Liverpool are firing on all cylinders under Arne Slot and will look to advance their thrilling campaign even further with a win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round this afternoon.
Fresh from their emphatic thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening, dumping the north Londoners out of the Carabao Cup and clinching a place at Wembley, the Merseysiders are now looking to prevail in the other, more distinguished domestic cup competition, having won last the FA Cup in 2021/22 under Jurgen Klopp.
Plymouth have struggled in the Championship this season but took Liverpool to a replay in the 2016/17 FA Cup, keeping a clean sheet at Anfield before narrowly losing the replay at Home Park.
Liverpool team news
Slot is expected to enforce plenty of rotation as Liverpool travel to Plymouth, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch almost certain to be absent from the starting lineup and perhaps even the matchday squad.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss out once again after feeling discomfort in his thigh, coming off against Bournemouth last weekend, though the Reds are hopeful that he will be fit enough to compete in Wednesday’s crunch Merseyside derby.
While Tyler Morton is set to miss out after picking up a shoulder injury, the talented James McConnell could be involved, having seen a winter loan departure blocked by Slot after the Dutch coach was impressed by his Champions League performance against PSV Eindhoven.
Indeed, Liverpool have a wealth of young talent that will be pushing for starting berths, and there are two in particular who will be hoping to catch the eye.
Slot must unleash Liverpool’s academy stars
Trey Nyoni will definitely be looking to earn a second senior start of the season for Liverpool, having started and impressed in the previous round against Accrington Stanley.
Nyoni is a silky and powerful midfielder who is capable of playing across a number of positions. He didn’t start Liverpool’s 4-0 victory in the previous round, but the 17-year-old was introduced off the bench and claimed an assist for Federico Chiesa’s late goal.
However, Slot could unleash another academy sensation who may attract even more attention in Rio Ngumoha, with the 16-year-old ace catching the eye when given a starting role last month.
|
Rio Ngumoha – Stats vs Acc. Stanley |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
72 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Shots (on target) |
2 (0) |
|
Touches |
30 |
|
Accurate passes |
16/18 (89%) |
|
Dribbles (completed) |
7 (3) |
|
Ground duels (won) |
9 (3) |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
His ceaseless attempts to drive the ball forward and willingness to get stuck in and contest for duels came together to make a convincing comment on Ngumoha’s chances on the major stage.
He gave a great account, with The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle awarding a 7/10 match rating and raising praise regarding his ball-carrying skills.
Such a prodigious talent could even shape into Slot’s very own version of Raheem Sterling, who waltzed onto the scene with Liverpool in similarly precocious circumstances, making his Premier League debut as a 17-year-old in 2012 under Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Ngumoha might not have graced the top flight yet, but it’s worth remembering he’s still half a year away from hitting 17. The likeness doesn’t stop there, though, with Sterling entering conversations pertaining to a reputation as one of Europe’s best young players, thriving under Brendan Rodgers before leaving for Manchester City for £49m in 2015.
Nguomha could emulate his older countryman, with reporter Lewis Bower even saying: “I’ve probably never seen anything like it before. In terms of his ceiling, it’s frightening.”
Only time will tell, but if Ngumoha is given another chance to impress against Plymouth and takes his opportunity, the buzz around this young talent is only going to rise in volume.
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