Premier League chief Liverpool was knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier struggler Plymouth after shedding 1-0 in a surprising fourth-round upset on Sunday (February 9, 2025).
It ended any hopes of a quadruple of main trophies for Liverpool, which leads the Premier League by six factors with a recreation in hand, completed prime of the revamped first stage of the Champions League and has reached the English League Cup ultimate.
Ryan Hardie’s 53rd-minute penalty proved to be the winner for Plymouth, a membership from the southwest of England which is in final place within the second-tier Championship and just lately fired Wayne Rooney as its supervisor.
“All of us got here right here in the present day with a dream,” Hardie mentioned, “and we have now achieved it.”
Liverpool fielded a closely rotated lineup, with out stars like Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk who weren’t even on the bench, however nonetheless had established internationals like Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota on the sector in a frenetic ending to the sport as Plymouth was pressured to defend doggedly.
On the finish of a nerve-shredding 9 minutes of stoppage time, Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard produced a surprising save to tip over a header from Nunez after which was in the appropriate place to maintain out one other header — this time from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher after he got here up for a nook.
Ultimately, the essential second was when Harvey Elliott raised his palms to cease the ball going into the penalty space and the referee awarded a handball. Hardie composed himself and slotted his spot kick the other way to the place Kelleher dived.
Liverpool’s supervisor Arne Slot gestures as he speaks to his gamers Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota throughout the match in opposition to Plymouth
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
“They had been nice in the present day and made it actually, actually onerous for us and we could not deal with that,” Elliott mentioned. “It is a studying curve. It is a completely different recreation for us as a result of we’re not used to enjoying these sort of video games.”
Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot congratulated Plymouth and acknowledged his crew “hardly created something in any respect.”
“In all probability our greatest a part of the sport was the final 10 minutes, in order that tells you we saved on preventing,” Slot mentioned. “However credit score to them — good recreation plan they usually labored extremely onerous.”
Plymouth turned the primary membership from outdoors the Premier League to beat a crew that’s main the highest flight since Wigan eradicated Manchester Metropolis in February 2018, statistic provider Opta mentioned of the FA Cup.
There have been nice scenes on the ultimate whistle as Plymouth gamers hugged one another on the sector and followers did the identical within the stands at Dwelling Park.
Liverpool is an eight-time winner of the FA Cup, most just lately in 2022.
Rashford makes Villa debut in win over SpursMarcus Rashford got here off the bench for his Aston Villa debut in a 2-1 win over Tottenham, which has been knocked out of two cup competitions in per week.
Villa had already scored via Jacob Ramsey — after simply 57 seconds — and Morgan Rogers when Rashford entered as an alternative within the 66th minute, per week after becoming a member of on mortgage from Manchester United.
The striker made his presence felt instantly, catching Kevin Danso with an elbow to the top that left blood pouring from the Tottenham defender. Rashford had a few half-chances on the break however could not mark his first look with a objective.
Mathys Tel, a deadline-day signing, pulled a objective again in stoppage time for Tottenham, which was enjoying three days after shedding to Liverpool within the English League Cup semifinals.
Wolves via after quickfire doubleBrazilian gamers Joao Gomes and Matheus Cunha scored within the house of two minutes to ship Wolverhampton via with a 2-0 win at Blackburn.
Gomes shot underneath the physique of goalkeeper Balázs Tóth to present Wolves the lead within the thirty third at Ewood Park, earlier than Cunha — who just lately signed a brand new contract with the crew — drove house a low end into the far nook a minute later.
Revealed – February 10, 2025 10:58 am IST
