Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool: Player ratings as young Reds stunned in FA Cup upset
- Liverpool fall 1-0 to Plymouth Argyle in FA Cup fourth round
- Championship's bottom side beat Premier League leaders thanks to second-half penalty
- Youthful Reds side failed to impress away from home
By Tom Gott
Premier League leaders Liverpool were dumped out the FA Cup on Sunday thanks to a 1-0 defeat away at a Plymouth Argyle side sitting rock bottom of the Championship.
A youthful Liverpool side, who lost Joe Gomez to injury early on, struggled to settle in a cagey first half which yielded just one shot on target. Plymouth were happy to try their luck on the counter and definitely had their moments, without actually creating anything of note before the break.
Seven minutes after the restart, the fairytale ramped up. Harvey Elliott conceded a penalty for a clear handball and Ryan Hardie gleefully accepted the chance to fire his side ahead from 12 yards.
Hardie struck the post soon after as Plymouth searched for a second, while a stunning block from Matthew Sorinola denied Luis Diaz what looked like a tap-in down the other end as Liverpool began to grow increasingly concerned.
Liverpool kept coming and, as the clock ticked on, Plymouth began to defend for their lives. Sorinola, Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovierov combined for a series of excellent blocks, and Conor Hazard saved the day with two superb diving saves to deny Diogo Jota and Jarell Quansah in stoppage time to seal a famous win for the hosts.
Plymouth player ratings (3-4-2-1)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: Conor Hazard | 7.3/10 |
CB: Maksym Talovierov | 7.5/10 |
CB: Nikola Katic | 7.8/10 |
CB: Julio Pleguezuelo | 7.1/10 |
RM: Matthew Sorinola | 6.8/10 |
CM: Adam Randell | 6.9/10 |
CM: Darko Gyabi | 7.3/10 |
LM: Tymoteusz Puchacz | 6.9/10 |
AM: Callum Wright | 7.4/10 |
AM: Ryan Hardie | 7.6/10 |
ST: Mustapha Bundu | 6.0/10 |
SUB: Victor Palsson (66' for Pleguezuelo) | 6.2/10 |
SUB: Malachi Boateng (72' for Randell) | 6.1/10 |
SUB: Muhamed Tijani (72' for Bundu) | 6.2/10 |
SUB: Michael Obafemi (81' for Hardie) | 6.0/10 |
Subs not used: Daniel Grimshaw (GK), Bali Mumba, Jordan Houghton, Rami Al Hajj, Michael Baidoo.
Liverpool player ratings (4-3-3)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher | 6.2/10 |
RB: James McConnell | 7.6/10 |
CB: Jarell Quansah | 7.2/10 |
CB: Joe Gomez | 6.6/10 |
LB: Kostas Tsimikas | 7.8/10 |
DM: Wataru Endo | 7.4/10 |
CM: Harvey Elliott | 6.5/10 |
CM: Trey Nyoni | 6.9/10 |
RW: Federico Chiesa | 6.0/10 |
ST: Diogo Jota | 6.0/10 |
LW: Luis Diaz | 6.8/10 |
SUB: Isaac Mabaya (10' for Gomez) | 5.9/10 |
SUB: Darwin Nunez (58' for Mabaya) | 6.0/10 |
SUB: Trent Kone-Doherty (76' for Nyoni) | 6.5/10 |
Subs not used: Vitezslav Jaros (GK), Amara Nallo, James Norris, Curtis Jones, Ranel Young, Rio Ngumoha.
Player of the match - Nikola Katic (Plymouth)
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