Plymouth Shock Liverpool in FA Cup Upset

Plymouth Argyle, rock bottom of the Championship, have just pulled off one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in history.

February 9, 2025
7:31 pm

Plymouth pulled off a massive FA Cup upset by knocking out Premier League leaders Liverpool, who sit at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship.

Liverpool’s boss, Arne Slot, took a risk with a weakened team in Devon and literally paid the price when Ryan Hardie scored a second-half penalty, giving Plymouth a famous 1-0 win and sending them into the fifth round.

This marks just the fourth time a team at the top of the Premier League has been knocked out of the FA Cup by a team from outside the top flight.

So, Liverpool’s hopes for a quadruple are dashed, and Slot’s team choices will definitely be a hot topic in the days to come.

Plymouth has only kept two clean sheets in the Championship, but Ukrainian defender Maksym Talovyerov was a rock in defense, celebrating every clearance like it was a goal.

Pilgrims’ boss Miron Muslic called Liverpool the “best team in the world,” but only goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was left from the squad that crushed Tottenham on Thursday to secure a spot at Wembley in the Carabao Cup.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alexis Mac Allister were all given the day off.

Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa, and Luis Diaz still brought plenty of firepower against a team with the worst defensive record in the top four tiers of English football.

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The atmosphere was electric at kick-off with Home Park sold out and huge green and white flags waving around.

Plymouth aimed for a dream start, and Hardie had his shot blocked by Joe Gomez in the first minute.

Gomez was captaining Liverpool for the first time since December 29 due to a hamstring injury, but his day ended early.

The England defender looked frustrated sitting on the ground and limped off after just 11 minutes, with Isaac Mabaya coming on for his senior debut.

The game was also paused due to a dental issue for Pilgrims defender Nikola Katic, which made it hard to find a rhythm on the lively pitch.

Plymouth fans shouted for a penalty when Mustapha Bundu and Kostas Tsimikas tangled in the box, but referee Sam Barrott waved play on.

James McConnell had the only on-target shot in the first half after 36 minutes, with his strike deflecting off Darko Gyabi and forcing Conor Hazard into a great save.

Callum Wright, a Liverpool fan who grew up idolizing Steven Gerrard, saw his powerful shot deflected over by Wataru Endo, but Plymouth took the lead in the 53rd minute.

Gyabi flicked the ball over his head, and it hit Harvey Elliott’s hand, which was above his head in an unnatural position.

Hardie stepped up confidently and sent the ball into the bottom left corner while Kelleher dove the other way.

Slot quickly brought on Darwin Nunez, but Plymouth almost doubled their lead in the 62nd minute.

The impressive Katic headed down a free-kick for Hardie, who hit the post after Kelleher barely touched the ball.

Hardie looked offside, but without VAR, the goal would have counted.

McConnell shot wide after a Plymouth defensive mix-up, and Hazard made fantastic saves to deny Jota and Nunez. The Pilgrims held on through nine minutes of stoppage time to kick off the celebration!