AFC Wimbledon vs. Liverpool: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and FA Cup Preview
AFC Wimbledon will be looking to rekindle the spirit of 1988 when they welcome Liverpool to The Fans’ Stadium Kingsmeadow in the third round of the FA Cup.
The Dons have been through plenty since that historic triumph 27 years ago and currently languish down in the fourth tier of English football. But the Reds have been far from convincing in the early stages of the campaign and subsequently perhaps there’s an outside chance of an upset happening here.
Indeed, there are a few Liverpool players that won’t be used to the humble facilities at Wimbledon’s circa 5,000-capacity stadium. To be sure you don’t miss any of what is set to be a classic FA Cup tie here’s all the information you need on where to catch the match on the box and via an online stream.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Date: Monday, Jan. 5
Time: 7:55 p.m. (GMT), 2:55 p.m. (ET)
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), Fox Sports Go (U.S.)
TV Info: BBC One (UK), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)
Wimbledon Looking For 1988 Repeat
On the cusp of the FA Cup final 27 years ago Wimbledon were completely unfancied against an illustrious Liverpool team packed with stellar names. But thanks to a first-half header from Lawrie Sanchez, the Dons made history by toppling the Reds and taking a wholly unexpected 1-0 win.
Here’s a look back at that famous triumph:
In truth, almost three decades on, both teams are worse off. For the Londoners, things have been especially turbulent however. The club relocated to Milton Keynes in 2001 to become MK Dons and after receiving almost unanimous opposition from supporters, AFC Wimbledon was founded and they stand on the cusp of the biggest game in their relatively short history.
Ahead of the 1988 final, the Reds were English league champions and rightly revered as one of the best sides in European football. They’re way short of those impeccable standards these days and after letting a two-goal lead slip to Leicester City in their previous outing, it’s clear that Brendan Rodgers’ team aren’t at their free-flowing best.
Indeed, there’s been plenty of other things on Liverpool’s plate ahead of this one, with the news that iconic captain Steven Gerrard is set to leave the club at the end of the season. The Dons boss Neal Ardley has insisted that’d he’d love to see the midfielder take to the field against his team, per the club’s official Twitter account:
It’ll certainly be intriguing to see what team Rodgers selects for this match. Regardless of the players that start the tie for Liverpool, the Reds should be too strong and if a few youngsters come in, you can bet they’ll be especially hungry to make an impression.
Here are a couple of talented youngsters worth looking out for ahead of this one, per Liverpool’s Twitter account:
Wimbledon are in decent form themselves coming into the game and they’ll have to be cohesive in the early stages to ensure Liverpool’s technical players don’t get space to work in. If they can do that and establish a foothold in the match, they have a real chance of frustrating this Reds team.
Up front, they have a couple of forward players that’ll be hoping to run a ropey Liverpool defence ragged too. Matt Tubbs is a striker that is forensically clinical in front of goal, while the unmistakeable Adebayo Akinfenwa will surely pose a handful with his burly somatotype.
But as wonderful as it would be to see Wimbledon make this a close-run thing, the Anfield club will simply be too good. It may take a while for a potentially unfamiliar XI to settle for the visitors, not to mention adapt to what should be open and unaccommodating conditions, but as the 90 minutes rumble on, the fitness and class possessed by the Reds will see them into Round 4.
Prediction: AFC Wimbledon 1-4 Liverpool
