Liverpool

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

It may have come against League Two opposition, but Liverpool's victory over Accrington Stanley will have been a highly satisfactory one for Reds boss Arne Slot - for a number of reasons.

The Dutchman fielded a strong team which subjected their opponents to relentless pressure in the first half and eventually took a deserved lead through Diogo Jota just before the half-hour mark.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and was criticised by some fans following last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, silenced those critics with a tremendous strike into the top corner on the stroke of half-time.

Rio Ngumoha, the youngest player to start a match for Liverpool at just 16 years and 135 days old, was a lively presence down the Reds' left and received a warm ovation from the Anfield crowd after being replaced by fellow teenager Jayden Danns - scorer of the hosts' third.

But it was Federico Chiesa who had the final say, capping an energetic display with his first goal for the club late on.

The summer signing from Juventus has endured an injury-hit campaign so far but will hope Saturday's goal marks the start of a career revival.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance here

Image source, Getty Images

Arne Slot spoke to ITV after Liverpool's victory against Accrington Stanley: "Credit to them, I think they showed their style of play, which is a big compliment.

"They played the same style as they always play. In the end, of course, the difference in quality makes a big difference for us, but compliments to them with how they showed up today."

On Rio Ngumoha: "He did well. There were a few moments where the fans could see why we think he's a talent. He is good in one-v-one situations.

"He showed a bit more in the first half than in the second half. It is nice to get your debut and get the win. It is a special day for him."

On Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance: "Trent didn't have his best game against Man Utd, but for the rest of the season he has been so good for us - I liked his performance today.

"Our fans have always given him a lot of support. He didn't play well, but fans reacted to that.

"If Trent just plays what we expect from him, then he gets support."

On Federico Chiesa's first goal for Liverpool: "It is definitely a good first step, but as much as I liked the way Accrington Stanley played we have to take into consideration that we're talking about League Two level.

"It is good to have him back on the pitch. He was a threat, but let's not get carried away."

Image source, Getty Images

At 16 years and 135 days, Rio Ngumoha is the youngest player to play for Liverpool in any competition since Jerome Sinclair featured in a League Cup match against West Bromwich Albion in September 2012 (16y 6d).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

The FA Cup third round continues on Saturday, with three Premier League teams involved in early kick-offs.

This is how you can follow the action:

• Bristol City v Wolves (12:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Accrington Stanley (12:15) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leicester v QPR (14:00)

Kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction

Image source, Getty Images

The FA Cup third round is well under way, with Premier League sides Everton, Fulham and Aston Villa the clubs already booking their places in the fourth-round draw with wins on Thursday and Friday.

But for other sides hoping for a healthy cup run this season, when will the draw take place?

The draw will be live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer following the conclusion of the Arsenal v Manchester United tie, which kicks off at 15:00 GMT on Sunday.

It will include 32 teams - with all third-round matches this weekend settled on the day - and the resulting ties will be played over the weekend commencing Saturday, 8 February.

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all 32 FA Cup third round games and given his verdict on who will make it into round four.

For this week's matches he is up against actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who is a Liverpool fan.

Sutton's prediction: 4-0

This will be a great day out for Accrington but you can't really make a case for them against the Premier League leaders, no matter what side Arne Slot puts out.

It will be a team of fringe Liverpool players but it will still have great quality. Their success so far this season is because their squad is so strong.

Billy's prediction: 3-1

I love to root for the underdog, except when they are playing my team!

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has spoken about midfielder Harvey Elliott, saying the 21-year-old is a "talented player" and it is "not easy to come back and be at your best immediately" after a lengthy injury.

Slot says it is important to find a balance between giving players game time to return to their best form, alongside wanting to win every match they play.

Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Arne Slot will get his first taste of FA Cup action on Saturday when his Premier League leaders host League Two side Accrington Stanley.

Slot is expected to make plenty of changes for the game and, apart from knowing about the famous "milk advert", he also knows whatever side he puts out will have to be wary of a side 86 places below them in the league pyramid.

"It's a special occasion for every team we face, but especially for a lower-league team," said Slot when he spoke to the media at the club's snowy training ground on Friday.

"They will be all up for it. They've lived towards this game for weeks probably.

"If you go to a Champions League final, everybody is hyped up and ready and, for them, it is going to feel as if it is a Champions League final, so we have to be aware of that.

"Nine out of 10 times, the first 25 minutes or half hour is the most difficult part of the game because they will still be very intense.

"It's up to us to be ready for them wanting to play the best game of their lives and that is what we have to do as well."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he recognises patterns in the goals his side concede - but they are not down to right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Trent Alexander-Arnold has won it all with his boyhood club Liverpool, but he is out of contract in the summer and reports linking him with a potential free transfer to Real Madrid have made him a big talking point.

Yet the focus on Alexander-Arnold's performances is not wholly linked to his ongoing contract situation, but rather Liverpool's defensive stats.

The 26-year-old has started 17 of Liverpool's 19 Premier League games so far this season.

The England full-back's role on the right of the Liverpool defence has come under scrutiny because of the number of touches and chances opponents have been getting this season when attacking down that side.

According to Opta, Liverpool's opponents are having 44.1% of their touches in the left-third in the attacking areas - Liverpool's right-hand side - which is the highest ratio in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, 35.7% of opposition chances against Liverpool are created on that side - the fifth-highest ratio in the division.

Head coach Arne Slot defended his player in Friday's news conference and said: "I do see a certain pattern in the goals we concede, but I don't see the pattern if it is about Trent. Not at all.

"Trent has had one difficult game for us [in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield] and maybe a few that were OK to good.

"Mainly he has had great games when he played for us this season.

"I know there is a lot of focus on him at the moment, but I would also like to highlight the focus on how well he did when he came on in the last half hour [against Tottenham on Wednesday]."

Alexander-Arnold came off the bench for Conor Bradley at Spurs, but it is not unusual for him to not start a Carabao Cup game, given Slot has consistently tried to rotate his squad in that competition.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup game against Accrington Stanley (kick-off 12:15 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai trained with Liverpool Under-21s on Thursday after recovering from illness while Jarell Quansah is also expected to be available for Saturday.

• On the need to rotate his squad: "One of the most important things is to give players a rest when possible. We are not tired, not at all. We are stepping up."

• However, he will only decide his squad after training today as those that travelled to Tottenham on Wednesday did not train on Thursday due to their flight being diverted to Birmingham.

• On the past two performances against Manchester United and Spurs: "I don't see many differences from the other games. We have won a lot of games, maybe all games we've deserved to win except Chelsea, but never by a big margin."

• He therefore wants his side to be more clinical and ruthless in their performances: "Improving is increasing that margin, otherwise you defend on a bit of luck or a certain decision. We must make sure we don't depend on those moments anymore."

• Slot said he has "no comments" on the ongoing transfer rumours around his players and "99 out of 100 times in the window it has been clear that almost all of these stories aren't true."

• On "talented" Harvey Elliott, who has been linked with a move away this month: "It is not so easy to come back and be at your best immediately."

• Slot said he is trying to "find the balance between playing time to get them back to his best" and setting his team up to win games.

• In response to questions about the Reds facing more attacks down the right side of their defence: "I see patterns in the goals we concede but it is not about Trent [Alexander-Arnold], if that is what you mean? I know there is focus on him at the moment, but I highlight how well he did in the last half hour [against Tottenham]."

• Meanwhile, youngsters Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha "are doing really well", with Slot adding: "As long as they keep doing that then their chances of first-team involvement will increase."

• He said he "will dive" into studying Accrington Stanley more today but joked that he knows about the milk advert and that "people from this area also play for the club".

• Accrington "will be up for it" says Slot and "we have to be ready for them to play the best games of their lives."

Follow all of Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Liverpool v Accrington Stanley on BBC Sports Extra from 12:10 GMT

Image source, Reuters

It is not often Arne Slot has been in this position as Liverpool boss.

Following his side being beaten 1-0 at Tottenham on Wednesday in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, the Dutchman tasted defeat for only the second time in a competitive game in charge of the Reds.

That's some going in his first 29 matches but, coming after being held 2-2 by a struggling Manchester United at Anfield in the league on Sunday, are Liverpool showing signs of vulnerability?

The Reds have let in 10 goals in their past seven games, having only let in 15 in their previous 22 outings. They also failed to score for the first time since this season's only other loss, which was a 1-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest on 14 September.

Taking that into account, is there the sniff of Liverpool being on the wrong end of an FA Cup third-round upset on Saturday when they host Accrington Stanley (12:15 GMT)?

The League Two side will hope so whereas Slot will be keen for his side to put on an emphatic display to get back on track after his side faced some travel disruption on the way back from London following the Spurs game.

Liverpool's flight was diverted to Birmingham before they made their way back via alternative transport, with training on Thursday being cancelled as a result.

We'll hear from Slot on Friday morning to get his thoughts on his first FA Cup game, how much he will rotate his squad and any injury concerns.

Liverpool could move for Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia, 23, if Napoli allow the Georgia winger to leave this month. (Athletic, external)

The Reds are one of three Premier League clubs monitoring Bournemouth quartet Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez, Antoine Semenyo and Dean Huijsen. (The i, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Accrington Stanley assistant manager Ged Brannan is hopeful that his squad can pull off an FA Cup upset at Liverpool on Saturday, but more than anything he wants everyone "to absorb every minute" of the day.

As third-round ties go, it does not get much bigger for the League Two club than a trip to Anfield.

Wedged between league fixtures against Colchester and Notts County, Accrington will bid to knock the current Premier League leaders out of the FA Cup.

"It is the biggest game of my career," Brannan told BBC Radio Lancashire., external "I've played in FA Cup ties against Aston Villa but this exceeds it all.

"It is fantastic for the players, staff and fans. We just have to embrace it.

"We have looked at how they play. Teams like Real Madrid, considered one of the best in the world, have gone to Anfield and tried to stop them and we will give it a good go.

"We will give it everything we have got but it is also one of those days where you have just got to enjoy it. There will be loads of FA Cup upsets this weekend and hopefully we can be one of them!

"We are not silly, we know how good Liverpool are but we are just going to absorb every minute.

"As a Liverpool fan, I can't wait until they sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and feel the atmosphere. I'll be touching the 'This is Anfield' sign, but obviously I want Accrington to win."

Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA Media

There are plenty of people facing travel issues because of the weather and Liverpool were no different as they made their way back from London after a 1-0 defeat by Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

The freezing fog conditions meant they were unable to land at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool as planned, with their flight being diverted to Birmingham.

They took alternative transport from there and, as a result, training on Thursday was cancelled.

The Reds next play Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (12:15 GMT).

Image source, Getty Images

This is the first meeting between Liverpool and Accrington Stanley in all competitions, though the Reds did beat the original Accrington side 2-0 in the 1955-56 FA Cup third round.