Liverpool put Accrington Stanley to the sword in their FA Cup third round tie.
Diogo Jota broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark from Darwin Nunez’s cutback after the forward made a darting run down the righthand side.
The Reds headed in at the interval with a comfortable margin courtesy of a stunning long-range effort by Trent Alexander-Arnold in added time.
Jayden Danns added a third in the closing stages, drilling into an empty Kop net after Billy Crellin spilled an effort by fellow substitute Federico Chiesa.
Chiesa opened his for the hosts account at the end of normal time by finally beating Crellin with a daisy cutter just over 20 yards away from goal.
Arne Slot’s side are set to discover who they will face next in the world’s most famous cup competition when the fourth round draw takes place on Sunday.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Reds’ latest hope matches the hype
Arne Slot’s maiden FA Cup outing made history in more ways than one.
Not only did the Liverpool head coach enjoy his first taste of the world’s most famous cup competition but he also ensured it would set a new club record.
Rio Ngumoha was handed a senior debut in the starting XI which made him Anfield’s youngest-ever player in the FA Cup at 16 years and 135 days old.
The winger has regularly trained with the Reds’ first-team squad for weeks now with his development accelerated since a summer move from Chelsea.
Naturally, hopes were high that Ngumoha would rise to the occasion – even against a lowly Accrington – and he did not disappoint in a 72-minute outing.
Virtually from the outset, he matched the hype with a series of take-ons and driving runs that highlighted his youthful exuberance and potential.
Although the visitors limited any further impact by doubling up on him after the interval, he still showed clear flashes before making way for Jayden Danns.
It was proof that Liverpool’s production line has a new star in its midst.
TAA heralds a return to form
As the saga over his long-term future rumbles on, Liverpool could be forgiven for handling Trent Alexander-Arnold with kid gloves somewhat.
His performances in recent weeks only served to heighten fears that their homegrown hero could soon be seeking a path away from his boyhood club.
An error-strewn outing against Manchester United did him little favours before a third-round tie where Slot utilised myriad under-used squad members.
Entrusted with the armband, however, Alexander-Arnold’s involvement against Accrington heralded a return to form during which he had a hand in two goals.
Cleverly releasing Darwin Nunez to tee up Diogo Jota’s opener was matched by an equally impressive long-range effort right on the stroke of half time.
The West Derby native continued to lead by example before being withdrawn in favour of Conor Bradley as Kopites eulogised the ‘Scouser in our team’.
Proof that, despite the uncertainty, his class remains permanent.
Is Chiesa turning the corner too late?
Six months in, Federico Chiesa’s Liverpool career is yet to get going.
Injuries have disrupted the Italy international’s involvement while an inability to force his way into the starting XI has fuelled speculation of an early exit.
A heavily-touted return to his homeland in the January transfer window on loan would constitute failure for the Anfield hierarchy’s summer plunge.
Against that backdrop, Chiesa entered the fray desperate to prove that all is not lost in a second-half cameo which saw him prove heavily impactful.
He was unfortunate not to claim a belated first goal for the club sooner due to Billy Crellin’s reflexes and the base of The Kop’s lefthand post denying him.
When the Euro 2020 winner finally hit the target, it was with a drilled effort from just shy of 20 yards from goal; much to the home crowd’s delight.
Granted, it was against a team sitting 86 places below the Premier League leaders in English football’s pyramid but still a just reward for his efforts.
This might prove to be the moment that Chiesa finally turned the corner yet it also threatens to have arrived too late to salvage his time on Merseyside.