Arne Slot will have enjoyed his first taste of FA Cup action. Avoiding what would have been an all-time giant killing was chief among the Liverpool manager’s priorities heading into the weekend, but coming away with a convincing 4-0 victory from the game was a plus.
As was escaping this match and the midweek Carabao Cup trip to Tottenham Hotspur without any fresh injuries. Indeed, the majority of his regular starters were afforded some rest period across the two games.
Andy Robertson hasn’t kicked a single ball since the Manchester United draw, Dominik Szobaszlai - admittedly impacted by illness - played 45 minutes, Luiz Dias just half an hour and Alexis Mac Allister managed 80 minutes.
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That minor break in the midst of a jam-packed January could prove imperative, especially as Liverpool returns to Premier League action with tough trips to Nottingham Forest and Brentford. But in the absence of his key men, Slot turned to the fringe members of his squad over two matches, with varied results.
The Dutchman was never going to learn anything from Caoimhin Kelleher’s return for the Accrington game, given the goalkeeper has already proved himself a more-than-able deputy across 13 previous appearances this term. Similarly, Conor Bradley had little to show his manager, but the right-back’s increased on-field minutes will be a boost ahead of the crazy fixture load over the upcoming weeks.
On the opposite flank, with Robertson out, Kostas Tsimikas failed to stake a serious claim to oust the Scotland captain as first-choice left-back. Two steady, yet unspectacular, displays underlined that strengthening in that position could be among FSG’s priorities next summer.
As for the center of defence, 120 minutes without a major error is a significant bonus as Jarrell Quansah bids to prove his worth to Slot. That he was outshone by Wataru Endo in the middle of the back four does pose a problem, though.
The ex-Stuttgart man was excellent at Spurs and followed that up with a commanding performance at Anfield on Saturday. Endo’s tidy passing and excellent positional play may give Slot food for thought when considering his center-back options.
In his place in midfield, Tyler Morton started against Accrington and, while clearly a level above the League Two opponent, didn’t give Slot much reason to reconsider his view of the 22-year-old.
In contrast, Szoboszlai’s quality stood out in the first 45 of the FA Cup tie. With Curtis Jones failing to impress across his last two starts against United and Spurs, Saturday will have been a little reminder of what Liverpool’s No. 8 brings to the party. That the Reds scored six at Spurs with Szobaszlai in the team compared to none without him 17 days later tells its own story.
Harvey Elliott is another who fans were itching to see back in the side, and there was surprise he didn’t receive any minutes at Spurs. Against Accrington, other than some slick passing and good ball retention, there was little that hugely stood amid growing reports of a possible January exit.
As for the attackers, no goals from five shots, two big chances and an expected goals of 0.81 is alarming against a side sitting 19th in League Two. The counter argument for Darwin Nunez will be that across both games he created scoring opportunities, but his inability to consistently convert those chances is a concern.
That he toiled as Jayden Danns impressed should be another worry for the Uruguayian. Danns had some nice touches in possession against Accrington, linked well with team-mates and capped his 18-minute cameo with a goal. He spoke of earning more first-team minutes afterwards and that seems entirely plausible, especially amid Nunez’s struggles.
Federico Chiesa also showed the first glimpses of the player that lit up the European Champions in 2021. His relentless desire to grab a first Liverpool goal, and build some much-needed fitness, was rewarded with a 90-minute strike into the bottom corner in the 4-0 FA Cup win.
Slot mentioned twice in his post-match assessment that fans shouldn’t get ‘carried away’ with Chiesa’s performance but at the very least it might prove to the Liverpool boss that his sole summer import is ready to play a part in the biggest game.
Rio Ngumoha isn’t quite at that level yet, but his Liverpool debut had plenty of plus points, including some lofty post-match praise from Slot. The 16-year-old is, understandably, raw and unpolished. There’s plenty of room for improvement and yet undoubted quality from the youngest-ever Liverpool.
That will be the footnote to a thought-provoking eight-day period for Liverpool and Slot, the subtle impacts of which will likely be felt throughout the final months of the campaign.
