FA Cup: Plymouth Dashes Liverpool’s Quadruple Dreams
Liverpool’s ambitious quest for a quadruple was halted on Sunday as they faced a shocking 1-0 defeat at the hands of Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup. The match, played at Home Park, saw Ryan Hardie net the only goal from the penalty spot, sending the Reds crashing out of the tournament and leaving fans in disbelief.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made a bold decision to rest several key players, having just celebrated a commanding 4-0 victory over Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final. With star names such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Cody Gakpo left out of the squad entirely, Slot opted for a lineup that included Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa in attack. However, the gamble backfired as the fringe players struggled to make an impact against a determined Plymouth side.
“We all came here today with a dream and we have done it,” exclaimed Hardie, radiating excitement after his decisive penalty in the 53rd minute. The penalty was awarded after Harvey Elliott handled Darko Gyabi’s flick-on, a moment that proved to be the turning point of the match.
Despite the setback, Liverpool fought hard for an equalizer. Slot introduced Darwin Nunez in a bid to inject some firepower into the attack, but Plymouth’s defense held strong. A standout performance from goalkeeper Connor Hazard kept the Pilgrims in the lead, as he delivered two extraordinary saves—first denying Jota’s strike that was destined for the top corner and then tipping over Nunez’s header during a dramatic nine minutes of stoppage time.
With this unexpected triumph, Plymouth not only secured their place in the next round of the FA Cup but also added another Premier League scalp to their collection, having previously knocked out Brentford in the third round.
Fresh from their thrashing at Anfield to exit the League Cup on Thursday, another chance at ending Spurs’ long wait for silverware was ended for the under-fire Postecoglou.
The writing was on the wall for the visitors after just one minute when goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky let Jacob Ramsey’s shot through his grasp.
Son Heung-min missed a huge chance to level for an injury-ravaged Tottenham when he was denied by Emiliano Martinez before halftime.
Morgan Rogers sealed Spurs’ fate when he blasted in from close range 25 minutes from time.
Villa could then afford the luxury of introducing Marcus Rashford for his first appearance since completing a loan move from Manchester United.
But it was another January signing who made an impressive impact off the bench as Mathys Tel produced a deft finish for his first Tottenham goal in stoppage time.
The consolation was too little, too late for Spurs on the night and potentially for Postecoglou to hold onto his job.
