Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Championship basement club Plymouth Argyle.
It took until the second half for the deadlock to be broken, with Ryan Hardie keeping his cool to convert from 12 yards following referee Sam Barrott pointing to the spot after Harvey Elliot was adjudged to have handled.
Hardie could’ve put the game out of sight when he broke in behind the Liverpool defence, but the 27-year-old was denied a brace by Caoimhin Kelleher.
In truth, Liverpool’s attack never got going and apart from a couple of half chances for Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, the Premier League leaders were stunted by a side that’s conceded 63 goals in 30 league matches this season.
It marks a historic afternoon for Argyle, who will be in the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Express Sport hands out player ratings after Liverpool are dumped out of the FA Cup…
Caoimhin Kelleher – 7
Commanded his box well when called upon and couldn’t have done much about the Plymouth penalty. Pulled off a stunning save to deny goalscorer Hardie a second with the score at 1-0 to the hosts.
James McConnell – 6
Provided Liverpool’s only shot on target during a quiet first half but didn’t offer much else from an unfamiliar position at right-back. Looked much more comfortable in the final third than he did going the opposite way. Failed to take advantage of a defensive mix-up when the ball fell to him 18 yards out with the goalkeeper having strayed off his line. It wasn’t an easy chance by any means, but he certainly should’ve done better.
Jarell Amorin Quansah – 6
Tasked with leading the backline after Joe Gomez was substituted and didn’t particularly put a foot wrong on the defensive front. Swept up whenever called upon but was let down by his lax distribution.
Joe Gomez – N/A
Lasted just eight minutes into his return from a hamstring injury before having to be taken off with another niggle. Had been given the captain’s armband for the fourth-round clash, but the defender looked in some discomfort while trudging off the pitch.
Konstantinos Tsimikas – 4
Had plenty of time and space down the left-hand side but struggled to impact the game from an attacking point of view. Wasn’t much better at the opposite end of the pitch either, with the Greek international’s failed clearance presenting Hardie with the chance to make it 2-0.
Wataru Endo – 6
Pushed back into central defence after Gomez’s injury and held his own for most of the contest. He was one of the senior players in the starting XI, but the Japanese international wasn’t to blame for the result.
Harvey Elliott – 5
Hasn’t found opportunities easy to come by this season and was left with egg on his face after a foolish error led to Argyle’s second-half penalty. Made somewhat of amends when he – albeit inadvertently – got in the way of Muhamed Tijani’s diving header in added-time. Still, it was his mistake that cost Liverpool in the end.
Trey Nyoni – 6
Has been used frequently in the cup competitions by Slot and was rewarded with another start against Plymouth. The 17-year-old has time on his side and will no doubt come good in the future, but he struggled to make an impact against the Championship strugglers. Probably should’ve been subbed off earlier.
Federico Chiesa – 4
Ought to have done better on what was only his third start since completing a multi-million-pound move from Juventus in the summer. Looked out of sorts in the first half and while he did grow into the game after the break, Slot would’ve wanted more from the Euro 2020 winner. A flashed shot from around 20 yards out and a tempting cross 10 minutes from time were the only contributions of note during an afternoon to forget in the South West.
Diogo Jota – 6
The liveliest of Liverpool’s starting attackers, even if his own performance was subpar. Should’ve been rewarded with an assist when he slid a ball across the face of goal deep in the second half, but substitute Darwin Nunez was nowhere to be seen. Denied in spectacular fashion by goalkeeper Conor Hazard with one of Liverpool’s final chances of the afternoon.
Luis Diaz – 5
Would’ve been expected to lead the line in Mohamed Salah’s absence, but the Colombian provided very little threat to a Plymouth defence that has been conceding at will all season. His only shot of the match produced a sharp block from Matthew Sorinola.
Subs:
Isaac Mabaya – 5
Brought on early doors to replace the injured Joe Gomez, but his time on the pitch only lasted around 50 minutes, with Slot subbing the youngster after Liverpool fell behind. Picked up a yellow card for his troubles too. Not a debut to remember.
Darwin Nunez – 4
Took until the 98th minute to realise he was on the pitch after getting subbed on just before the hour mark. Ineffective and irrelevant. His only sight of goal brought about a simple enough save from Hazard between the sticks.
Trent Kone-Doherty – 6
Offered plenty of energy off the bench, but lacked the required quality to make an impact.
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