Liverpool ‘Hurt’ By Shock FA Cup Exit, Says Slot

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After a nearly flawless start to his reign in charge, Liverpool manager Arne Slot defended his side’s shock FA Cup exit against second-tier Plymouth as a setback.

Before going to Argyle, who are bottom of the Championship, the Reds were on track for a quadruple of trophies, but they were stuck at Home Park as Slot had to pay a high price for making major adjustments.

Only Caoimhin Kelleher was recalled from the Tottenham side that defeated Tottenham 4-0 on Thursday to reach the League Cup final, leaving Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk completely out of their squads.

As Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa started the match, the Premier League leaders should still have had enough momentum, while Darwin Nunez was added to the mix to save the game in the second half.

“We had a terrible day,” the statement read. A result like this is the outcome”, said Slot.

“It hurts everyone that is involved with Liverpool – fans, me players. We all hoped to stay in this competition for as long as possible, but it turned out to be a setback when we lost in the second game as well.

READ ALSO: Struggling Plymouth Knock Liverpool Out Of FA Cup, Ends Slot’s Quadruple Dreams

On February 9, 2025, Plymouth’s Scottish striker #9 Ryan Hardie (C) celebrates scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot in the English FA Cup match between Plymouth Argyle and Liverpool at Home Park in Plymouth, South West England. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Eight minutes into the second half, after Harvey Elliott handled inside the box, Ryan Hardie scored a penalty to make the score.

Conor Hazard was forced into late saves by Diogo Jota and Nunez, but Plymouth held on for one of the greatest FA Cup victories ever.

“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. They deserve it, Slot continued.

It’s a system and a way of playing that are difficult to create against, but I believe they did better. I wasn’t surprised. When we had the ball they were really aggressive.

Not simple to create, especially if a team doesn’t consistently play together. It hurts everyone. We all aspired to participate in this contest for the long-term.

“They kept on fighting until the last second, it wasn’t a work rate problem but they couldn’t find chances. We have to be more creative”.