Liverpool secured a commanding 4-0 victory over League-two’s Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third-round clash at Anfield on Saturday. The Reds’ boss Arne Slot made several changes after the controversial 1-0 Carabao Cup’s first leg semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Slot gave a day off to seven senior players while providing a first-team debut to a 16-year-old attacker Rio Ngumoha. Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah enjoyed a crucial rest during this weekend.

Meanwhile, Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz remained on the bench as the unused substitutes for the game. Trent Alexander-Arnold captained the heavily-changed side comprised of squad players with limited game time and youngsters from the prestigious Academy.

Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Alisson in the goalkeeping position with Jarell Quansah and Wataru Endo as the central defenders. Kostas Tsimikas and Alexander-Arnold started as the fullbacks in their respective positions with Tyler Morton as the number-six.

Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai played as the advanced midfielders while Harvey Elliott replaced Salah in the right attacking position. Ngumoha started as the left-winger along with struggling central forward Darwin Nunez as the number nine.

First-half

Liverpool started the game slowly with dominance in position until they created a series of chances in the 12^th minute. The Reds dominated 85% of the possession throughout the first half with 12 total shots and four on target.

Slot’s men created three big chances, missing two of those chances while scoring two goals to secure a resounding lead. Jota opened the scoreline after a fantastic counter-attacking team move in the 29^th minute with Nunez assisting the goal.

Alexander-Arnold scored a stunner in the 45^th minute, just before half-time to secure a healthy lead. Liverpool showed a clear difference in quality between the two clubs despite Accrington’s attempt to pose a threat.

Second-half

The Reds substituted Szoboszlai during halftime and brought in Federico Chiesa to give a good game time to the Italian. Accrington also made two changes to pose more threats with nothing to lose for the club that wanted to leave a lasting impression on Liverpool.

Liverpool once again dominated the possession throughout the second half with 71% and 10 total shots. With five of those shots on target, the Reds added two more goals to their name but Accrington showed their potential as well.

The visitors earned the respect of the Kopites, with one big chance and seven total shots in the second half. Josh Woods shot in the 57^th minute hit the Liverpool post with Kelleher beaten. Slot made consistent changes in the second half as a pre-planned schedule to rest the key players.

The Dutchman substituted Alexander-Arnold and Morton for Conor Bradley and James McConnell in the 60^th minute. Later, he substituted Ngumoha to a standing ovation on his debut from the Kop in the 72^nd minute with Jayden Danns coming on.

Ngumoha showcased his quality in possession and ability to dribble past players but more importantly, his desire to remain available. Danns added Liverpool’s third goal after creating the chance himself to finish a tap-in created by deflections.

Chiesa scored a fantastic goal in the 90^th minute, putting cherry on the top of the victory as the fans are eager to see him succeed. Accrington fans should feel proud of the way their team and staff conducted themselves and provided a tough evening for Liverpool despite the difference in quality.

Key takeaways from the game

Alexander-Arnold’s playmaking prowess and his incredible goal stole the spotlight in the first half with fans showing full support. Despite the ongoing off-field drama, the Kopites have displayed their support towards their local boy, hoping that Trent will make the right call over his future.

Dann’s cameo also raised a lot of noise as he continued to knock on the senior team’s door. The young Academy player’s elegance in possession and finish quality makes him a hybrid of both Jota and Nunez. However, a small appearance is not a good sample to make a final judgment on the youngster who needs to prove his consistency.

Endo’s performance as a centre-back has also gained plaudits from the fanbase as the cult hero continues to prove his worth. Liverpool conceded the controversial goal against Spurs after Slot pushed Endo from centre-back position to defensive midfield.

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Liverpool will face Nottingham Forest next in the Premier League clash to right the wrongs of their first loss under Slot at Anfield during the early stages of the current season. Nevertheless, the Premier League title race remains the main focus for the team with no margin for error.