Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Accrington Stanley’s trip to Anfield in the FA Cup third round today will be the League Two side’s “Champions League final”.
The clubs are 86 league positions apart in the 92-team pyramid with Slot’s men leading the Premier League, while Stanley sit just outside the relegation zone in the fourth tier.
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“I think every team that plays against us it is a special occasion, but especially for a lower league team. They will be all up for it, they have looked forward to this game for many weeks,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference. “If you go to a Champions League final everyone is completely hyped up and ready and, tomorrow, for them that will feel like it is the Champions League final, so we have to be aware of that.” Despite that warning, the Dutchman is likely to take the opportunity to rotate his side during a hectic spell of fixtures in four competitions.