Trent's Liverpool message, youngsters impress, big-money star disappoints - 5 talking points

LIVERPOOL 4-0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY: Arne Slot's broadside prevailed 3-0 successful the FA Cup 3rd circular acknowledgment to goals from Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jayden Danns astatine Anfield

Liverpool avoided immoderate information of an FA Cup upset to advancement past League Two broadside Accrington Stanley 4-0 astatine Anfield.

The quality betwixt the teams showed connected the break. An Accrington Stanley attacking acceptable portion was cleared with a superb walk from Trent Alexander-Arnold and 2 one-touch passes saw the shot placed crossed the container for Diogo Jota to find the nett conscionable earlier the fractional hr mark.

On the brink of half-time Alexander-Arnold made a precise existent onslaught look precise casual to treble the Reds' lead. The skipper for the time stretched retired his arms to gully successful the adoration, with his future inactive precise overmuch nether scrutiny.

The 2nd play saw Josh Woods spell adjacent for Stanley with a fierce onslaught and Donald Love nonstop a escaped header implicit the bar. It was 18-year-old Liverpool youngster Jayden Danns who earned immoderate FA Cup magic adjacent by capitalising connected the rebound from Federico Chiesa's effort to marque the people 3-0.

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Chiesa recovered the nett himself with an awesome onslaught from region aft relentlessly uncovering chances to circular disconnected the scoring. Mirror Football takes a look astatine the talking points to originate from the clash.

Trent wears the armband

In a squad that saw plentifulness of rotation it was hard to disregard that Alexander-Arnold retained his spot and wore the captain's armband. The academy product, who is successful the last six months of his contract, is of people Arne Slot's vice-captain but with the information that the full-back has declared captaining Liverpool arsenic a aboriginal dream, it feels a pertinent reminder.

Alexander-Arnold was a person connected the transportation astatine Anfield, often taking work connected the shot to instigate attacks. The Reds were against weaker absorption than erstwhile the defender produced a howler against Manchester United but nevertheless, the out-of-contract prima delivered a reminder of his qualities and what Liverpool could miss.

Magic of the cup

Accrington Stanley, who are they? A fewer much radical astir the world whitethorn cognize now.

The League Two broadside did not person acold to question but it would person been an affectional travel for galore of them. Manager John Doolan is an Everton instrumentality and was a trainee with the Toffees earlier moving for Liverpool, portion Liam Coyle, who captained the Reds successful their younker ranks, achieved his imagination of playing successful beforehand of the Kop erstwhile helium came disconnected the bench.

Even simply seeing Nelson Khumbeni thundering into a tackle connected Diogo Jota brings an constituent of satisfaction. Stanley produced a valiant show and simply lacked the physicality to lucifer Liverpool implicit the people of 90 minutes, but reaching this signifier and receiving the fiscal benefits of doing so, is simply a stellar effort.

Rio Ngumoha vindicated

Just months aft joining the club, Rio Ngumoha became Liverpool's youngest ever starter connected Saturday afternoon. Still conscionable 16, the winger arrived from Chelsea aft being convinced of a amended pathway with the Reds, overmuch to the Blues' disappointment.

The youngster has already near his content connected archetypal squad brag Slot. "It is ever peculiar erstwhile a young subordinate makes his debut, nary substance which state you are in," the Liverpool manager said.

"You cognize what it means to the player. He is simply a young kid that has been with america for fractional a season. He has trained mostly with the Under-21s but sometimes with us. But erstwhile helium has been with us, helium isn't acrophobic to bash what helium is bully astatine - taking players on. I anticipation helium gets the accidental to amusement his quality."

Ngumoha showed plentifulness of instinct to instrumentality the shot successful choky areas and to bushed the players astir him. The teen was a precise progressive beingness successful the opening 45 minutes and brought thrust and penetration that is not ever casual to find.

The academy ace faded arsenic the crippled went on, understandably, but it's improbable to beryllium his past Liverpool outing.

Chiesa chance

Ahead of the FA Cup clash, Slot said Chiesa had the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah to vie with for a spot successful his side. The Italian was placed connected the seat with Harvey Elliott and Ngumoha connected the wings astatine Anfield, however.

It was Dominik Szoboszlai who yet made mode for Chiesa astatine the halfway mark. The ex-Juventus prima showed flashes but with scant opportunities frankincense far, did not rather look to person his oculus in.

The summertime signing showed the quality to find abstraction but couldn't rather capitalise upon it to start. Chiesa kept plucking away, getting nearer with each accidental earlier uncovering the nett successful the 90th minute.

He volition beryllium hopeful of uncovering much opportunities successful the 2nd fractional of the play arsenic Slot hinted, contempt starting among the substitutes.

Darwin difficulty

It was a forgetable day for Darwin Nunez. The striker did small to amusement helium should beryllium astatine the forefront of Slot's plans moving guardant portion surrounded by team-mates successful amended form.

The Uruguay planetary wildly fired implicit the barroom aft conscionable 12 minutes and it was already his 2nd miss of day. Things did not truly amended for the 25-year-old and the aforesaid questions volition situation his performance.

"We’re saying the aforesaid things present arsenic we were 2 oregon 3 years ago," said Robbie Fowler. "He’s raw, he’s this, he’s that. You can’t support saying that. For me, the much I spot him the much I deliberation he’s not a Liverpool player.

"People mightiness person a spell astatine maine for saying this due to the fact that helium works hard, you’re not signing a subordinate due to the fact that helium works hard. That should beryllium a prerequisite anyway."

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