Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley LIVE! FA Cup match stream, latest score and goal updates today

Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley LIVE!

The Reds kick off their FA Cup campaign today by taking on Accrington, who make the 50-mile trip from Lancashire for their first visit to Anfield in 69 years. Arne Slot is expected to heavily rotate, though described the game as a “Champions League final” for a team battling relegation at the bottom of League Two.

Despite their dominant presence at the top of the English game, this is not a competition which has been kind to Liverpool in recent years. A win at Wembley in 2022 was their first FA Cup triumph in almost two decades and saw their 24-match unbeaten streak across all competitions ended three days ago by an erratic Tottenham side.

For Accrington, this may well be their Champions League final, or at least a match for the ages against a team they will always be linked with due to a milk advert. “Accrington Stanley, who are they?”, will be answered - one way or another - this afternoon. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog.

Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley latest updates

• GOAL! Jota sweeps home the opener

13:00 , Alex Young

44min: Chiesa spotted warming up on the touchlines.

12:58 , Alex Young

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.

12:56 , Alex Young

41min: Morton tries his luck from 30 yards. He shaped well but his dipping effort does not dip enough.

12:53 , Alex Young

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.

12:49

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 Young

30min: There it is!

A sweeping counterattack sees Alexander-Arnold release Nunez down the right, who tees up Jota for a tap in.

12:43 , Alex Young

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.

12:37 , Alex Young

21min: Love clatters into Nunez to concede a free kick. That was reckless.

12:35 , Alex Young

19min: Corner comes in, it’s high and floated but Kelleher is fouled by Woods.

12:34 , Alex Young

18min: First half chance for Accrington as Whalley races down the left and wins a corner.

12:32 , Alex Young

15min: Ngumoha seeing plenty of the ball and has shown a few good touches. Exciting young talent.

12:28 , Alex Young

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.

12:27 , Alex Young

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.

12:23 , Alex Young

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.

12:21 , Alex Young

5min: Liverpool, as expected, fairly comfortable in possession but the visitors are up for this. The hosts being harried.

12:19 , Alex Young

3min: Accrington not messing around either, pressing high.

12:18 , Alex Young

2min: Liverpool on the front foot straight away.

Kick-off!

12:16 , Alex Young

1min: Up and running at Anfield.

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...and here they come onto the pitch!

12:11 , Alex Young

The teams are in the tunnel.

12:08 , Alex Young

Not long until kick-off. Accrington are 40/1 to win today.

Stranger things have happened.

12:02 , Alex Young

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.

11:50 , Alex Young

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.

11:43 , Alex Young

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 Young

Liverpool 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

11:26 , Alex Young

What a day for the youngster, who is in the front three alongside Jota and Nunez.

11:20 , Alex Young

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!

Liverpool XI

11:15 , Alex Young

Stronger than expected from the Reds!

FA Cup winners odds

11:06 , Alex Young

Liverpool 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.)

11:05 , Alex Young

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 Young

There 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 Young

This 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.

Read more here!

Baltic outside Anfield

10:25 , Alex Young

For 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 Young

Even 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 Young

Arne 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 Young

TV 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 Young

Good 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.