Brentford was the sole Premier League team to succumb to a lower league side, as Plymouth, currently at the bottom of the Championship, shocked the Bees with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of Morgan Whittaker's late goal.
At Anfield, there was no indication of an upset, even with Arne Slot making eight changes to the Liverpool lineup. Alexander-Arnold, stepping in as captain for the sidelined Virgil van Dijk, responded to recent criticism following a 2-2 draw against Manchester United by leading his team effectively.
Slot had previously cautioned the Premier League leaders that for Accrington, a match at Anfield would be akin to a "Champions League final." Despite being a staggering 86 league positions below Liverpool in the 92-team English league system, Stanley managed to hold their ground for nearly 30 minutes.
Diogo Jota opened the scoring with a straightforward tap-in from Darwin Nunez's low cross, which set off a flurry of goals. Alexander-Arnold then added to the tally with a stunning strike into the top corner from outside the area.
Jayden Danns capitalized on just his second appearance of the season, scoring the third goal 14 minutes from the end. Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa, whose Liverpool career has been hampered by injuries, seized a rare opportunity to score his first goal for the club with a long-range effort that found the far post.
“It is definitely a good first step, but as much as I liked the way Accrington Stanley played we have to take into consideration that we’re talking about League Two level,” said Slot on Chiesa’s second half cameo off the bench.
“It is good to have him back on the pitch. He was a threat, but let’s not get carried away.”
Joao Felix shone brightly for Chelsea, seizing a rare opportunity to step in for Cole Palmer.
The Portuguese international, alongside Tosin Adarabioyo, each netted two goals, while Christopher Nkunku redeemed himself after missing an early penalty by scoring his 13th goal of the season.
In the Premier League this season, only Liverpool has accrued more points at home than Brentford, while Plymouth had yet to secure an away victory throughout the campaign. Against expectations, Argyle, who recently parted ways with former England captain Wayne Rooney, managed to hold their ground and delivered a stunning blow to Thomas Frank’s side when Whittaker scored from outside the box with just nine minutes remaining.
Nottingham Forest maintained their impressive form with a solid 2-0 victory over Luton. Brighton triumphed 4-0 against Norwich, with Georginio Rutter contributing two goals. Bournemouth overcame the absence of strikers Evanilson and Enes Unal due to long-term injuries, rallying from a 1-0 deficit to defeat West Brom 5-1. Leicester surpassed expectations by overwhelming QPR with a 6-2 victory at the King Power Stadium.
Manchester City is set to face Salford City, a fourth-tier team owned by a group of former Manchester United legends. The involvement of David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Nicky Butt has propelled Salford's rise through the non-league ranks since 2014.
Another notable co-owner in the lower leagues, NFL star Tom Brady, has already advanced to round four after Birmingham's 2-1 win over Lincoln. Wolves continued their promising start under new manager Vitor Pereira, with early goals from Rayan Aït-Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes leading to a 2-1 victory at Bristol City.