Liverpool player ratings vs Accrington: Trent shines, Chiesa's breakthrough

In the third round of the FA Cup, Liverpool fielded perhaps their most reserve-heavy lineup ever against Accrington Stanley, a team from the lower part of League Two (England's fourth tier). As expected, Liverpool emerged victorious. Accrington showed discipline and solid play until conceding the first goal, after which the match turned into a rout, ending 4-0.

• Ngumoha becomes Liverpool’s youngest FA Cup player

Two notable moments stood out in the match. First, Liverpool set a small record as Rio Ngumoa became the youngest player in the club’s history to take the field, aged just 16 years and 135 days.

Second, Federico Chiesa made an appearance! This was only his fifth game of the season. Initially hailed as a jackpot signing for Liverpool, Chiesa’s campaign has been marred by frequent absences. Thankfully, he managed to score his first goal for the Reds today.

Liverpool’s best players:

Rio Ngumoa

What a bold debut! His confidence alone earns him a spot among the best performers. Ngumoa managed two shots, found the ball five times in the opposition box, and attempted seven dribbles, succeeding in three of them. Despite some unsuccessful attempts, his relentless runs kept Accrington’s defenders busy, often requiring double coverage.

It’s encouraging to see such youthful talent in Liverpool’s lineup. If Ngumoa continues to gain experience and retains his daring style, the Reds might have their own Jeremy Doku in the making.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Captain Trent was the only regular starter in today’s lineup. His role was to secure the match both defensively and offensively. He delivered with a beautiful goal, five defensive actions, two blocked shots, and four ball recoveries. Mission accomplished.

Federico Chiesa

Finally, a goal for Chiesa! The Italian spent the entire second half trying to find the back of the net, taking six shots, three of which were on target (second only to Nunez with five attempts, one on target). Among these was a one-on-one chance where Chiesa shot directly at the goalkeeper, leading to Denns scoring on the rebound. Another brilliant effort from inside the box hit the post. But at the 90th minute, Chiesa secured his first goal for Liverpool with a low shot from about 25 yards. What a moment!

Liverpool player ratings:

• Alexander-Arnold T. – 8
• Bradley C. – 6
• Denns J. – 7
• Elliott H. – 8
• Endo W. – 7
• Jota D. – 8
• Quansah J. – 7
• Kelleher C. – 6
• Chiesa F. – 8
• McConnell J. – 6
• Morton T. – 7
• Ngumoa R. – 8
• Nioni T. – 7
• Núñez D. – 7
• Szoboszlai D. – 7
• Tsimikas K. – 7