PLYMOUTH DUMPS LIVERPOOL OUT OF FA CUP WITH SHOCK 1-0 WIN
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Liverpool suffered a shocking FA Cup exit as Championship underdogs Plymouth knocked them out with a stunning 1-0 victory in the fourth round on Sunday, ending their hopes of a quadruple.
Arne Slot’s decision to field a weakened side backfired, as Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty secured a historic win for Plymouth at Home Park.
Key players like Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Cody Gakpo were rested, with Slot making 10 changes from the squad that dominated Tottenham 4-0 in the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday.
In what has been a largely impressive debut season for Slot, this defeat marked a rare tactical misstep for the former Feyenoord manager. It was Liverpool’s fourth loss in all competitions and only the third time they failed to score under his leadership.
It was only the fourth time in FA Cup history that a team leading the Premier League had been knocked out by a lower-division side.
Now, Liverpool must quickly recover from the embarrassment of their shocking defeat as they prepare for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against Everton on Wednesday.
Despite the setback, there is no cause for panic. A win over Everton would put Liverpool nine points ahead of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League title race. The Reds are also through to the Champions League last 16 and set to face Newcastle in the League Cup final in March.
For Plymouth manager Miron Muslic, orchestrating a famous victory against Liverpool while battling to lift his team from the bottom of the Championship was a remarkable achievement.
Muslic, who replaced the sacked Wayne Rooney in January, had a turbulent childhood—he was forced to flee war-torn Bosnia in 1992 and relocate to Austria at just nine years old.
Plymouth had already stunned Premier League side Brentford in the third round, but their recent league victory against West Brom was their first since November.
Given the circumstances, Plymouth’s incredible display will go down as one of the greatest giant-killings in FA Cup history.
• Liverpool misery –
Under a wintry sun by the Devon coast, Liverpool’s under-strength line-up got even weaker when Joe Gomez limped off injured early in the first half.
Liverpool struggled to find any momentum as gritty Plymouth worked tirelessly to keep them at bay.
It took until the 36th minute for Liverpool to muster a shot on target when James McConnell’s long-range drive was repelled by Conor Hazard.
Slot wore an exasperated expression that summed up Liverpool’s lethargy even before Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick was blocked by Harvey Elliott’s raised arm in the 54th minute.
It was a clear penalty and Hardie kept his composure to send Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way from the spot.
Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were denied by fine saves from Hazard in stoppage-time as Home Park erupted in celebration of an astonishing result.
Wolves cruised into the fifth round as two goals in the space of 39 seconds sealed a 2-0 win at second-tier Blackburn.
Languishing just two points above the bottom three in the English top flight, Vitor Pereira’s side took a welcome break from the fight to avoid Premier League relegation.
Wolves, who haven’t been to the FA Cup final since they last won the competition in 1960, went ahead in the 33rd minute when Joao Gomes’s shot beat Balazs Toth’s weak attempted save.
Less than a minute later, Wolves netted again as Nelson Semedo’s pass sent Matheus Cunha racing clear and the Brazilian forward’s blistering strike whistled into the far corner.
Under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou cannot afford another cup exit when his team visit Aston Villa in Sunday’s late match.
Postecoglou boasted earlier this season that he always wins a trophy in his second campaign, but the Australian’s options to achieve that target will be dwindling if Villa knock them out.
AFP
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