Huge Shock as Plymouth Argyle defeat Liverpool in FA Cup
Plymouth Argyle pulled off a massive shock in the FA Cup by defeating Premier League leaders Liverpool at their raucous Home Park ground.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made 10 changes to the team that recently thrashed Tottenham, and it cost them dearly. Plymouth, sitting at the bottom of the Championship, seized the opportunity and stunned Liverpool to secure a place in the fifth round.
The match came alive just after half-time when Plymouth were awarded a penalty for a handball by Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. Ryan Hardie made no mistake, drilling the penalty home with confidence.
Hardie nearly added a second shortly after when his shot was saved onto the post by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Liverpool tried to fight back, but Plymouth’s keeper, Conor Hazard, produced a stunning save from Diogo Jota and then somehow kept out a header from substitute Darwin Nunez in the dying moments.
The Home Park crowd erupted as the final whistle blew, celebrating one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in recent memory. Plymouth’s manager, Miron Muslic, who has quickly won over the fans, was the hero behind the shock win, which will be remembered by the club for years.
Liverpool, with their star players like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk missing, looked a shadow of their usual selves. Despite having internationals such as Luis Diaz and Jota, none were able to lift the team in this hostile atmosphere.
For Liverpool, the defeat will be a huge disappointment in what has been a stellar season so far under Slot, and it brings an end to their hopes of a quadruple. Their attention will now shift back to the Premier League, where they face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.
