Arne Slot’s side cruised past Accrington Stanley with a dominant 4-0 win in the third round, while Plymouth pulled off a dramatic upset, knocking out Brentford on their own turf. Liverpool, riding high on confidence, repeated that 4-0 scoreline in their EFL Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur, overturning a 1-0 deficit in style.
Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk sealed their ticket to Wembley, where they’ll face a Newcastle United side desperate for silverware. With Liverpool still leading the Premier League, safely through to the Champions League last 16, and chasing multiple trophies, the dream of a historic quadruple remains very much alive.
Though the Reds have been nearly unbeatable at home since September, their away form has been a bit patchier, winning only two of their last five on the road. However, they’ll want to avoid an unwanted piece of history, if they fall to Plymouth, they’d become just the fourth Premier League leaders to be knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower-league side.
The last team to suffer that fate? Manchester City, who were stunned by Wigan in 2018.
Plymouth, meanwhile, know a thing or two about upsetting top-flight opposition. Brentford have caused problems for many Premier League teams this season, but Argyle held them off before former star Morgan Whittaker struck an 82nd-minute winner, sending the Green Army into celebration.
However, things have changed since that famous night, Whittaker has since moved to Middlesbrough, and interim coach Kevin Nancekivell has stepped aside for Miron Muslic.
Muslic’s tenure started on a tough note, but last weekend, Plymouth finally snapped a 15-game winless streak in the Championship, beating West Bromwich Albion thanks to a Ryan Hardie brace. That victory didn’t lift them off the bottom of the table, but it certainly gave them a morale boost ahead of Liverpool’s visit.
The last time these two sides met in the FA Cup back in 2016-17, Plymouth held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield, forcing a replay. This time, they’ll be hoping for another upset, and Liverpool will be determined not to let history repeat itself.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Trent Alexander-Arnold remains sidelined with the hamstring injury he picked up against Bournemouth last weekend and will miss Sunday’s FA Cup clash. Midfielder Tyler Morton is also facing several weeks out due to a shoulder injury.Aside from that, Liverpool’s squad is in good shape, but Arne Slot couldn’t confirm whether Alexander-Arnold will be fit in time for Wednesday’s Merseyside derby. If the right-back isn’t risked, Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah could step in, especially if Slot chooses to be cautious with Conor Bradley.
Several players will be pushing for a start at Home Park, including Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, and Federico Chiesa, who scored a stunning goal in the win over Accrington. Diogo Jota is another strong contender, having contributed a goal or assist in each of his three FA Cup away games—excluding matches at Wembley.
On the Plymouth side, they came through their dramatic comeback win over West Brom without any new injury concerns. Michael Baidoo was taken off at halftime, but that appeared to be a tactical decision. However, Kornel Szucs (muscle), Brendan Galloway (hip), and Joe Edwards (hamstring) remain unavailable.
The hosts were busy on transfer deadline day, bringing in former Hearts midfielder Malachi Boateng, who could make his Home Park debut on Sunday. Striker Ryan Hardie, who made a game-changing impact off the bench last weekend, has certainly made his case for a start.
Meanwhile, two of Plymouth’s recent defensive signings, Nikola Katic and Maksym Taloverov, are expected to form part of the back three alongside former Arsenal prospect Julio Pleguezuelo.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:Hazard; Pleguezuelo, Katic, Taloverov; Sorinola, Houghton, Randell, Mumba; Wright, Baidoo; Hardie
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Mac Allister; Chiesa, Elliott, Diaz; Jota
EXPERT PREDICTION
Plymouth 1-4 Liverpool
However, Liverpool’s attacking firepower should prove too much in the end, and Slot’s men are expected to secure their place in the next round without too much trouble.
