Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool: Ryan Hardie secures the shock of the FA Cup fourth round for Championship’s bottom club

Ryan Hardie struck the winner from the penalty spot as Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle secured the shock of the fourth round of the 2024/25 FA Cup with a sensational 1-0 victory over Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Arne Slot named a makeshift Reds team with 10 changes from the Carabao Cup win over Tottenham, and it proved costly as The Pilgrims became just the fourth side from a lower tier (in the competition's history) to defeat a club starting the day first in the top-flight.

Liverpool failed to manufacture much of note in a largely turgid affair with Plymouth deservedly breaking the deadlock on 53 minutes when Hardie converted a spot kick awarded for a handball by Harvey Elliott.

The visitors continued to toil and could not snatch a late leveller despite good openings for Diogo Jota and Jarell Quansah.

The result sees The Championship’s bottom club back up their win over Brentford in round three by reaching the fifth round for the fifth time in their history.

Liverpool will switch focus to their push for glory in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and the Carabao Cup final.

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ON PULLING OFF A MAJOR UPSET: "Yes of course, we came with a dream and the dream was to get to the next round, and we’ve done it. I don’t know what to say… but we’ve done it."

WHAT WENT THROUGH HIS MIND WITH THE PENALTY: "Just to get the ball in the net and it’s 1-0. There’s obviously a bit of pressure on it, but it’s just about picking your side and committing to it."

Team-mate Callum Wright joined Hardie in the post-match interview with ITV at Home Park and said it was about sticking to the game-plan and also paid tribute to his manager for bringing in the defenders who helped lay the foundation for this famous FA Cup success.

Wright, a proud Scouser himself, added: "I was starting to get nervous with stoppage time [nine minutes], but we dug in to get through and we did it."

On coming up against his boyhood heroes Liverpool – and beating them: "Insane. It was a dream come true to play them and even better to beat them. Just a dream, I’ll remember it forever."

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The Premier League leaders and the side many are calling the ‘best team in Europe right now’ – are OUT of the FA Cup.

Ryan Hardie is the name that will light up the headlines as the forward’s penalty secured a famous win for the rock-bottom Championship outfit.

It has to be said it was a much-changed Liverpool side, but Arne Slot still suffered his first significant low moment as Reds manager, with Plymouth going one better than their heroics in defeating another top-flight side in the shape of Brentford in round three.

It also sees The Pilgrims end the Merseysiders’ bid for an unprecedented quadruple and could well be a result that will give manager Miron Muslic and his men renewed belief that they can beat the drop in The Championship.

Next up, Slot’s Liverpool will re-focus and aim to move nine points clear at the summit of the Premier League when they visit Everton in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, with the big guns set to return after being rested for the trip to the soouth coast.

Plymouth host Millwall in The Championship on the same evening, but will also have their eyes on the fifth-round draw set to take place on Monday night. 

Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Liverpool.

Hazard claws away another big opportunity from Quansah's header.

That will be that!

Talovierov booked.

The PL leaders haven't really looked likely.

Yes, it's a much-changed team, but there are still big names out there in the shape of Nunez, Jota, Elliott, Chiesa and Diaz.

Plymouth are so, so close here...

The ball drops for Chiesa on the far left side of the area, but his attempt is well blocked.

Hazard flies to his right to claw away Jota's stunning 20-yard snap shot.

Tijani sees his diving header at the back stick well blocked by Elliott after a wonderful cross from Wright on the right.

Nine minutes added.

Groans from the home crowd...

McConnell drills wide from 25 yards after some miscommunication had seen the 'keeper come to the edge of his box and not collect.

The Pilgrims are so close to one of the biggest victories in their history...

Nunez spins on to a clever pass on the right side of the area but lashes wide of the near post from a tough angle.

Jota somehow wins an aerial duel and turns into space on the left side of the area. He rifles a ball across the six-yard box, but Nunez is caught on his heels and Plymouth survive.

Quansah can't quite stretch to get a toe on Chiesa's wonderful left-wing cross at the back stick.

The visitors haven't really created anything of note in this match, but they have increased the tempo of their attacks as they try to force a late leveller...

Obafemi on for the goalscorer Hardie.

Sorinola booked for a late tackle on Jota.