The romance of the FA Cup will be present at Anfield on Saturday when Premier League leaders Liverpool take on League Two side Accrington Stanley in the third round. And where there is even the faintest whiff of a shock, so the television cameras will travel.

Sure enough, the game is being shown live by ITV1 with viewers given the opportunity to witness what many neutrals hope is one of the biggest surprises in the competition's history, while Liverpool fans will prefer to watch straightforward progress to the next round.

However, eyebrows have been raised at the fact the game kicks off at 12.15pm as opposed to the usual 12.30pm for normal early Saturday matches across the English leagues.

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The reason is the combination of one tradition being upheld with another being controversially abolished.

For the first time in the competition's history, there are no replays from the third round onwards due to the continued encroachment of European football on to the domestic calendar.

It means every game has to be settled on the day (or night), whether that be through the use of extra time and, if required, penalties.

And with the long-time 3pm blackout still being enforced - no games in England are allowed to be shown live in the country between 3pm and 5pm - Liverpool's game kicks off a little earlier to allow for the possibility of extra time and penalties being finished before the cut-off time.

It's the earliest Liverpool have started a game since February 2022, when they entertained Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth round on a Sunday at noon for a game that was the first of several shown live on the day.

Saturday is only the second time Liverpool and Accrington Stanley have met, with the previous clash between the duo coming in the FA Cup third round way back in 1956 when the Reds won 2-0.

But that game was more notable for Liverpool having to wear a one-off home kit of gold shirts, white shorts and red-and-white hooped socks to avoid clashing with Accrington. The visitors this time, though, are bringing a suitable change of colours.