Liverpool’s FA Cup campaign came to a humiliating halt as Championship side Plymouth delivered a stunning 1-0 victory in the fourth round at Home Park on Sunday. The defeat ended Liverpool’s hopes of a quadruple this season, according to Vanguard.
Manager Arne Slot’s decision to field a weakened Liverpool squad backfired. With key players such as Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Cody Gakpo rested, Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty secured Plymouth’s memorable win.
This setback marks Liverpool’s fourth defeat of the season and their third failure to score in all competitions under Slot’s leadership. It is also only the fourth time in FA Cup history that a Premier League leader has been knocked out by a lower-division club.
Despite the embarrassment, Liverpool can quickly turn their attention to Wednesday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against Everton. A victory would put them nine points ahead of second-place Arsenal in the Premier League. Additionally, they remain in the Champions League and will face Newcastle in the League Cup final in March.
For Plymouth, the win is a remarkable achievement, especially for manager Miron Muslic, who was appointed in January after replacing Wayne Rooney. Muslic, a refugee from war-torn Bosnia, has guided the team to one of the FA Cup’s greatest giant-killings.
Plymouth had already knocked out Premier League side Brentford in the third round, and their win over West Brom was their first league victory since November. Despite their struggles in the Championship, their gritty performance against Liverpool was a testament to their resilience.
Liverpool’s under-strength lineup suffered an early blow when Joe Gomez limped off in the first half. Despite some attempts, it wasn’t until the 36th minute that they had their first shot on target, which Plymouth’s Conor Hazard easily dealt with. The breakthrough came in the 54th minute when Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick was blocked by Harvey Elliott’s raised arm, leading to a penalty. Hardie made no mistake, sending goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
In stoppage time, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were both denied by fine saves from Hazard as Plymouth held firm to secure the historic win.
Elsewhere, Wolves booked their spot in the fifth round with a 2-0 win at Blackburn, while Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou faces growing pressure ahead of his team’s visit to Aston Villa.
