Trent's Liverpool message, youngsters impress, big-money star disappoints - 5 talking points
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Liverpool avoided any danger of an FA Cup upset to progress past League Two side Accrington Stanley 4-0 at Anfield. The difference between the teams showed on the break. An Accrington Stanley attacking set piece was cleared with a brilliant pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and two one-touch passes saw the ball placed across the box for Diogo Jota to find the net just before the half hour mark.
On the brink of half-time Alexander-Arnold made a very true strike look very easy to double the Reds' lead. The captain for the day stretched out his arms to draw in the adoration, with his future still very much under scrutiny. The second period saw Josh Woods go close for Stanley with a fierce strike and Donald Love send a free header over the bar. It was 18-year-old Liverpool youngster Jayden Danns who earned some FA Cup magic next by capitalising on the rebound from Federico Chiesa's effort to make the score 3-0.
THE FA CUP GIANT KILLERS: Get your special edition magazine celebrating some of the game's greatest-ever upsets. Chiesa found the net himself with an impressive strike from distance after relentlessly finding chances to round off the scoring. Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to arise from the clash.
In a team that saw plenty of rotation it was hard to ignore that Alexander-Arnold retained his place and wore the captain's armband. The academy product, who is in the final six months of his contract, is of course Arne Slot's vice-captain but with the fact that the full-back has declared captaining Liverpool as a future dream, it feels a pertinent reminder.
