Liverpool suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit as Championship strugglers Plymouth ended their quadruple bid with a shocking 1-0 win within the fourth spherical on Sunday. Arne Slot’s resolution to area a weakened Liverpool group got here again to hang-out him, with Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty sealing Plymouth’s epic upset at Home Park. Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Cody Gakpo have been among the many stars rested as Slot made 10 modifications from the group that thrashed Tottenham 4-0 within the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday. In a remarkably profitable first season answerable for Liverpool, it was a uncommon blunder by the previous Feyenoord boss.
Liverpool’s fourth defeat in all competitions this season was simply the third time the Premier League leaders had failed to attain below Slot.
It was solely the fourth time {that a} group prime of the Premier League had been eradicated from the FA Cup by a decrease division membership.
Now Liverpool should shake off the embarrassment of their depressing journey to the west nation in time for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in opposition to Everton on Wednesday.
There is no need for Liverpool to panic as a win over Everton would transfer them 9 factors away from second-placed Arsenal within the title race.
The Reds are additionally via to the Champions League final 16 and can face Newcastle within the League Cup remaining in March.
“We were not having a very good day. A result like this is the outcome,” Slot stated.
“I can’t say the boys didn’t fight, both teams barely created a chance and then it was a penalty. In a game like this, it is up to one moment. That moment was for them and they deserve it.”
Masterminding a well-known victory over Liverpool whereas combating to haul Plymouth off the underside of the Championship was no hardship for Argyle supervisor Miron Muslic, who was a refugee from war-torn Bosnia as a baby.
Muslic — employed by Plymouth to switch the sacked Wayne Rooney in January — was pressured to maneuver to Austria aged 9 after escaping his dwelling city of Bihac after it fell below siege by Serbian forces in 1992.
Plymouth had already crushed Premier League facet Brentford within the third spherical, however their victory in opposition to West Brom final weekend was their first within the league since November.
In the circumstances, Plymouth’s very good efficiency will rank as one of many FA Cup’s biggest giant-killings.
– Liverpool distress –
Under a wintry solar by the Devon coast, Liverpool’s limp line-up bought even weaker when Joe Gomez hobbled off injured early within the first half.
It took till the thirty sixth minute for Liverpool to muster a shot on the right track when James McConnell’s long-range drive was repelled by Conor Hazard.
Slot wore an exasperated expression that summed up Liverpool’s lethargy even earlier than Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick was blocked by Harvey Elliott’s raised arm within the 54th minute.
It was a transparent penalty and Hardie saved his composure to ship Caoimhin Kelleher the incorrect method from the spot.
Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have been denied by nice saves from Hazard in stoppage-time as Home Park erupted in celebration of an astonishing end result.
Wolves cruised into the fifth spherical as two objectives within the area of 39 seconds sealed a 2-0 win at second-tier Blackburn.
Languishing simply two factors above the underside three within the English prime flight, Vitor Pereira’s facet took a welcome break from the combat to keep away from Premier League relegation.
Wolves, who have not been to the FA Cup remaining since they final gained the competitors in 1960, went forward within the thirty third minute when Joao Gomes’s shot beat Balazs Toth‘s weak tried save.
Less than a minute later, Wolves netted once more as Nelson Semedo’s move despatched Matheus Cunha racing clear and the Brazilian ahead’s blistering strike whistled into the far nook.
Under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou can’t afford one other cup exit when his group go to Aston Villa in Sunday’s late match.
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