Plymouth stuns Liverpool with a 1-0 victory to eliminate them from the FA Cup.
“Liverpool faced a stunning FA Cup exit as Championship strugglers Plymouth secured a shocking 1-0 victory in the fourth round on Sunday, ending the Reds’ bid for a quadruple.
Arne Slot’s decision to heavily rotate his squad backfired, with Ryan Hardie converting a second-half penalty to seal Plymouth’s historic win at Home Park. Key players Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Cody Gakpo were among those rested following the Reds’ dominant 4-0 win over Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final.
The loss marked just the fourth time a Premier League leader was eliminated from the FA Cup by a lower-division side. It was also only Liverpool’s third goalless game under Slot this season.
Despite the setback, Liverpool remains atop the Premier League table, nine points clear of Arsenal if they win against Everton on Wednesday, and still in contention for the Champions League last 16 and the League Cup final.
For Plymouth manager Miron Muslic, who escaped war-torn Bosnia as a child, the victory was monumental. Having recently replaced Wayne Rooney, Muslic led Argyle to a win that will be remembered as one of the FA Cup’s greatest giant-killings.
Liverpool’s weakened lineup struggled throughout the match, with Joe Gomez forced off due to injury early on. James McConnell’s long-range effort was Liverpool’s only first-half threat, while Hazard’s penalty save on Ryan Hardie proved decisive.
Despite late chances for Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, gritty defending from Plymouth and Hazard’s heroics secured a momentous triumph under the winter sun in Devon.”
