Liverpool to face Wimbledon in the 3rd round of the FA Cup
They may not be the crazy gang anymore and we certainly aren't the culture club at the moment but Liverpool playing in Red will be going for gold on the green. It's the first time the two clubs have met since the old Wimbledon morphed into MK Dons and so it should be an interesting FA Cup tie for both sides.
Liverpool will be able to call upon Martin Skrtel again on Monday night after he served his suspension during the Leicester game. Dejan Lovren is also available for the Reds after returning from a groin injury. For Wimbledon, they are unable to call upon their defenders Jack Smith and Andy Frampton, who have hamstring and ankle problems respectively.
Wimbledon's last five games in the league have seen them win three and lose two, scoring ten goals along the way. Liverpool have won two out of their last five league games, drawing two and losing the other. The Reds have scored nine goals in that time.
Whilst AFC Wimbledon were created as a phoenix club, the name "Wimbledon" will forever unravel memories for Liverpool fans of a certain age when the old Wimbledon beat the Reds in the 1988 FA Cup final.
In a side that contained Dave Beasant in goal and the infamously aggressive Vinnie Jones in midfield the crazy gang got the better of Liverpool on that May afternoon in a 1-0 win. Wimbledon had odds of 30/1 to beat the Reds at kick off and it's still on of the biggest shocks in the history of the FA Cup.
Liverpool's run in the FA Cup last season saw them overturn Oldham in the third round after beating them 2-0 at Anfield. The Reds fourth round tie against Bournemouth also went well as Rodgers' side put two past Bournemouth. Liverpool however then came unstuck when they drew Arsenal in the fifth round. A 2-1 win at the Emirates for Arsene Wenger's side put them through and they eventually won the whole competition.
Liverpool rarely tend to be done over by clubs lower down in the leagues in this competition, however, there have been a few scares over the years and it's therefore important not to underestimate Wimbledon who will be well up for this game on their home turf.
If I was popping a quid on the game I'd probably go for a 2-1 tomorrow night. I reckon Wimbledon will bag a goal from somewhere, but I'm just hoping we have the experience and stamina to get the better of them.
I asked you for your score predictions and here are a few of the tweets I received:
@LFCKirstyLFC 1-3. Two for Ricky, one for Mario.
— Phil (@Phil_A01) January 4, 2015
@LFCKirstyLFC 2-2
— Emil Mouritsen (@EmilMouritsen) January 4, 2015
Enjoy the match folks, wherever you are watching!