Liverpool, Jan 11: Liverpool’s bid to win an unprecedented quadruple is still on after a 4-0 victory over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Premier League and Champions League leader is also into the semifinals of the English League Cup. And fourth-division Accrington was never expected to prevent Arne Slot’s team from advancing to the fourth round of soccer’s oldest knockout competition.
Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa scored for Liverpool at Anfield, with 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha becoming the Merseyside club’s second-youngest debutant.
The third round of the FA Cup is traditionally one of the most anticipated weekends in English football as Premier League clubs enter the competition.
Top-flight Wolverhampton also advanced with a 1-0 win at second-division Bristol City.
Later Saturday four-time defending league champion Manchester City was hosting fourth-division Salford City and Chelsea was facing Morecambe — also from the fourth division.
Rampant Reds run riot
The Premier League leaders, who suffered only their second defeat of the season in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semifinal first-leg at Tottenham, broke the League Two side’s stubborn first-half resistance when Jota converted Darwin Nunez’s square ball just before the half-hour mark.
Alexander-Arnold doubled Liverpool’s lead in spectacular fashion on the stroke of half-time, sending a fierce shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area to give the hosts breathing space at the interval.
The second half was far from a damage limitation exercise for Accrington, who struck the crossbar through boyhood Liverpool fan Josh Woods, before former Manchester United defender Donald Love sent a free header over the bar from close range.
But Danns, who had replaced Ngumoha only minutes earlier, made it 3-0 on the rebound after Chiesa’s shot was blocked by visiting goalkeeper Billy Crellin.
Half-time substitute Chiesa was a lively presence off the bench and the Italian completed the scoring with a low, long-range drive – his first for the Anfield club following his August arrival from Juventus – moments after hitting the post with another effort.
Arne Slot’s team will discover their fourth-round opponents when the draw is made following the conclusion of Sunday’s tie between Arsenal and Manchester United.
West Ham exit
The Graham Potter era at West Ham got off to a disappointing and controversial start when Aston Villa came from behind to beat Potter’s side 2-1 and knock it out of the FA Cup.
The third-round match will be remembered for a poor decision in the buildup to Morgan Rogers’ winning goal.
Lucas Paquetá put the Hammers ahead after just nine minutes only for Amadou Onana to equalize for Villa with 19 minutes remaining.
But the referee gave the home team a 75th-minute corner after an Onana shot flew wide and it was from that decision that Rogers scored the winner. After the ball was cleared Ollie Watkins sent it back into the box for Rogers to fire home.
Video replay clearly showed Onana’s shot did not hit a West Ham player and should have been a goalkick.
A former Swansea, Brighton and Chelsea coach, Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui this week to return to management after almost two years out the game.
But after its bright start his team ceded too much possession and territory to Villa and it is the home side that goes into the fourth round seeking a first FA Cup win since 1957.
Wycombe eliminate
Portsmouth
In the night’s other game, third-tier Wycombe scored twice in the first half to advance past second-division Portsmouth 2-0.
The match pitted the second in League One against the team second from bottom of the Championship and it went with the form side.
Brandon Hanlan gave Wycombe the lead after 17 minutes when he lashed home from close range and Sonny Bradley doubled their advantage 10 minutes later with a header from a speculative free kick. FA Cup winner in 2008, Portsmouth made three changes at halftime but it made little difference as Wycombe competently saw out the game. (Agencies)
