Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley LIVE!
Liverpool eased past League Two Accrington Stanley as Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold's first-half goals before strikes from Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa - his first since joining in the summer - after the break secured a 4-0 win in Saturday's FA Cup third-round clash.
Liverpool took the lead when Alexander-Arnold sent Darwin Nunez up the right just before the half-hour mark as Liverpool countered after an Accrington free-kick. The Uruguayan crossed to Jota in the box who scored with a tap-in, and Liverpool never looked back.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 45th minute as Alexander-Arnold found the top corner with a shot from outside the box, scoring via the inside of the far post. Danns scored in the 76th, four minutes after coming on, and Chiesa struck in the 90th minute to seal the win. Premier League leaders Liverpool next visit third-placed Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley latest updates
- GOAL! Chiesa gets first Reds goal
- GOAL! Danns scores after coming on
- GOAL! Alexander-Arnold adds stunning second
- GOAL! Jota sweeps home the opener
Full-time!
14:08 , Alex Young96min: Reds march on.
91min: Five minutes added on.
GOAL!
14:03 , Alex Young90min: It is his day!
Chiesa drills home inside the far post from distance! A huge smile.
POST!
14:00 , Alex Young87min: Chiesa hits the post!
It’s not his day today, but he’s looked promising.
83min: Nyoni replaces Endo, which sees McConnell move to centre-back.
81min: Chiesa is desperate to grab is goal and is lining up at the back post but Danns cannot find him.
GOAL!
13:49 , Alex Young76min: He’s only just come on but Danns fires home after Chiesa was denied!
Lovely stuff.
74min: Chiesa is busy, holding off a Stanley defender before finding the side netting for the second time this game.
70min: Accrington really sense they can get a goal, forcing another corner.
Ngumoha is off, replaced by Jayden Danns.
CHANCE!
13:39 , Alex Young65min: Free header for Love!
A stunner of a cross from Whalley put it on a plate for the former Manchester United defender, but he gets it all wrong and heads over.
Had to score,
60min: Elliott can continue.
Morton and Alexander-Arnold coming off, though that’s a straight sub.
Bradley and McConnell are on.
58min: Henderson booked for a late challenge on Elliott, who looks in some pain.
CROSSBAR!
13:30 , Alex Young57min: Perhaps they are not out of it yet!
Woods cuts inside and clangs the top of the crossbar from inside the area. Great strike.
54min: Accrington pushing more this half than they did in the first, which is perhaps not a surprise.
Liverpool keeping them at arm’s length.
50min: Nunez is back on.
48min: Concern for Nunez after a touch tackle.
He looks to be OK to continue but is hobbling.
47min: Early chance for Nunez and then Chiesa but Accrington crowd them out to concede a corner.
Second half!
13:18 , Alex Young46min: Back underway and Chiesa is on for Szoboszlai.
The players are back out. Can’t see any changes just yet.
Any changes at the break? It’ll be interesting to see how much Ngumoha has left in the tank. He was very lively during the first half.
Liverpool have actually been a bit underwhelming, but one cracking counterattack and other corker from Alexander-Arnold has settled this one in the first half.
Half-time
13:03 , Alex Young48min: That’s your lot for the first half.
GOAL!
13:01 , Alex Young46min: A stunner!
Alexander-Arnold curls a shot from the corner of the box over Crellin and in off the far post!
44min: Chiesa spotted warming up on the touchlines.
42min: Accrington are winning the ball enough but then keeping the ball is proving difficult. Elliott and then Morton with two huge tackles to halt their progress over the halfway line.
41min: Morton tries his luck from 30 yards. He shaped well but his dipping effort does not dip enough.
37min: A lovely touch from Jota sends Nunez through the middle. He unselfishly finds Elliott on the right, who takes an awkward pass and stings Crellin’s palms.
33min: Ngumoha is showing great decision-making. You wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a hand in a goal today.
Depends how long he lasts.
GOAL!
12:45 , Alex Young30min: There it is!
A sweeping counterattack sees Alexander-Arnold release Nunez down the right, who tees up Jota for a tap in.
26min: Liverpool really pushing now, racking up corner after corner but still not too much in the way of testing Crellin in goal.
Endo heads a Tsimikas corner wide.
21min: Love clatters into Nunez to concede a free kick. That was reckless.
19min: Corner comes in, it’s high and floated but Kelleher is fouled by Woods.
18min: First half chance for Accrington as Whalley races down the left and wins a corner.
15min: Ngumoha seeing plenty of the ball and has shown a few good touches. Exciting young talent.
12min: Alexander-Arnold forces Crellin into a good save with his feet, and then Nunez can’t bury the rebound despite getting a touch to set himself.
10min: Accrington not get much in the way of touches of the ball at the moment.
Szoboszlai tries to find Jota with a ball over the top but Accrington get back quickly to smother.
7min: First real chance sees Elliott stretch to flick the ball back for Nunez, but the pass is a bit behind the striker who heads over.
Tough chance.
5min: Liverpool, as expected, fairly comfortable in possession but the visitors are up for this. The hosts being harried.
3min: Accrington not messing around either, pressing high.
2min: Liverpool on the front foot straight away.
Kick-off!
12:16 , Alex Young1min: Up and running at Anfield.
...and here they come onto the pitch!
The teams are in the tunnel.
Not long until kick-off. Accrington are 40/1 to win today.
Stranger things have happened.
An interesting tidbit for Liverpool is that Chiesa still cannot get a game. He’ll surely come off the bench, but it’s not a great sign that he doesn’t start against a League Two side.
A little bit more on Rio Ngumoha, who arrived from Chelsea in the summer.
He apparently has speed for days and an incredible touch. Regarded by some as among the best young talents on the continent.
Let’s see what he’s got, then.
So, Salah, Gakpo, Van Dijk and Graveberch have all been given the weekend off but there is still plenty of big names on show.
Jota and Nunez are in attack, Szoboszlai is in midfield and Alexander-Arnold is in defence.
Confirmed team news
11:32 , Alex YoungLiverpool XI: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Endo, Quansah, Tsimikas, Morton, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Ngumoha, Jota, Nunez
Subs: Jaros, Diaz, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, McConnell, Danns, Bradley, Nyoni
Accrington Stanley XI: Crellin, Love, Rawson, Awe, Ben Woods, Khumbeni, Martin, Josh Woods, Hunter, Whalley, Walton
Subs: Kelly, Coyle, Mooney, Henderson, Knowles, Batty, Aljofree, Conneely, O'Brien
What a day for the youngster, who is in the front three alongside Jota and Nunez.
So, it’s a debut for 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who is named in the starting XI at Anfield.
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD!
Accrington Stanley XI
11:17 , Alex Young...and the visitors!
👥 Here is your unchanged #asfc starting XI for this afternoon’s @EmiratesFACup third round tie against @LFC! pic.twitter.com/I0qhMVblbj
— Accrington Stanley (@ASFCofficial) January 11, 2025
Liverpool XI
11:15 , Alex YoungStronger than expected from the Reds!
Team news is in ✊🔴 #LIVACC
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 11, 2025
FA Cup winners odds
11:06 , Alex YoungLiverpool are second-favourites to win in Wembley in May.
- Man City - 4/1
- Liverpool - 5/1
- Arsenal - 15/2
- Chelsea - 15/2
- Tottenham - 9/1
- Newcastle - 10/1
- Aston Villa - 12/1
- Man Utd - 16/1
- Brighton - 22/1
- Fulham - 22/1
(Odds via Betfair, subject to change.)
Plenty of big names in the building. Team news to come in 10 minutes.
Why is the game kicking off at 12.15pm?
10:58 , Alex YoungThere are no third-round replays in the FA Cup this season for the first time, which explains why the game is kicking off at 12.15pm.
The usual 12.30pm kick-off has been moved back to allow the opportunity for extra time and penalties, should they be required, before the traditional Saturday 3pm football blackout in the UK.
History
10:45 , Alex YoungThis is only the second time in history these two teams have met, which is perhaps a surprise given their relatively close proximity.
The only other time came way back in 1956, also in the FA Cup third round as legendary striker Billy Liddell scored twice.
'Accrington Stanley, who are they?'
10:38 , Alex Young"Accrington Stanley, who are they?" That is not a question Liverpool boss Arne Slot was asking himself this week, thanks to a cult milk advert from the late 1980s.
Slot on Saturday will welcome Stanley to Anfield in the FA Cup third round. It is the first meeting with the Lancashire side in 69 years, and also 36 years since a cult television advert put the club on the map.
Stanley are perhaps best known among English football fans for a Milk Marketing Board television commercial in the 1980s, which gently mocked the team’s obscurity.
In the milk advert, two young Scouse boys in Liverpool kits come in from a kickabout and set about making themselves drinks. One wants lemonade the other – much to his friend’s disgust – pours himself a glass of milk.
Milk? Eurgh," actor Kevin Spaine says. Carl Rice replies: "It’s what Ian Rush drinks, and he said if I didn’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’d only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.”
“Accrington Stanley, who are they?” Spaine replies. “Exactly!” is the cutting response, and one which has gone down in Accrington folklore.
-Cropped.png?trim=5%2C0%2C31%2C0)
Baltic outside Anfield
10:25 , Alex YoungFor once those scarves on sale might be put to good use. It’s -3 at the moment in Liverpool, and it feels like -7.
Not sure too many of those names will be on show today, though.
Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley prediction
10:19 , Alex YoungEven with heavy rotation from Liverpool, it’s difficult to see a surprise at Anfield. The players that come into the team will have a point to prove to Slot so expect a professional performance from the hosts.
It was a rare blank for the Reds in front of goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but that won’t be the case against Accrington Stanley.
Liverpool to win 4-0
Liverpool team news
10:07 , Alex YoungArne Slot is likely to rotate his Liverpool squad though, although the likes of Federico Chiesa, Dominik Szoboszlai - who missed the midweek Carabao Cup defeat at Tottenham with illness - Ibrahima Konate, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott could all still feature.
Chiesa, who has been on the bench for five of the last seven games, has struggled from not having a pre-season with Juventus ahead of his £10million move to Anfield in late August.
"It's not only been difficult for him in terms of match fitness, it's also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah," said Slot.
"Everybody here knows the numbers Mo Salah brings in. There's not many times a reason to take him out during a game or before a game.
"It's not only about Federico when we are talking about him being limited in his playing time. It's also about the others.
"But in terms of Federico it definitely has to do with the way he came in, the rest were already training a lot and we had to bring him up in terms of match fitness.
"It's a combination of reasons why he didn't play that much yet but let's wait and see in the upcoming weeks and months if he's able to help us because the second half of the season is even more important than the first."
Where to watch Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley
09:57 , Alex YoungTV channel: This afternoon's game will be shown live in the UK on ITV, with coverage beginning at 11.30am GMT. Kick-off at Anfield 12.15pm.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via ITVX.
Welcome
09:46 , Alex YoungGood morning and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the FA Cup third-round clash between Liverpool and Accrington Stanley.
It’s an early start at Anfield, with the game kicking off at 12.15pm GMT. But Stanley have only had a 50-mile trip from Lancashire this morning.
This is only the second every meeting between the two teams, but they will forever been bonded by milk.
Stick with us to find out more.
