By Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup on Sunday, a blemish on the club’s otherwise excellent season so far.
The fourth-round defeat ends Liverpool’s hopes of winning an unprecedented quadruple this year in surprising fashion. Plymouth is currently bottom of the Championship, the second tier of English soccer, and was a huge underdog against the Premier League leader.
But the Reds, who rested several key players, were well below their best at Home Park, and Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty was enough for Plymouth to secure a famous win.
“The way we played, there wasn’t a lot to be happy about,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after the game. “The only thing I was happy about was that the boys kept on fighting for 100 minutes and probably the best part of the game was the last 10 minutes.
“That tells you that they kept on fighting but credit to (Plymouth) – good game plan, worked incredibly hard and got a penalty that was deserved.”
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk were left out of Liverpool’s squad for Sunday’s game, and the new-look starting lineup struggled to create chances throughout.
The crucial moment came near the start of the second half when Harvey Elliott handled the ball inside Liverpool’s box and Hardie converted the subsequent penalty.
Liverpool dominated possession for the rest of the contest and had a number of chances to score a late equalizer. Diogo Jota had an effort saved by Conor Hazard, while the goalkeeper also tipped Jarell Quansah’s header over the bar.
But as the nine minutes of extra time drew to a close, Plymouth hung on for a famous victory, bringing a ray of hope to the team’s otherwise bleak season.
Having ended former England international Wayne Rooney’s managerial tenure midway through the season, the south-coast side has won just five league games and looks set to be relegated from the Championship.
“We all came today with a dream and the dream was to get to the next round,” Hardie, who also had a shot saved onto the post by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, told ITV after the match. “We’ve done it. I don’t know what to say to be honest.”
According to Opta, this was just the fourth time that the team at the top of the Premier League has been knocked out of the FA Cup by a side from outside the top flight.
As well as being six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, Liverpool has an EFL Cup final against Newcastle next month and is through to the last 16 of the Champions League.
But this will undoubtedly feel like a step back in what was on course to be an all-conquering campaign during Slot’s first season in charge.
