Liverpool suffered a shocking FA Cup exit after Championship side Plymouth Argyle secured a historic 1-0 victory in the fourth round on Sunday. The defeat ended Liverpool’s hopes of a quadruple this season and left fans stunned at Home Park.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made the bold decision to rotate his squad, resting key players such as Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Cody Gakpo. However, the strategy backfired as Plymouth delivered a determined performance that saw them secure a famous win.
The only goal of the match came in the second half when Liverpool conceded a penalty. Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick was blocked by Harvey Elliott’s raised arm, leading the referee to award a spot-kick. Ryan Hardie stepped up and calmly sent goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way, giving Plymouth the lead.
Liverpool struggled to create clear chances throughout the match, with their first real shot on target coming in the 36th minute through James McConnell’s long-range effort, which was saved by Plymouth’s goalkeeper Conor Hazard.
In the dying moments of the game, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were both denied by Hazard, whose heroics secured Plymouth’s place in the next round.
The result marked just the third time this season that Liverpool failed to score under Slot’s management. It was also only the fourth time in FA Cup history that a Premier League leader had been knocked out by a lower-division team.
For Plymouth, the victory is one of the biggest in their history. Managed by Miron Muslic, who took over in January after replacing Wayne Rooney, the team had already eliminated Premier League side Brentford in the previous round. Despite struggling in the Championship and fighting to avoid relegation, Plymouth produced a spirited performance that will be remembered as one of the FA Cup’s great upsets.
Now, Liverpool must quickly move past this disappointment as they prepare for a crucial Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday. A win in that match could extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table, keeping them on course for league success despite this unexpected setback.
