Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Liverpool: Championship Strugglers Stun Premier League Leaders in FA Cup Shock

Watch the full match highlights below!

Plymouth Argyle pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the FA Cup this season, stunning Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 1-0 victory at Home Park. Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty proved to be the difference, knocking Arne Slot’s side out of the competition and ending their hopes of a quadruple.

Hardie’s Heroics Seal Historic Win

The decisive moment of the match came in the 53rd minute when Darko Gyabi’s flick struck the outstretched arm of Harvey Elliott inside the box. The referee pointed straight to the spot, and Hardie stepped up with confidence, drilling his penalty into the bottom-left corner as Caoimhin Kelleher dived the wrong way. The goal sent the Home Park crowd into wild celebrations.

The Championship’s bottom side displayed remarkable resilience, preventing Liverpool from scoring—something that has only happened three times this season.

Liverpool’s Lackluster Performance

Despite making ten changes from their last Premier League outing, Liverpool struggled to find their rhythm. It took them 36 minutes to register their first shot on target, with James McConnell forcing Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard into a low save.

As the Reds pushed for an equalizer, Plymouth held firm. McConnell missed an open goal, while Hazard made two stunning saves late on—denying Diogo Jota’s volley and Darwin Nunez’s powerful header to preserve the victory.

Katic Leads Defensive Masterclass

Defender Nikola Katic was instrumental in Plymouth’s defensive resilience, making 11 headed clearances—the most by any player against Liverpool since March 2020. His commanding presence at the back ensured that the Pilgrims stayed strong under relentless pressure.

Historic FA Cup Feat for Plymouth

This victory sees Plymouth reach the FA Cup fifth round for just the fifth time in their history—and the first since 2006-07. They also join an exclusive list of lower-league sides to eliminate the Premier League leaders, alongside Cardiff City, Bradford City, and Wigan Athletic.

For Liverpool, this marks only their fourth defeat under Arne Slot and a disappointing end to their FA Cup campaign. Prior to this match, the Reds were unbeaten in eight games against Plymouth in all competitions, a streak dating back to 2016.

Plymouth’s incredible win will be remembered as one of the greatest FA Cup shocks in recent years.