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Charlton Athletic fans may not have enjoyed the Merseyside derby

Joe Gomez of Liverpool looks on from the bench during a pre-season friendly match between Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool at Prenton Park on July 12,...
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Both Joe Gomez and Ademola Lookman excelled as Liverpool and Everton battled it out in the FA Cup.

Everton's English striker Ademola Lookman (bottom) tackles Liverpool's Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (top) during the English FA Cup third round football match between Liverpool and...Everton’s English striker Ademola Lookman tackles Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum

The Merseyside derby on Friday night certainly proved to live up to the hype. Both Liverpool and Everton played their part in making the FA Cup third round tie quite the spectacle at Anfield.

But for another team, Charlton Athletic, it will have been a tough game to stomach. Everton’s performance improved dramatically after the introduction of Ademola Lookman on the left-hand side of midfield. He came on after Liverpool’s right-back, Joe Gomez, had put in a stellar performance nullifying any threat down that side.

Joseph Gomez of Charlton and Dan Burn of Fulham during the Sky Bet Championship match between Charlton Athletic and Fulham at The Valley on April 7, 2015 in London, England.Joseph Gomez of Charlton

Seeing the two go at it in such a high-profile fixture and perform so well will have Charlton fans thinking, what if?

Gomez and Lookman were once teammates at the London club. The 20-year-old pair, who have the talent to become regulars at their respective Merseyside outfit, were both considered excellent prospects at The Valley. Unfortunately, their emergence came at a time when Charlton are not at their best.

Slipping into the third-tier of English football made it impossible for Charlton to refuse good offers for the paiir, who now look like being stars of the future at two of the Premier League’s institution clubs.

Mark Davies of Bolton Wanderers battles with Ademola Lookman of Charlton Athletic during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic at Reebok Stadium on...Mark Davies of Bolton Wanderers battles with Ademola Lookman of Charlton Athletic

Whilst Charlton fans can be disappointed that the pair no longer belong to them, they can also be proud. They developed the talent of these two excellent young players and the financial gain they have made from their moves will no doubt have helped them stay aloft in the choppy waters of the Football League.

Charlton fans will just hope the next hot prospects that come through the ranks remain and help return the club to former glories.