Plymouth shock Brentford
Brentford 0 - 1 Plymouth Argyle
Morgan Whittaker scored a dramatic late winner as Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the Championship, stunned Premier League side Brentford to progress in the FA Cup.
The third-round clash remained goalless until the 82nd minute when Whittaker cut in from the right and drilled a precise left-footed shot past Hakon Valdimarsson to seal the Pilgrims' unlikely victory.
Miron Muslic, appointed on Friday to replace Wayne Rooney, watched from the stands as Plymouth delivered a resolute performance, restricting Brentford to very few chances.
Fabio Carvalho tested Argyle keeper Conor Hazard twice in the opening 15 minutes, but those were the only shots on target from Thomas Frank's side. Even with star forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa brought on from the bench to break the deadlock, it was Plymouth who found the decisive goal.
Brentford nearly forced a late equaliser, but Wissa’s close-range header went wide, and Plymouth held firm during a tense finale. For the third consecutive season, Brentford exited the FA Cup in the third round.
Frank's side can't carry league progress into cup
The FA Cup remains a thorn in Thomas Frank’s side. Since taking charge in 2018, Brentford’s best run came in his first season when they reached the fifth round, beating Oxford United and Barnet before losing to Swansea City.
In recent years, however, it’s been early exits for the Bees. They fell to West Ham in 2022-23 and were knocked out by Wolves after extra time in a replay last season.
Drawn against a Plymouth side with the Championship's leakiest away defence – conceding 35 goals in 14 games – Brentford would have fancied their chances. At home, they’ve been prolific this season, scoring more goals than any other Premier League team.
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The hosts started brightly, with Carvalho, back after a two-game injury layoff, forcing a brilliant save from Hazard from distance before testing him again from a corner.
However, as the first half wore on, Plymouth grew in confidence. Callum Wright came close in the 18th minute, forcing a strong save from Valdimarsson, and Matthew Sorinola missed a golden opportunity, heading over just after the hour mark.
Plymouth made Brentford pay for their wastefulness, and Whittaker’s composed finish sealed their place in the fourth round – the fourth time in five seasons they’ve achieved the feat.
For Muslic, the victory provides a much-needed boost as he looks to inspire Plymouth to Championship survival, starting with a crucial clash against Oxford on Tuesday.
The start of a new era for Plymouth
A great day for Plymouth fans yesterday. More reaction coming here - eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/search/label...
— European Super Football (@superfootball.bsky.social) 12 January 2025 at 11:33
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After the final whistle in London, the players ushered Nancekivell, who has worked with the club for almost twenty years, to take the applause of the 2,500 fans who had travelled from the South-West.
One Plymouth fan told us: "After such a difficult few months, all the fans and players needed that win. We deserved to progress and now we're all excited about a potential long-run in the FA Cup. For now, though, our attention turns to the league. We really need to avoid relegation to League One from a financial perspective."
