Liverpool’s quest for a historic quadruple came to a crashing halt as Championship side Plymouth pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory in the FA Cup fourth round at Home Park on Sunday.
Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty secured the win for Plymouth, sending the crowd into raptures and dumping the Premier League leaders out of the competition. Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s decision to rest key players, including Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson, backfired spectacularly.
It marked only the third time this season that Liverpool failed to score and just the fourth instance in FA Cup history where a team at the top of the Premier League was eliminated by a lower-division opponent.
The decisive moment came in the 54th minute when Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick struck Harvey Elliott’s raised arm in the penalty area. Hardie calmly converted the spot-kick, sending Liverpool’s backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
Despite a late onslaught from Liverpool, with Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez both denied by brilliant saves from Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard, the home side held firm for a famous victory.
The defeat is a rare misstep in what has otherwise been a stellar first season for Slot at Liverpool. The Reds remain nine points clear of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League and are still in contention for the Champions League and the League Cup final against Newcastle in March.
However, Slot will need to rally his team quickly as they prepare for a crucial Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday at Goodison Park.
For Plymouth manager Miron Muslic, the victory was a triumph against the odds. A refugee from war-torn Bosnia, Muslic has revitalized Plymouth since taking over in January, replacing Wayne Rooney. Under Muslic’s guidance, the team has shown remarkable resilience, having also knocked out Premier League side Brentford in the previous round.
Despite languishing at the bottom of the championship, Plymouth’s performance will go down as one of the greatest giant killings in FA Cup history.
Wolves cruised into the fifth round with a 2-0 win over Blackburn, scoring twice in 39 seconds. Tottenham face mounting pressure as they prepare for their clash with Aston Villa in Sunday’s late match, with manager Ange Postecoglou needing a win to avoid another cup disappointment.
Liverpool will now focus on their Premier League title bid, but this FA Cup exit will serve as a stark reminder that even giants can fall on the right day.
