, especially this year, is that everyone has upped the ante in the Roar,” Calado said. “It’s not like previous years where people would hold back. I think it’s pretty equal at the moment and I think that puts us in good stead for a good race.

“I think over the last couple years we’ve had good races as well. We know how competitive GTLM is and the whole of GT to be honest. Looking forwarding to battling with all these guys and having a good race. It’s 24 hours, anything can happen, conditions change especially here, so fingers crossed.”

Tommy Milner led much of the session before ending up third in the new No. 4 Corvette Racing C8.R at 1:42.793 (124.671 mph). Jesse Krohn was fourth in class at 1:42.844 (124.610 mph) in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL M8 GTE, followed by defending WeatherTech Championship GTLM champion Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 912 Porsche. Vanthoor’s best time was 1:42.903 (124.538 mph).

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Selinsgrove Speedway schedule of events for the upcoming season, comprised of 21 dates, features seven events for 410 sprint cars.

That total of seven shows for the 410s represents a noticeable increase from recent years.

Just two or three races have been slated for the division during the last few years, making a doubling or tripling of races for the new year a big boost for Selinsgrove fans.

The first 410 show of the year is set for Sunday afternoon, March 29 at 2 p.m., when March Mayhem hits the track along with the super late models.

Selinsgrove Speedway icon Ray Tilley of Pine Grove will be honored with the Icon Legacy Custom Homes Ray Tilley Classic on April 26, again accompanied by the super late models.

The annual Pennsylvania Speedweek for 410 sprints will hit the track on June 28 when the Middleswarth Potato Chips Jan Opperman/Dick Bogar Memorial is staged as part of the opening weekend of Speedweek action.

Race four of seven on the year for the 410s at Selinsgrove will hit the track on July 25, when the sprints are highlighted in a Summer Championship with the super late models.

Aug. 29 will find the 410s racing in the Summer Sendoff.

Then, the final two shows of the year for the sprints will take place on Sunday, Sept. 6 and on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Sept. 6 will feature the Selinsgrove Ford National Open Qualifier for the 410s, while the end of the month date will feature the 38th annual Jim Nace Memorial National Open, paying $20,000 to the winner.

Each of the races on April 26, June 28 and Sept. 26 are part of the Slivinski Law Offices Super 7 Series, featuring just two divisions of action on the half-mile Pennsylvania oval.

The Selinsgrove season will open on Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m., with the return of the Icebreaker 40 for a combined field of big and small block modifieds.

EASTABOGA, Ala. – Michael Page continues to be the man to beat during the annual Ice Bowl at the Talladega Short Track.

Page started Sunday’s 50-lap super late model feature from the pole and led the entire way, beating Jason Hiett to the checkered flag by more than two seconds despite nine caution flags that slowed the proceedings.

Blake Craft came from ninth to finish third, followed by Sam Seawright and Payton Freeman completed the top-five.

Page earned a $6,000 payday for his efforts on Sunday afternoon at the third-mile clay oval.

The finish:

Michael Page, Jason Hiett, Blake Craft, Sam Seawright, Payton Freeman, Luke Hoffner, Scott Crigler, Dillon Tidmore, Jason Welshan, Chris Jones, Kyle Courtney, Andy Picklesimer, Dallas Cooper, Casey Turman, Todd Morrow, Jadon Frame, Josh Adkins, Corey Roulette, Dewayne Kiefer, Mark Page, Cory Hedgecock, Drew Benfield. 

LEHIGHTON, Pa. – The Race of Champions Modified Series will return to Mahoning Valley Speedway this year to close out the season on Oct. 3.

The race, which will also be a part of Mahoning Valley’s special five-race Hall of Fame Series, will be a 99-lap event held in honor of Hal Renninger.

This will mark the first time since 2016 that the Race of Champions will be returning to the paved Lehighton quarter-mile oval, when then 15-year old Kyle Strohl scored a huge upset win in a 150-lapper.

“Mahoning is a pillar in modified racing and we are looking forward to it. It has been missed and we all have to work together to unify what we are all doing. This is a great step in that direction,” stated Joe Skotnicki, owner of the Race of Champions series.

“This race will differ a little from what we have been doing. Now the Series champion will be crowned at Mahoning which puts the focus on the race at Lake Erie and a much different focus on Mahoning. It’s going to be exciting.”

Skotnicki, Mahoning Valley Promoter Keith Hoffman and track owner Jack Carlino had been in ongoing discussions on bringing the Race of Champions back to Mahoning and trying to find a viable date that would work for both parties and the Oct. 3 date was mutually agreed to be the best.

“Keith (Hoffman) has a passion for this and some fresh ideas. He has a great background and history in this sport and we’ve worked around each other before. He understands the business and the keys to being successful,” added Skotnicki.

Over the years the Race of Champions has made numerous stops at Mahoning Valley and each time it generated solid car counts that saw an array of track regulars battling down to the wire against the Tour steadies.

“I don’t think it will be any different now than it has been. It will be a mixture of racers and it will be exciting, plus some of the teams have followed the Series now, so they will be able to have their fans and family get to see them perform on the Series locally. It’s an exciting event,” noted Skotnicki.

If needed a rain date of Saturday, Oct. 9 will be used.

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals never believe they're out of a game. On Sunday, they showed why.

Lars Eller scored with 2:59 remaining in overtime after the Capitals rallied from two goals down in the final minute of regulation, completing a stunning 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

T.J. Oshie tied the game with 15 seconds left. Eller also assisted Jakub Vrana's second goal of the game with 47 seconds remaining as the NHL-leading Capitals became just the seventh team in league history to win after trailing by two inside the final minute.

"We just keep working," Oshie said. "We've got everyone tugging the rope. And when you have that, it's fun."

Evander Kane had his third career hat trick for San Jose, which never trailed before Eller's game-winner.

"That's why they lead the league and that's why they have the most points," said Sharks coach Bob Boughner, "because they find ways to win games. As disappointed as I am, I'm pretty content in how our 5-on-5 game looks."

Logan Couture scored an empty-netter with a minute remaining, appearing to seal the game. But Capitals coach Todd Reirden left the net empty, and Washington responded with its sixth and seventh goals of the season when playing in 6-on-5 situations.

"We have a plan," Reirden said of those late-game successes. "We believe in those players. They are players that are not fazed by pressure. They're anxious to get out there and try to be the guys that tie up the game."

Nic Dowd had a second-period goal for Washington. Braden Holtby made 25 saves to snap a three-game losing streak in net and picked up an assist on Eller's decisive goal, pushing the puck up ice to John Carlson.

From there, Carlson sent a cross-ice pass to Eller, who rifled his shot beyond Martin Jones and inside the right post.

"That was one of the wildest games I've played," Eller said.

Jones stopped 24 shots, Couture also had an assist and Timo Meier had two, but San Jose was still swept by Washington in the season series in unlikely fashion.

Kane's three goals -- all in the second period -- gave him a team-leading 18 for the Sharks, who fell to 2-2 on their last five-game trip of the season.

Couture's insurance tally looked like it would be enough for victory. But Vrana answered only 13 seconds later, assisted by Eller and Radko Gudas. Then Oshie leveled the game from in close on Evgeny Kuznetsov's feed.

"We were the better team I thought for most of the game," Kane said. "We've got to look at the positives. It's easy to look at the negatives."

GAME NOTES

Kane scored all three goals in one period -- the first -- in his other hat trick this season, which came in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 16. ... Sunday marked the 10-year anniversary of Alex Ovechkin being named Washington's captain. He's the second-longest-tenured captain in team history behind Rod Langway (Oct. 5, 1982 to Feb. 9, 1993.) ... Ovechkin saw his points streak end at five games. ... San Jose's Barclay Goodrow had an apparent opening goal disallowed 1:14 into the second period. He was ruled to have touched the puck with a high stick.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Finish their trip at St. Louis on Tuesday.

Capitals: Host Ottawa on Tuesday.

Liverpool's 18-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones celebrated a dream first goal for the club when his spectacular shot was enough to defeat derby rivals Everton in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

For his manager Jurgen Klopp, the sight of the Liverpool-born teenager curling in a winner that any of his first-choice stars would have been proud of was no surprise at all.

"Unbelievable player, Scouser, very confident, can't wait to play in the first team, good, rightly so, he is [on] a very good way," said Klopp after the 1-0 win.

"I have known him for three-and-a-half years, he has made big steps, will 100% be a Liverpool player, if nothing strange happens. Great.

"That he scores that goal? I am not surprised. He is for these situations. Still a lot to learn, a lot to improve. Sometimes people forget in training, he is 18, unbelievable," he said.

Jones has been making clear to Klopp that he feels ready for the first team and admitted he had found it hard to feature only infrequently for the Premier League leaders and European champions.

"It's been frustrating at times being on the bench and then getting a taste on the pitch and then being back on the bench," he said.

"I've been basically begging to come on but hopefully I've topped it off with a good goal," said the academy product.

"I can't sum up my emotions. For me it's huge just being around this team every day and learning from this group of players. There are world-class players all over this team but I think I went out and showed what I could do on the pitch," he added.

The emergence of players like Jones and newcomer Takumi Minamino could help Klopp, especially in light of James Milner's injury that forced the Englishman off after nine minutes.

"[Milner] has pain, that says it's serious. It's [his] muscle," Klopp said.

On Japanese midfielder Minamino, who arrived from FC Salzburg during the winter transfer window, Klopp said: "Your first game in a team you don't know, if it's a settled team it's already difficult -- this team we threw more or less on the pitch with two sessions together. And then showing this kind of game understanding, football skills are exceptional, attitude is outstanding, led the chasing pack so often in different situations, which I loved."

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti rejected the suggestion that his team had been affected by Liverpool making nine changes and fielding such a young side.

"The line-up of Liverpool didn't affect our idea of how to play; we knew that Liverpool put in fresh players and that the intensity could be a high intensity so I think the defeat arrived because we were not able to keep the intensity in the second half," he said.

We lost energy, we lost confidence, we were not able to build up quick from the back."

The Italian has faced a busy schedule of matches since taking over last month and said he was looking forward to finally getting down to work on the training ground with his squad.

"We are going to speak and work together to find a solution to help improve the team. I know we have to work," he said.

"Next week we have all week to prepare the team and train. In this period we played only games and didn't train practically. To train will be good to improve the quality of our play and to have more confidence on the pitch."

LIVERPOOL, England -- It was Bill Shankly, the legendary former Liverpool manager, who once claimed that the two best teams in the city were Liverpool and Liverpool reserves. He might have been joking, but it is no laughing matter for Everton because, in 2020, it may well be the truth.

It is now 7,405 days and counting since Everton last won at Anfield and, having lost 1-0 to a team stacked with Liverpool's kids in the FA Cup third round, who knows when their nightmare will end against their annoyingly successful neighbours?

This was supposed to be the day when Everton finally claimed their first Anfield victory of this century. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had made nine changes to his team, including the selection of teenagers Curtis Jones (18), Neco Williams (18) and Harvey Elliott (16), and did not even include the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah or Roberto Firmino in his squad.

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Liverpool's team cost a grand total of £43.95 million, Everton's £221.06 million, yet even though Everton were at full strength, Liverpool still claimed the win to book their place in Round 4. It was men against boys, but the boys won.

The killer blow on this occasion was delivered by Jones, a Liverpudlian from the suburb of Toxteth, who became the youngest scorer in a Merseyside derby since Robbie Fowler in the 1990s, when he beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a stunning 20-yard curler on 71 minutes.

Just imagine being an Everton fan right now. Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as manager last month undoubtedly lifted morale at Goodison Park, especially as fans were fearing the return of David Moyes, but what else is there to cheer if you are a blue rather than a red?

Everton have not won at Anfield since 1999. Since then, they have played 24 games here against Liverpool, drawing 10 and losing 14.

This was Day 7,405 since Kevin Campbell's fourth-minute goal sealed a 1-0 Everton win in September 1999 -- three players, including Steven Gerrard, were sent off that day -- and it might well be another 7,405 if they cannot even win here when everything is seemingly in their favour. But it was the same old miserable story for Everton. And just to rub salt into their wounds, Liverpool fans taunted them with songs about being champions of the world and singing, "You haven't won a trophy since 1995" to the Evertonians in the away end.

Liverpool are world and European champions, coasting at the top of the Premier League with a 13-point lead and, after beating Everton, are still on course for a domestic double to add to their haul of continental silverware. It is difficult to imagine a more pained and suffering fan base in world football than Everton's at this moment in time. Not only are they constantly failing to deliver, their local rivals are blowing everyone else away and winning the big trophies, too.

In many ways, this game was a glimpse into the future for both clubs.

For Everton, the performance of some players will have made it clear to Ancelotti just how big of a challenge he has in front of him in terms of making the club competitive for the top honours. Theo Walcott, Morgan Schneiderlin and Gylfi Sigurdsson have all been expensive signings at Goodison, but they have all failed to live up to their fees and all three were abject at Anfield. Ancelotti must clear out the underperforming high earners and find hungrier, better players to replace them. Only then will the Italian be able to point Everton in the right direction, but it won't be easy and it never is for a club in the shadow of Liverpool, who, right now, are doing everything right and reaping the rewards for doing so.

And that was evident in this 1-0 victory, which was illuminated by Jones' late goal. Jones and Elliott stood out with their confidence and ambition, the exuberance of youth that Sir Alex Ferguson always cited as a crucial element in the success of Manchester United's fabled Class of '92. Williams was also impressive at full-back, while Pedro Chirivella (22) in midfield also looked as though he could be a useful addition to the Liverpool team in the weeks and months ahead.

Takumi Minamino, the £7.25 million January signing from FC Salzburg, showed some neat touches on his debut -- the game was too frantic at times for the Japanese to settle into the action -- but the big positive from the afternoon for Klopp was the performance of his young stars.

"They played brave football," Klopp said. "Unbelievable individual performances from the kids, and the adults as well.

"It was a sensational game and a sensational goal from a Scouser -- who could ask for more? You cannot perform like the boys performed if you think you should not perform in that team. They all think like that. I am so happy they all showed up tonight."

It was a different night for Ancelotti, whose honeymoon period at Goodison is now over after back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool. The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan coach was brief and to the point about his team's performance.

"I'm not used to speaking with the players after the game," he said, "but I will tell them that this was not good enough."

There was a lack of belief, conviction and quality about Everton, a sense that they were intimidated by playing at Anfield. The next time they visit, they simply have to be better. But the reality is that Liverpool will probably be better too, so this chance might have been as good as it gets for a long time for Everton.

LONDON -- By the 35th minute, Yuri Ribeiro had had enough.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had already gone past him on multiple occasions, scoring the first goal of Chelsea's 2-0 FA Cup third-round win and helping to set up Ross Barkley for the second, and the Nottingham Forest left-back was not going to let it happen again. When the 19-year-old dropped his shoulder and casually knocked the ball inside Ribeiro for the umpteenth time, Forest's No. 2 stuck out his foot and tripped him. The Portugal international is just 22, but Ribeiro momentarily bore the look of a greying Sunday league full-back snidely enacting revenge on an irritatingly sprightly opponent.

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Hudson-Odoi swapped flanks in the second half, which brought relief to Ribeiro but not to his teammates in Forest's beleaguered back four, who continued to suffer at the hands of Chelsea's No. 20 right to the very end of this one-sided FA Cup tie. Had Barkley and Michy Batshuayi, among others, applied more accurate finishes to Hudson-Odoi's crosses, the score line would have provided a more fitting reflection of the home side's dominance.

The game at a chilly Stamford Bridge brought Hudson-Odoi full circle, for it was against the same opposition at the same stage of this competition last season that he had given one of the first indications of his promise, setting up both goals for Alvaro Morata in a similarly routine 2-0 win.

No sooner had he done so than it emerged he had submitted a transfer request in the apparent hope of forcing through a move to Bayern Munich. Chelsea stood firm and he stayed, but the past 12 months have not brought the kind of smooth, linear progression that he might have hoped for, with a serious Achilles injury sustained last April keeping him out of action until September. The five-year contract he signed in September earned him a new salary reportedly worth £100,000 a week, but the teenager remains a bit-part player and his recent performances have prompted complaints from some Chelsea fans that he is not living up to expectations. This display, albeit against a second-string team representing a second-tier club, was a reminder of what he can do.

He gave Chelsea the lead in the sixth minute with only his second goal of the campaign, easily cutting inside Ribeiro and dispatching a left-footed shot that clipped his opponent's heel on its way into the bottom-right corner. In the 33rd minute, the same formula brought the same outcome. Hudson-Odoi beat Ribeiro and shot across goal with his left foot, and although Jordan Smith saved, Barkley was on hand to tuck in the rebound.

There was a moment of concern shortly before half-time when Hudson-Odoi went down holding the same Achilles tendon that betrayed him last year, but to Chelsea's delight and Forest's dismay, he reemerged unscathed for the second half and remained the game's principal protagonist until the full-time whistle.

"It's been an interesting 12 months for him, and when you consider how young he is, we have to take that into account," said Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard. "Last year everyone was talking about him for different reasons. He gets a terrible injury, he comes back very early and I think there were still issues getting him absolutely tip top. Then he's in the spotlight because of his new contract. It was a nice step forward for him today. The next challenge will be, next time he plays, can you keep sustaining that improvement?"

Hudson-Odoi's inclusion was one of nine changes that Lampard made to the team that had drawn 1-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion on New Year's Day, and he was not the only fringe player to seize his opportunity, with Barkley and Pedro also catching the eye.

A stuttering run of five defeats in nine games has raised expectations that Chelsea will enter the transfer market this month to address some of the shortcomings in Lampard's squad, following the quashing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport of the club's two-window transfer ban. With Chelsea unhealthily reliant on Tammy Abraham for goals, it is in attack where the squad is expected to be bolstered. If Hudson-Odoi showed that he could be a solution to Lampard's need for extra attacking options in the season's second half, the same could not be said of Batshuayi.

Making only his third start of the season, and his first since October, the Belgium striker squandered a succession of opportunities to end his two-month goal drought. Unable to convert a stream of dangerous crosses from the impressive Reece James in the first half, he saved his worst for last, ghosting in to meet Hudson-Odoi's cross from the left in the 70th minute, only to inelegantly hook the ball into the Shed End from close range.

Batshuayi could console himself that he had at least made it onto the pitch, which was more than could be said for Olivier Giroud. The former Arsenal striker has not kicked a ball in anger for Chelsea since the end of November and will surely have to leave Stamford Bridge this month if he is to avoid jeopardising his chances of leading the line for France at Euro 2020.

Unhappily for visiting full-backs, Hudson-Odoi is not going anywhere.