Liverpool v Accrington Stanley – The FA Cup 3rd Round Preview

Date – 11th January 2025

Venue – Anfield

Kick-off – 12.15

After the Reds lost 1-0 in their 1st leg EFL Cup semifinal tie against Tottenham in the week, this weekend sees the more prestigious FA Cup 3rd round match between Liverpool and busting Accrington Stanley. As European royalty and the current Premier League leaders, one would assume that a club that languishes in the lower end of Football League Two will surely be swept aside by their world-renowned hosts. The fabulous nature of this historic Cup, however, will always allow an opportunity to pull off an amazing upset and with Arne Slots men mildly out of form and likely to be heavily rotated, anything could happen this Saturday lunchtime.

Accrington Stanley Availability

The ‘Owd Reds manager, John Doolan, should have a strong group to call upon as they look to upset their 28/1 odds of victory.

In terms of recent form, the Lancashire club beat Colchester United 0-2 when visiting Essex, after a 3-2 home win over Grimsby, following a disappointing 2-1 loss away to Carlisle. After playing 23 games in the fourth tier of English football, Stanley has amassed just 25 points and sits 19th in the current league standings.

The predicted lineup for the away team, using a 4-2-3-1 formation, is as follows. I would expect an unchanged lineup from that which recently won at Colchester’s Community Stadium.

Billy Crellin, Donald Love, Farrend Rawson, Zach Awe, Benjamin Jack Woods, Nelson Khumbeni, Ashley Hunter, Dan Martin, Josh Woods, Tyler Walton, Shaun Whalley

Liverpool Availability

Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, while Jarell Quansah and Dominik Szoboszlai look set to recover from a recent illness and make the match-day squad.

The Reds’ recent league form has been questionable as before their 1-0 loss at Tottenham in the EFL Cup semifinal 1st leg, they recorded a disappointing 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield. That pair of results came having secured an outstanding 5-0 win away to West Ham. With 19 games played so far, Liverpool currently tops the Premier League standings with an impressive total of 46 points.

Here is the lineup I expect Arne Slot to field for this home FA Cup encounter. The team will be heavily rotated, especially given that a trip to Nottingham Forest awaits on Tuesday evening.

Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Wataru Endō (c), Kostas Tsimikas, Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Harvey Elliott, Darwin Núñez, Federico Chiesa

How Will This Contest Play Out?

Liverpool is expected to use this game to blood a raft of youngsters and underused fringe assets, which should offer their visitors enough opportunities to create a lively encounter. The firepower of the Reds will surely be too much for the English league minnows, however, following some erratic form and a lack of familiarity within Anfield’s ranks should make this cold lunchtime cup battle one to keep an eye on.

Player to Watch: Federico Chiesa

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 4 – 2 Accrington Stanley