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 determination to subject a weakened Liverpool staff got here again to hang-out him, with Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty sealing Plymouth’s epic upset at House 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 staff that thrashed Tottenham 4-0 within the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday. In a remarkably profitable first season accountable 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 underneath Slot.
It was solely the fourth time {that a} staff high 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 towards Everton on Wednesday.
There’s no use 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 by means of to the Champions League final 16 and can face Newcastle within the League Cup last in March.
“We weren’t having an excellent day. A consequence like that is the result,” Slot stated.
“I can not say the boys did not combat, each groups barely created an opportunity after which it was a penalty. In a recreation like this, it’s as much as one second. That second was for them and so they deserve it.”
Masterminding a well-known victory over Liverpool whereas preventing 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 house city of Bihac after it fell underneath siege by Serbian forces in 1992.
Plymouth had already crushed Premier League facet Brentford within the third spherical, however their victory towards West Brom final weekend was their first within the league since November.
Within the circumstances, Plymouth’s excellent efficiency will rank as one of many FA Cup’s biggest giant-killings.
– Liverpool distress –
Underneath a wintry solar by the Devon coast, Liverpool’s limp line-up received 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 stored his composure to ship Caoimhin Kelleher the unsuitable manner from the spot.
Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have been denied by effective saves from Hazard in stoppage-time as House Park erupted in celebration of an astonishing consequence.
Wolves cruised into the fifth spherical as two objectives within the house of 39 seconds sealed a 2-0 win at second-tier Blackburn.
Languishing simply two factors above the underside three within the English high 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 last 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.
Lower 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.
Underneath-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou can’t afford one other cup exit when his staff go to Aston Villa in Sunday’s late match.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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