Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool: Awful Reds knocked out of the FA Cup

Liverpool were much-changed and far from their best as they stuttered to a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Plymouth which sealed their exit from the FA Cup.

Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool

FA Cup Fourth Round | Home Park
February 9, 2025

Goal

Hardie 53′ (pen)

Arne Slot sprang something of a tactical surprise from kickoff – perhaps more for the Liverpool fans watching than opposite number Miron Muslic – as James McConnell started at right-back instead of either Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah.

Things quickly changed as Gomez went down with an injury and Slot called for academy full-back Isaac Mabaya to take his place, in an early blow to the Reds’ momentum.

It was a disjointed start after 10 changes from the midweek win over Tottenham and another after kickoff, with only one shot for Liverpool in the opening half-hour – fired into bodies by Trey Nyoni – despite dominating with 72 percent of possession.

Plymouth arguably had the better chances, with Caoimhin Kelleher required to mop up some dangerous low crosses, but any attempts to hype the first half up as anything close to a giant-killing in the works would have been contrived.

Instead it was simply a low-quality 45-plus minutes of football from both sides, with Slot surely welcoming the break and an opportunity to tweak his approach again.

Half time: Plymouth 0-0 Liverpool

There were no changes at the break and Liverpool were then dealt the telling blow as Plymouth were awarded a penalty in the 52nd minute when the ball struck Harvey Elliott‘s outstretched hand – and Ryan Hardie stepped up to convert.

Liverpool immediately upped the tempo, with that setback firing them into action, and Darwin Nunez was soon sent on in place of substitute Mabaya as Slot acknowledged the severity of the tie.

A promising chance opened itself up – finally – as Federico Chiesa arrowed a low ball into the box and, via a deflection, into the path of Luis Diaz, but the Colombian’s effort was well blocked.

Slot rolled the dice and sent on another debutant in 18-year-old Trent Kone-Doherty, with a lot of pressure on the young winger as Liverpool pushed for an increasingly unlikely equaliser.

It never came, with Plymouth centre-backs Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovierov dealing with everything, and though they were given nine minutes of stoppage time Liverpool limped out of the FA Cup.

One to forget, not that Slot will let us. On to the derby and bigger tests ahead.

TIA Man of the Match: Wataru Endo

Referee: Sam Barrott

Plymouth: Hazard; Pleguezuelo (Palsson 67′), Katic, Taloverov; Sorinola, Randell (Boateng 72′), Gyabi, Puchacz; Wright, Hardie (Obafemi 81′), Bundu (Tijani 72′)

Subs not used: Grimshaw, Mumba, Houghton, Al Hajj, Baidoo

Liverpool: Kelleher; McConnell, Quansah, Gomez (Mabaya 11′, Nunez 59′), Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Nyoni (Kone-Doherty 76′); Chiesa, Diaz, Jota

Subs not used: Jaros, Nallo, Norris, Jones, Ngumoha, Young

Next match: Everton (A) – Premier League – Wednesday, February 12, 7.30pm (GMT)