Liverpool play hosts to League One side and former Premier League club, Oldham Athletic, in the first FA Cup game of the new year on an unusual Friday night kick off.
Liverpool play hosts to League One side and former Premier League club, Oldham Athletic, in the first FA Cup game of the new year. Oldham were one of the 22 inaugural founding members of the Premier League in 1992, but their top-flight status lasted just two seasons and the club have since slumped to 14th in the third tier of English football. It will provide little shock if the Premier League outfit rotate their squad for their meeting with the Latics, with a Carling Cup Semi-Final against Manchester City only four days away. The Reds have two more fixtures against City, who they lost 3-0 to in the league on Tuesday, in what will be a busy January for the club, especially with the absence of their star striker, Luis Suarez, whose eight-match ban is underway. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is taking the cup fixtures extremely seriously, with the aim of getting to a Wembley final high up on his list of priorities. With the fight to finish in a European spot in the league proving more difficult by the season, success in the cups is also another route into European football. With a distinct lack of silverware and their last trophy being the FA Cup in 2006, Liverpool will be striving to reach the final and win in the domestic cup competitions. The Premier League leaders, Manchester City and just 180 minutes is all that separates Liverpool from reaching the final of the Carling Cup. Their FA Cup journey begins on Friday night and Paul Dickovs Oldham Athletic will be their first hurdle. Losing is not an option for Dalglishs men and no matter which team the Kop legend fields, it will certainly be a strong one. The Reds have fielded a strong team throughout their Carling Cup adventure and their ambitions of reaching the final and how seriously the club are taking the competitions, is clear for all to see. Steven Gerrard is likely to feature in the cup tie after completing three substitute appearances since returning from his ankle infection. The club captain impressed with a vintage display against Newcastle, lifting the whole team and scoring a sublime left-footed goal. A run-out for Gerrard wouldn't be surprising, as it would provide an ideal opportunity for him to gain match fitness ahead of a period in time when the whole team needs a boost, following Suarezs ban. Dalglish could also rest his steely defenders Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, bringing back Jamie Carragher to the starting eleven and giving Sebastian Coates a run out. Youngsters Martin Kelly, John Flanagan, Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing could all be in contention for a place in the starting line-up and the tie also presents Andy Carroll an opportunity to get off the mark and gain some much needed confidence for the new year. The majority of Oldhams fire power has come from Shefki Kuqi, who has scored 13 goals this season, however, he has failed to find the net since the 19th November 2011. A positive for the underdogs is that Liverpool have won only four of their 10 home games this season, drawing the other six. It might be a different story, as FA Cup fever takes a hold of Anfield on Friday night.