Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised Plymouth Argyle as his quadruple dream was ended via a major FA Cup shock at Home Park.
The Reds lost 1-0 on the road at the club currently bottom of the EFL Championship as Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty secured the biggest surprise of the Fourth Round.
Slot charges are currently leading the way at the top of the Premier League, through to the Carabao Cup final, and they finished top of the UEFA Champions League first phase rankings.
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However, ahead of a busy schedule of games, Slot opted to make wholesale changes to his starting lineup, including spots for James McConnell and Trey Nyoni.
Isaac Mbaya replaced Joe Gomez in the opening stages, and there was a late cameo from 18-year-old Trent Kone Doherty, as part of Slot plan to rest key players.
The strategy failed spectacularly, as Liverpool struggled to break down Plymouth’s resistance, with just one effort on target before half-time.
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Hardie coolly slotted home from the spot after the restart, and despite some signs of a Liverpool rally, their hopes of a quadruple [or a major treble] came to an end.
Slot was full of positivity for the home side, but he admitted his risk backfired, as Liverpool failed to meet the challenge of getting past lower-league opposition.
What did Arne Slot say on Liverpool’s loss at Plymouth?
His call to rest the majority of his regular team was the first post-game question and Slot claimed he was shocked by the level of performance.
“It’s a great day for Plymouth,” Slot said at full-time.
“They had a good game plan and deserve all the credit for their performance. We did not have a good day, and a result like this is the outcome.
“I don’t think I can say the boys didn’t fight, because it was a fight for 100+ minutes. Both teams didn’t create many chances and the game was decided by a penalty that was awarded correctly.
“I think the players are able to do better, but this is a playing style that is hard to create chances against.
“It hurts everyone involved with Liverpool, the fans, me, the players, we all wanted to be in this competition.”
Liverpool are next in action in midweek, via their long-awaited game in hand, as they head to Everton for the rescheduled Merseyside derby on February 12.
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