Arne Slot warns Liverpool of Accrington Stanley test – and reacts to famous milk advert

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is prepared for a revved-up Accrington Stanley when the teams meet in the third round of the FA Cup, at Anfield on Saturday.

Stanley sit 19th in English football’s fourth tier, while Slot’s Liverpool are top of the Premier League and Champions League.

“Every team against us is a special occasion for every team, but especially a lower league team, so they will be all up for it. They have lived this game for weeks probably... so we need to bring the best out of ourselves,” Slot told reporters on Friday (10 January).

“If we go to the Champions League final, everyone is hyped up, and that is for them tomorrow; it will feel like the Champions League final, and we have to be aware of that.

“First half-hour is most difficult, they will be very intense, and we have to be ready for them playing the best games of their lives. That is what we have to do, too.”

Liverpool have been boosted by the return to training of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai after he recovered from illness. The 24-year-old Hungary captain had missed their 2-2 home draw against rivals Manchester United, and a 1-0 loss in the League Cup semi-final first leg at Tottenham Hotspur. Centre back Jarell Quansah, 21, is also available for selection.

“Every game is an opportunity for them to have a chance to play, and this one as well,” Slot said. “Dom trained with the under-21s yesterday. Jarell, like I said, he was a bit ill last week, as a result of that I had to take him off the game [against Tottenham] but I am expecting him to be available for tomorrow.”

Slot continued his defence of vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was criticised by pundits for his performance against United. The 26-year-old England right back, linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, put on a much-improved display against Tottenham after coming on as a substitute.

“Trent has had one difficult game for us and maybe a few that were okay-to-good. Mainly he has had great games when he played for us this season,” Slot said. “I know there is a lot of focus on him at the moment, but I would also like to highlight the focus on how well he did when he came on in the last half-hour [versus Tottenham] – and how our fans reacted to him, that is what pleased me even more during that game.”

Stanley, who are based in Lancashire, are perhaps best known among English football fans for a Milk Marketing Board television commercial in the 1980s, which gently mocked the team’s obscurity.

“I do know about the milk advert,” Slot said when asked about what he knows about the relationship between Liverpool and Stanley. “Immediately after the [draw] there was a clip of a player that was so happy that he was going to play at Anfield. So these kinds of things, I know.

“I know people from this area also play for that club. There’s quite a lot actually that I already know and, of course, I know a lot about the team.”

Reuters