Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool: 5 talking points as Jota misfires and Slot makes priorities clear

Liverpool limped out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 defeat at Plymouth, though Arne Slot‘s approach to the tie underlines where the bigger priorities lie between now and May.

Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool

FA Cup Fourth Round | Home Park
February 9, 2025

Goals: Hardie pen 53′

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Slot makes priorities clear

No Liverpool manager will ever be happy after defeat, but you sense that Arne Slot won’t lose too much sleep over this one.

Had the Dutchman viewed the FA Cup as a key aim for this season, he simply would not have taken the risk of leaving so many of his senior stars on Merseyside.

Nor would he have left Curtis Jones on the bench when the Reds were struggling so badly for control in the centre of the park.

The fact is, the Dutchman made a decision over where his priorities lie, and was clearly comfortable with the possibility that his big calls might bring about a loss.

He must now hope that there are benefits coming down the line thanks to the fact that the fixture schedule immediately looks less daunting.

 

Big blow to fringe players

Of course, while an FA Cup exit means less strain on the squad, it also represents bad news for those who currently find themselves on the fringes.

With only Premier League and Champions League fixtures and a Carabao Cup final remaining this season, it is hard to see where those players pick up significant minutes between now and May.

Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo are among those who will now have to try and fight their way into Slot’s selections in those competitions.

If not, then it could be a quiet end to the campaign for them.

 

Jota fails to stake starting claim

Normally, you would not consider Diogo Jota among the aforementioned fringe players given he clearly has the quality to be Liverpool’s starting No. 9.

But injury disruptions and the form of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez mean the Portuguese finds himself a little lower down the pecking order than he might like.

And he did little to strengthen his case in this 90-minute outing against the team with the worst defensive record in the Championship.

One shot, zero chances created and just 39 percent of his passes completed tells the story of a forgettable performance that won’t have his rivals for starts concerned.

 

Another blow for unlucky Gomez

It is easy to make the argument that, as Liverpool’s third-choice centre-back and third choice in either full-back role, Joe Gomez is far from the biggest potential injury miss for Liverpool.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hugely disappointing to see the Englishman forced out of this game with just 11 minutes on the clock.

Gomez’s versatility means he makes this Reds squad stronger in multiple positions when available, and his status as a leader was underlined by him being given the captain’s armband at Home Park.

As such, it will be hoped that this latest fitness setback is not a serious one, and that Gomez’s latest comeback has not ended with him being condemned to the sidelines for a number of weeks almost immediately.

 

Win on Wednesday and all is forgotten

Fortunately for Liverpool, they have the chance to get this result quickly out of their system on Wednesday evening.

A win in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park is always welcome, but one that would carve out a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League would leave fans in dreamland.

It would also be easier after such a result to tell the story that an FA Cup exit should help get the Reds over the line in winning a 20th title.