Federico Chiesa Scores First Liverpool Goal in FA Cup Win Over Accrington

Photo : PA

Accrington Stanley’s manager, John Doolan, was finishing his press conference after the match when the reality of their adventure at Anfield sunk in. “Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a beauty into the top corner,” he said. “Federico Chiesa put one in the bottom corner … just look at the names I’m talking about.” 

Despite the occasion, Accrington Stanley, a League Two team, rarely seemed overwhelmed. Liverpool, under their manager Arne Slot, made several changes but still fielded a strong team filled with talent. They gave their lower-league opponents no chance for an upset. Diogo Jota, captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, young Jayden Danns, and Federico Chiesa, who scored his first goal for Liverpool, secured a 4-0 win for the Premier League leaders. 

Accrington, however, made Liverpool work for their victory. The 2-0 halftime score didn’t reflect how well the League Two side played. They had chances in the second half, with lifelong Liverpool fan Josh Woods hitting the crossbar and Donald Love missing a close-range header. 

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Despite the loss, Accrington will earn nearly £500,000 from this FA Cup tie, which is a big boost for a club of their size. Doolan was proud of his team, saying they gave their best. He received praise from Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, after the game. Slot even invited Doolan for a post-match drink. 

Doolan also shared a warm moment with Alexander-Arnold, whom he coached as a six-year-old. “Trent came up to me after the game in his flip-flops and said, ‘I remember.’ It was like we’d just spoken last week. He’s such a humble guy,” said Doolan. 

On the pitch, Liverpool showed their class. Slot gave a debut to 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who joined from Chelsea. The young left-winger impressed with his pace and confidence, becoming Liverpool’s youngest-ever starter. 

Liverpool’s first goal highlighted the gap between the Premier League and League Two. When Accrington committed players forward for a free kick, Liverpool countered swiftly. Kostas Tsimikas cleared the danger, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexander-Arnold combined, and Darwin Núñez set up Jota for a simple finish. 

Alexander-Arnold scored the second goal just before halftime. After Ngumoha’s shot was blocked, Tyler Morton and Szoboszlai passed the ball to their captain, who fired a stunning shot into the top corner from 20 yards. Slot praised the goal, calling it “unbelievable.” 

Accrington didn’t give up and came close to scoring twice from short corners. In one chance, Woods cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. Another chance saw Shaun Whalley’s cross find Donald Love, who headed over from close range. 

Liverpool’s third goal came when Danns broke through midfield, passed to Chiesa, and scored on the rebound after the Italian’s first attempt was saved. Chiesa eventually got his first Liverpool goal in the 90th minute with a precise strike into the bottom corner. 

Despite the 4-0 loss, Doolan was full of praise for his team. “It didn’t feel like a 4-0,” he said. “It was brilliant.”