Liverpool, fresh from securing a spot in the EFL Cup final, now turn their focus to the FA Cup as they travel to Home Park to face Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.
The Reds are chasing an unprecedented quadruple this season, while Plymouth will aim to pull off another cup shock.
Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool Preview
Liverpool are in red-hot form. They recently thrashed Tottenham 4-0 in the EFL Cup semi-finals to book their place at Wembley. Earlier in the FA Cup, they eased past Accrington Stanley with a 4-0 win in the third round. Key players like Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Virgil van Dijk have been instrumental in their success.
The Reds are also flying high in the Premier League, sitting at the top of the table, and have comfortably advanced to the Champions League last 16. However, they’ll need to be wary only three teams in history have been knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower-league side while leading the Premier League. Liverpool will be determined to avoid becoming the fourth.
Plymouth, meanwhile, are battling to stay in the Championship. They’ve had a tough season and are currently 24th in the league. But they’ve shown they can rise to the occasion in the FA Cup, pulling off a stunning 1-0 win against Brentford in the third round thanks to a late goal from Morgan Whittaker.
Under new manager Miron Muslic, Plymouth recently ended a 15-game winless streak in the Championship with a 2-0 victory over West Brom. While they’re clear underdogs, the Home Park crowd could give them the extra boost they need to challenge Liverpool.
Head-to-Head: Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool
The last time these two teams met in the FA Cup was in the 2016-17 season. Liverpool needed a replay to overcome Plymouth after a 0-0 draw at Anfield. This time, Plymouth will hope to go one better and create a memorable upset.
Team News: Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool
Liverpool will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for Sunday’s match as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury picked up last weekend. Young midfielder Tyler Morton is also sidelined for several weeks with a shoulder issue.
Despite these absences, Liverpool’s squad is in good shape. Manager Arne Slot may rotate his lineup, with players like Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, and Federico Chiesa expected to start. Diogo Jota, who has been in fine form in the FA Cup, could also feature, he has either scored or assisted in all three of his away matches in the competition.
With Alexander-Arnold’s fitness still uncertain for the upcoming Merseyside derby, Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah might step in at right-back if Conor Bradley is rested.
Plymouth have no new injury concerns following their impressive comeback win over West Brom. However, they will still be without Kornel Szucs (muscle), Brendan Galloway (hip), and Joe Edwards (hamstring).
The club was active on deadline day, signing midfielder Malachi Boateng from Hearts. Boateng could make his debut on Sunday, while striker Ryan Hardie, who came off the bench to score twice against West Brom, is pushing for a start.
New defensive signings Nikola Katic and Maksym Taloverov are expected to feature in Plymouth’s back three, alongside former Arsenal player Julio Pleguezuelo.
Key Stats
- Liverpool’s Away Form: The Reds have lost just 2 of their last 21 away games (both in cups last month).
- Scoring First: Liverpool have won 25 of the 26 games this season where they scored first.
- FA Cup History: Liverpool have lost all 3 FA Cup games played on February 9 (1901, 1972, 2016).
- Plymouth’s FA Cup Run: They beat Brentford 1-0 in the third round, with Morgan Whittaker scoring the winner.
- Liverpool’s FA Cup Record: This will be their 454th FA Cup game, with 243 wins so far.
- Elimination Trend: Liverpool’s last 5 FA Cup exits have all come away from home.
- Milestone: Virgil van Dijk’s next start will be his 300th for Liverpool.
