Home team vs. The away team
| Saturday 11 January |
FA Cup – Third Round Proper | Enfield
3pm GMT/10am EST
Liverpool have faced Accrington Stanley only once before: 2-0 FA Cup A draw again in January 1956. Here’s hoping for more of the same on Saturday.
To get here, Accrington Stanley defeated 10-man Rushall Olympic in the first round, and followed that up with a penalty shootout win against 10-man Swindon Town (who gave up an injury-time equalizer to give Accrington the chance). At the very least, Liverpool will hope to avoid being sent off.
They are struggling in the league this season, currently sitting in 19th place in League Two having lost 10 of the 23 games they have played so far (and conceded 40). Their performance away from home was poor, as seven of their defeats came away from home in the league. However, they have won their last two games, including a 2-0 away win at Colchester United, who sit two places above them in 17th place.
Tyler Walton and Sean Whaley are the team’s top scorers, both with six goals. Accrington have a total of 15 different goalscorers so far this season.
Accrington will relish the opportunity to play at Anfield, and will take this game very seriously. This will be a challenge, regardless of the different positions in the broader pyramid. Although some rotation may occur as Accrington balances injuries, fitness and league hopes as well, the Reds will have to get the right level of rotation to avoid a disjointed battle against a team that will be desperate to show they can take on the big boys. .
They have struggled with the weather this week in terms of obstacles on the training ground, but they brought no injury concerns with them to Anfield. Although 86 places in the football pyramid separate the two sides, Accrington will be ready to take advantage of any opportunity presented to them.
It is worth noting that Accrington manager John Dolan knows this Liverpool team better than most lower-league managers: he was Liverpool’s academy coach, and was the man who noticed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s budding talent when the Scouser was just six years old. At that time, Alexander-Arnold was a midfielder.
Expected Liverpool lineup (4-2-3-1)
Kelleher. Bradley, Konate, Endo, Tsimikas; McConnell, Elliott, Chiesa; Ngomuha, Nunez, Jacopo
Liverpool have been in poor form. Although neither the weather nor the management helped them, the Reds have dropped points and lost the first leg in their last two matches, and arguably deservedly so.
This drop in form – partly due, as Arne Slott suggests, to results against Tottenham and West Ham before this week’s disappointments – makes team selection somewhat more difficult for the Liverpool manager, as minutes management is important, but so is finding rhythm.
Given the level of the opposition, we can however expect some rotation, with a mix of squad players who have been on limited minutes likely to start (I’m looking at you, Harvey Elliott) and academy players on the cusp of getting another run (here I’m thinking of the likes of Trey Nyony and James McConnell).
The big question is what Slot will do with the back five, as his first option has been shaky lately. Ibrahima Konate is back in the team but has looked at his best and has been at the scene of the crime several times over the past two matches. The manager may want to give him more minutes as the defender looks to return to his fitness and fitness level, but equally, too many minutes in a short period of time may do more harm than good. Limited availability at centre-back due to injury means Wataru Endo is likely to feature there alongside either of the first two options. or A relatively untested young man.
The full-backs are likely to be rotated, even if Trent Alexander-Arnold looks out of form. The backbone of the team is a challenge, as Slot will want to manage the minutes, but likewise, a team filled with too many youngsters could find themselves being bullied or in bad shape. So we may see a name or two in midfield and/or attack that we wouldn’t expect to see, simply to give the team a level of senior experience – especially if the back five is heavily rotated.
Of course, Arne Slott will know more about Accrington Stanley than any of us, and may make decisions based on his strengths alongside considerations of fitness and rhythm.
What the managers had to say
Arnie slot“I think every team plays against us. It’s a special occasion for every team we play – but especially for a lower league team. They’ll all be ready for it. They’ve lived for this game for probably weeks. Nine out of 10 times all the players are ready and there’s no For any suspended player, the challenge is always to get the best out of ourselves.
John Dooley“We know the scale of the task, we could have the best facilities ever but you’re talking about playing for Liverpool Football Club. But Liverpool might have an off day and we might have an unbelievable day. Lady Luck might be with us, but you never know.” It’s the magic of the cup.
Officials
Verdict: Lewis Smith Assistant referees: Richard West and Andrew Fox Fourth official: Zach Kennard Kettle
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