Arne Slot highlights 3 Liverpool youth players who could progress after FA Cup victory

Arne Slot has signaled that he believes three youth players could play a significant role in Liverpool’s future.

As Liverpool prepares for its Premier League clash against high-flying Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, following a series of cup matches last week, Slot took the opportunity to rotate his squad. He gave key players a rest during the encounters with Tottenham Hotspur and Accrington Stanley, allowing fringe members and younger players to step in.

In the 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington, Slot handed starts to some youth prospects. Rio Ngumoha played from the beginning, Jayden Danns made an impact off the bench with a goal, and Trey Nyoni provided the assist for Federico Chiesa’s late strike.

Ahead of the trip to Forest, Slot was asked about the importance of developing youth players. He highlighted the contributions of the youngsters, saying, “That’s very important for every club but especially for this club. I said that earlier and it’s important the club brings talent through the ranks. It’s nice to see there are some youngsters who are having an impact in our team and on games. It’s nice because it gives good energy in the building if academy players are playing well. Jayden scoring, Rio impressing, Trey assisting.”

Over the years, Liverpool has made it a point to promote youth, with graduates such as Caoimhin Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton, and Curtis Jones among the players who have made the jump to the first team. The current crop of youth players could get further opportunities, particularly with a packed schedule ahead, including an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Plymouth Argyle in a few weeks. It’s worth noting that Jurgen Klopp used a similar fixture in 2017 to field the youngest-ever Liverpool XI.

However, Slot’s immediate focus is on two crucial Premier League fixtures against Forest and Brentford this week. Securing six points could be crucial for the team’s title challenge, and would also damage the prospects of a potential top-of-the-table rival.

“I always said you can judge the table best halfway through the season and that moment is here now,” Slot commented ahead of Tuesday’s match at the City Ground. “If Forest is up there with us, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and all the others, then they definitely are a team that is in competition with us and the other teams. They deserved to be treated like this if you look at the way they play, their performances, and results. It is going to be a very difficult challenge tomorrow to get a result.”