Liverpool will host Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, looking to bounce back from the midweek cup defeat.
Liverpool have failed to pick up a win in their last two outing across all competitions, and they will be desperate to get their campaign back on track vs Accrington Stanley at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The home side’s recent performances have been underwhelming in the last few matches, and Arne Slot will demand a strong reaction from his players this weekend. Liverpool will be desperate to make it through the next round of the competition, and they will certainly be the favourites to pick up a win at home against Accrington Stanley.
The visitors are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive victories, and they will look to pull off an upset away from home. Accrington Stanley are major underdogs here, and it will be interesting to see if they can upset the odds. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming FA Cup meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, who is ruled out with a thigh injury for the upcoming games. Jarell Quansah was taken off due to illness against Tottenham, and he is unlikely to feature here.
The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Caomhin Kelleher in goal. Ibrahima Konate is likely to start alongside Wataru Endo at the heart of the defence. Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas will be deployed in the full-back areas. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Tyler Morton will start alongside Trey Nyoni in the double pivot. The pair will look to keep things sticking in the middle of the park and provide defensive cover to the side.
Harvey Elliott will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and link the midfield with the attack. Federico Chiesa could be handed a start here on the flanks along with Cody Gakpo. They will look to add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead the line for Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Endo, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Morton; Chiesa, Elliott, Gakpo; Nunez
Accrington Stanley
The visitors do not have any injury issues heading into this game. They are likely to field a full-strength side. Accrington Stanley will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Liverpool, with Billy Crellin in goal.
In the back three, Sonny Aljofree will start alongside Farrend Rawson and Zach Awe. Donald Love and Ben Woods will start as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and hit Liverpool on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Liam Coyle and Nelson Khumbeni will add defensive cover to the side. Shaun Whalley will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create openings in the final third for his teammates. Finally, Tyler Walton will lead the line for the away side alongside Dara Costelloe.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Crellin; Aljofree, Rawson, Awe; Love, Coyle, Khumbeni, Woods; Whalley; Walton, Costelloe
Key Stats
- Liverpool have failed to win two of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Accrington Stanley have failed to win four of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Accrington Stanley have lost all three of their FA Cup games against Premier League opponents, with each of these coming in the fourth round of the competition – 1-3 vs Fulham (2010), 0-1 vs Middlesbrough (2017) and 1-3 vs Leeds United (2023). However, they have progressed from each of their last four FA Cup third round ties, with these coming in 2009/10, 2016/17, 2018/19 and 2022/23.
- Liverpool and Accrington Stanley have conceded at least once in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches at home. On the other hand, the visitors have picked up just two wins from the last six away matches.
Player to Watch
Cody Gakpo
The Dutch attacker has been in outstanding form in recent weeks, and he will look to make his Mark here. He will look to continue his goalscoring form and create openings for his teammates. Gakpo is our key player to watch out for, and Liverpool will need him to deliver in the final third in the absence of key players like Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Accrington Stanley
Liverpool will be the favourites heading into this game vs Accrington Stanley, and they should be able to grind out a victory in front of their fans. The Reds have the better set of players, even though they are likely to rotate the squad heavily.
Accrington Stanley have shown impressive form in recent outings, and they will look to make life difficult for the home team. However, Liverpool have enough quality to edge out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges.
