Angelo Ogbonna delivers Hammer blow to Liverpool
After a goalless 90 minutes at Anfield, and a 1-1 draw at full time here, 30 extra minutes were required to separate the sides. But, as the game entered stoppage time at the end of those, a penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable.
However, Ogbonna rose highest to head Dimitri Payet’s high free-kick past Simon Mignolet to secure a trip to Blackburn in the last 16 on February 21.
“It was a really great game of football, a classic FA Cup tie and it will go down in history as one of West Ham’s greatest games,” gushed Hammers boss Slaven Bilic.
“A great game and a goal in the last minute. We deserved it and I’m very proud of the guys. They left their hearts on the pitch and I am very, very proud of the boys tonight.”
It was more bad news for Jurgen Klopp, who discharged himself from hospital after a severe case of appendicitis to take his place back in the dug-out after missing the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
“We have to carry on and we haves to fight in the next game,” said Klopp.
“It’s not an easy season for Liverpool FC it is always hard work, but that is our situation.”
Klopp made a raft of changes to his starting XI, in which goalkeeper Mignolet was the only surviving member from that shock 2-2 draw.
One of the incomers was Philippe Coutinho, who has been sorely missed during his month-long absence due to a hamstring injury sustained back in January. And, so youthful was Liverpool’s XI, that the 23-year-old Brazilian seemed like one of the elder statesmen.
The average age of Liverpool’s outfield players was just 22, although full debutant Pedro Chirivella, just 18, did bring that down a touch. However, you could perhaps understand Klopp’s decision to ring the changes given this was Liverpool’s 40th game of the season.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic named near enough his strongest side, although it proved to be a damaging evening with Winston Reid, Cheikhou Kouyate and Enner Valencia all sustaining nasty injuries.
With James Tomkins injured and Sam Byram cup-tied, fit-again Joey O’Brien made his first appearance since July, slotting in at right-back and the Dubliner was at the heart of the early action, avoiding a strong penalty shout against him on the quarter-hour before nearly breaking the deadlock at the other end two minutes later.
Payet, the man among the headlines, picked O’Brien out, alone just inside the area. However, Liverpool captain Lucas Leiva, starting at centre-half, deflected his low drive onto the post.
It was the first genuine involvement from Payet after the shock news that an unnamed Chinese club want to make him the latest high-profile import to the far east. It has been suggested that Payet, who only arrived from Marseille in the summer for £10.7m, could be the subject of a £40m bid from China.
Payet almost proved just why his value has soared so high during his time in east London when he forced Simon Mignolet to turn his wicked free-kick against the post in the 38th minute. The Belgian then somehow scrambled to his feet to club Antonio’s follow-up header off the line too.
But Mignolet had no answer to Antonio’s next effort, with Payet once again playing a role in a West Ham goal.
As the half entered its final minute, the in-demand Frenchman fed Enner Valencia, who surged into the box towards the byline. And, when Jon Flanagan deflected the Ecuadorian’s cross over the centre-backs, Antonio was at the back post waiting to volley home.
It was tough to take for Liverpool after an even half during which they too struck a post through Coutinho.
But the Brazilian had a more meaningful say within three minutes of the restart. Benteke won a free-kick right on the edge of the area and when it looked like Coutinho would attempt to arrow the free-kick into the far corner, he instead waited for the wall to jump and rolled it into the bottom one.
It was a reminder of just what Liverpool have been lacking and more was to come when Klopp introduced Sturridge just before the hour-mark. It was the England striker’s first involvement since December and only his seventh outing of the campaign.
Then it was West Ham’s turn to bring on a striker who has been conspicuous by his absence in recent seasons: Andy Carroll. The 27-year-old, who arrived permanently from Liverpool in 2013, has managed just 31 Premier League starts in nearly three years.
But neither could make a difference in the 90, with the teams forced into extra-time to find a winner.
Benteke should have drawn a line under 180 minutes of stalemate nine minutes into the first half of the extra 30 but he volleyed inches wide when under no pressure and was then thwarted by Ireland’s Darren Randolph when one-on-one seconds later.
So it was left to Ogbonna to thump West Ham into the next round with his first goal since his summer arrival from Juventus with just seconds remaining.
Randolph; O’Brien (Moses 83), Reid (Collins 65), Ogbonna, Cresswell; Obiang, Kouyate (Carroll 75); Antonio, Noble, Payet; Valencia.
Adrian, Carroll, Moses, Oxford, Cullen, Williams.
Mignolet; Flanagan, Ilori, Leiva, Smith; Chirivella (Milner 102), Stewart, Coutinho (Sturridge 59); Ibe, Benteke, Teixeira (Origi 59).
Ward, Enrique, Henderson, Randall.
Roger East.
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