Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted he was “hurt” by his team’s shocking 1-0 FA Cup loss to Plymouth Argyle.
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Plymouth deserved to win
Arne Slot opted to rest his star players for the match, leaving Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo out of the squad — a decision that proved costly for Liverpool.
Ryan Hardie’s 53rd-minute penalty gave Plymouth the edge for the remainder of the game.
Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard made a series of crucial saves during second-half stoppage time, including goals from Diego Jota and Darwin Nunez.
Hazard’s heroics sealed the victory for his side, sending the home fans at Home Park into celebration.
Meanwhile, Slot had to accept the fact that Plymouth, the Championship’s bottom team, defeated the Premier League leaders in the fourth round.
Still, the Dutch manager believed that Plymouth deserved their hard-fought victory.
“It was a great game from Plymouth,” Slot told ITV after the game.
“Good game plan. They deserve all the credit for their performance today. We were not having a very good day, and this result was the outcome.”
“I don’t think I can say the boys didn’t fight because the boys fought for 100 minutes. Both teams hardly created a chance and then the game was decided by a penalty, which was awarded correctly because [Elliott] had his arms above his head.”
“In a game like this when the two teams hardly have any chances, any openings, it’s up to one moment and today that moment was for them. Like I said, they deserved it because they played a really good game.”
Slot”hurt” over FA Cup exit
Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from the defeat when they face against local rivals Everton.
A win would see them move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
“It hurts everyone that’s involved with Liverpool,” Slot said. “Fans, me, players. We all wanted to be in this competition for as long as possible.”
He added: “They kept on fighting until the last second and the only chances we created were in the last 10 to 15 minutes. It wasn’t a work rate problem. They worked really hard but they couldn’t find chances. We just have to keep the work rate the same, but we have to be more creative in the upcoming games.”
