The Green Army prove there's still magic in the cup
Plymouth Argyle 1 - 0 Liverpool
Plymouth Argyle pulled off a classic FA Cup shock as the Championship’s bottom side sent Premier League leaders Liverpool crashing out in front of a raucous Home Park crowd.
Arne Slot made 10 changes to the Liverpool side that cruised past Tottenham to reach the Carabao Cup final—and it backfired spectacularly as Plymouth seized their moment to book a place in the fifth round.
A cagey contest burst into life eight minutes after the break when the hosts were awarded a penalty for Harvey Elliott’s handball. Ryan Hardie stepped up and smashed the spot-kick past Caoimhin Kelleher to send Home Park into pandemonium.
Hardie almost doubled his tally moments later, only for Kelleher to tip his effort onto the post. Liverpool pushed for an equaliser late on, but Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard produced two stunning saves—first to deny Diogo Jota, then somehow keeping out Darwin Nunez’s close-range header.
The final whistle sparked wild celebrations as Plymouth, under new boss Miron Muslic, secured a famous victory and one of the biggest upsets of this FA Cup campaign.
How did Plymouth cause such a shock?
Home Park erupted at full-time as Plymouth Argyle sealed a victory that will be remembered for generations in Devon.
This was a landmark moment for Plymouth’s charismatic manager Miron Muslic, who has quickly won over the ‘Green Army’ since replacing the sacked Wayne Rooney. The atmosphere was electric from the start, and the hosts sensed an opportunity when Liverpool’s teamsheet revealed no sign of Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk.
Plymouth turned the game into a battle, refusing to let Liverpool settle, and their moment arrived when Harvey Elliott’s needless handball gifted them a penalty. Ryan Hardie made no mistake, blasting home to write his name into FA Cup folklore.
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With Liverpool piling on late pressure, Conor Hazard emerged as the hero, pulling off two sensational saves—first from Diogo Jota, then somehow keeping out Darwin Nunez’s powerful header.
While Championship survival remains the priority, this unforgettable FA Cup shock has reignited belief at Home Park, proving once again why the competition retains its magic.
Liverpool's weakened team certainly played a part in all of this. Their manager played a high-risk game with Liverpool's FA Cup ambitions and ultimately lost.
Only their keeper Kelleher remained from Thursday's Carabao Cup semi-final, with Van Dijk and Salah left at home. Salah being completely rested meant he didn't have as much quality to bring into the team.
They still had experienced internationals of the calibre of Luis Diaz, Jota and Federico Chiesa to call on, as well as Elliott, Wataru Endo and Kostas Tsimikas. It just wasn't their day.
