Premier League leaders Liverpool suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle, who sit at the bottom of the Championship, in their FA Cup clash on Sunday.
Fielding a youthful side, Liverpool’s rhythm was disrupted early when Joe Gomez was forced off with an injury.
The first half was a scrappy affair with neither side creating much, though Plymouth showed flashes of danger on the counter while the visitors managed just one shot on target.
The drama intensified just seven minutes into the second half. Harvey Elliott was penalized for a clear handball in the box, giving Ryan Hardie the chance to step up and calmly convert the resulting penalty, sending Plymouth fans into raptures.
Hardie nearly doubled the lead shortly after, striking the post as Plymouth piled on the pressure.
Down at the other end, Luis Diaz seemed destined to score, but Matthew Sorinola produced a heroic block to deny him a simple tap-in as Liverpool’s urgency grew.
As Liverpool pressed for an equalizer, Plymouth’s defense held firm. Sorinola, Nikola Katic, and Maksym Talovierov threw their bodies on the line to protect the lead, while goalkeeper Conor Hazard came up with two outstanding saves in stoppage time to deny Diogo Jota and Jarell Quansah, ensuring Plymouth’s famous victory.
