Empire of the Kop
·11 January 2025
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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·11 January 2025
Liverpool will be in the draw for the fourth round of the 2024/25 FA Cup, having overcome an admirably stern test from Accrington Stanley at Anfield this afternoon.
It was a day when some of the Reds’ young guns made the most of their moment to shine, with Rio Ngumoha impressing on his senior career debut before being replaced by Jayden Danns, who scored the third goal of the contest to finally kill off the League Two visitors.
The 18-year-old won possession on the halfway line and surged forward before playing an inviting pass to Federico Chiesa, whose shot was saved, but the rebound fell kindly for the teenage substitute to rifle the ball into the net in front of a gleeful Kop.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, Marc Albrighton heaped praise on the youngster for starting and finishing the move which put Liverpool 3-0 ahead in the 76th minute.
The ex-Leicester midfielder gushed: “Jayden Danns loves a goal and getting in those positions. That was brilliant from start to finish. He expected the rebound and he finished it well first time. You can see how much it means to him – a great moment for the young lad.”
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
It’s fair to say that young Danns loves the FA Cup – all three of his senior goals for Liverpool have come in this competition, following on from his brace against Southampton last year.
The manner in which he dispossessed the Accrington player in midfield and chose the perfect time to release Chiesa – also getting the perfect weight on the pass – will have delighted Arne Slot, and so will the 18-year-old’s movement and intelligence to get himself into a position to finish the rebound.
Given his youth and the abundance of top-class attacking options at the club, the teenager might have to be patient for further first-team opportunities over the remainder of the season.
However, moments such as this will do Danns’ cause no harm whatsoever as he seeks to break into the senior squad on a more regular basis. We’re looking forward to seeing his star ascend even further throughout 2025!