Plymouth Argyle caused a major upset by knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup last Sunday, February 9.
The Championship side’s 1-0 win was definitely one of the biggest in their history. They scored the only goal of the match in the second half through a penalty to secure the win.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s men suffered a rare defeat that dashed their hopes of a possible quadruple.
They can still win three titles, but the loss against Plymouth, who are at the bottom of the Championship, will not be easy to digest.
Absence of Key Players in Liverpool’s Loss
The Reds rested the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai for the match on Sunday, all of whom are key players.
Moreover, Joe Gomez’s injury quite early in the match made their job even more difficult, thus compelling Wataru Endo to play as a centre-back.
Liverpool kept switching to a back-three from a back-four from time to time during the match.
However, the absence of a quality attacking midfielder in their line-up meant that they were too reliant on wing-play to make their attacks.
Konstantinos Tsimikas and Luis Díaz attacked a lot through the left flank, but Federico Chiesa failed to have the same kind of influence down the right side in the absence of a quality. right-back.
Moreover, Plymouth Argyle, playing with a 5-4-1 formation, pressed high with their front-five, but their back-five stayed deep mostly.
This nullified the threat of Liverpool’s front three consisting of Díaz, Diogo Jota and Chiesa to a great extent.
Harvey Elliott, getting a chance to start for the Reds, could not do much to exert his influence on the game.
It was his handball in the second half that earned Plymouth the penalty that they scored from.
Plymouth’s goalkeeper, Conor Hazard, came up with a flurry of great saves after his team had taken the lead.
Hazard’s display, along with the exceptional resolve shown by the back-five allowed the home side to hold on to their lead and ensure a memorable win.
Liverpool thus became the first top side to be eliminated by a Championship side at the FA Cup this season.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal were also eliminated from the tournament, but they lost against other Premier League, unlike Liverpool.
It was also the first major upset that FA Cup witnessed this season. There is nothing to suggest that there won’t be more of them in the upcoming rounds of matches.
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One Less Competition to Worry About
Slot’s men will now be focused entirely on the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, aside from the final of the EFL Cup which is overdue.
Liverpool’s dreams of winning the quadruple have now ended, but they can still win a very coveted treble in Slot’s debut season as a manager in England.
Liverpool will undoubtedly be a different side once their regular starters return to their playing XI.
However, as of now, Plymouth Argyle can celebrate their wonderful win in a tournament that has been known to spring in surprises.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Propaganda Photo
Recording Date: 09.02.2025