Plymouth, a Championship strugglers, ended their quadruple bid with a stunning 1-0 victory in the fourth round on Sunday, humiliatingly beating Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s decision to field a weakened Liverpool team came back to haunt him, with Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty sealing Plymouth’s epic upset at Home Park.
The stars who were rested included Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Cody Gakpo, who were made 10 changes from the team that beat Tottenham 4-0 on Thursday in the League Cup second leg.
It was a rare mistake by the former Feyenoord boss in his remarkably successful first season in charge of Liverpool.
Just the third time in a row have Liverpool failed to score against Slot, making it their fourth consecutive defeat of the Premier League.
Only the fourth time a Premier League-leading team was kicked out of the FA Cup by a club in the lower division was eliminated.
Now Liverpool must get over their agonizing West Country trip just in time for Wednesday’s final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against Everton.
Liverpool’s victory over Everton would put them nine points clear of second-placed Arsenal in the title race, so there is no need to be anxious.
In March’s League Cup final, the Reds will face Newcastle in the final spot in the Champions League. They are also through to the last 16.
Miron Muslic, an Argyle manager, was a refugee from Bosnia when he was a child, making a famous victory over Liverpool while fighting to get Plymouth off the bottom of the Championship.
Muslic, who was hired by Plymouth to replace Wayne Rooney’s fired Wayne Rooney in January, was forced to relocate to Austria at the age of nine after escaping his hometown of Bihac, which had been under Serbian forces’ control in 1992.
Premier League side Brentford had already defeated Plymouth in the third round, but West Brom won the game last weekend for the first time since November.
In the circumstances, Plymouth’s superb performance will rank as one of the FA Cup’s greatest giant-killings.
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Liverpool Misery
THEY’VE DONE IT!!! @Argyle HAVE DEFIED THE ODDS. THEY’VE BEATEN @LFC #EmiratesFACup pic. twitter.com/aK6JGKO5lW
Under a wintry sun by the Devon coast, Liverpool’s under-strength line-up got even weaker when Joe Gomez limped off injured early in the first half.
As Plymouth worked tirelessly to keep Liverpool at bay, they struggled to find any momentum.
James McConnell’s long-range effort was blocked by Conor Hazard, but Liverpool could still rally a shot on target in the 36th minute.
Before Harvey Elliott’s raised arm in the 54th minute blocked Darko Gyabi’s overhead kick, Slot wore an exasperated expression that perfectly summed up Liverpool’s sluggishness.
It was a clear penalty, and Hardie stayed composed to send Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
As Home Park erupted in celebration of an astonishing result, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were denied by fine saves from Hazard in stoppage time.
Wolves cruised into the fifth round as two goals in the space of 39 seconds sealed a 2-0 win at second-tier Blackburn.
Vitor Pereira’s side enjoyed a welcome break from the competition to avoid Premier League relegation, despite languishing just two points above the bottom three in England.
Wolves, who haven’t been to the FA Cup final since they last won the competition in 1960, went ahead in the 33rd minute when Joao Gomes’s shot beat Balazs Toth’s weak attempted save.
Less than a minute later, Wolves scored once more as Matheus Cunha’s blistering strike soared into the far corner after Nelson Semedo’s pass sent Matheus Cunha racing clear.
When his side travel to Aston Villa on Sunday for a late game, under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou can’t afford another cup exit.
Postecoglou bragged earlier this year that he always won a trophy in his second campaign, but Villa’s chances of achieving that goal will be diminishing.
Source: Channels TV
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