Liverpool had a Sunday to forget as they were on the receiving end of an FA Cup shock at Plymouth Argyle. The Reds were undone by the Championship's bottom side in the fourth round, which ended their quadruple hopes. Arne Slot shuffled his pack at they travelled to Home Park but they came unstuck due to Ryan Hardie's second-half penalty - which was given for handball. Plymouth's goalkeeper and backline produced some heroics moments en route to another scalp having also beaten Brentford in the third round. Liverpool's games continue to come thick and fast after the high of reaching the Carabao Cup final just days ago.
Here's the latest from Anfield after a damaging defeat. Slot confessed that his Liverpool players fell well short of expectations as they were knocked out of the FA Cup. The Reds boss opted to make 10 changes to the side that had beaten Tottenham 4-0 just days earlier with half an eye on the Merseyside derby at Everton on Wednesday. The heavily-rotated side still included the likes of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz but they delivered a poor display with Slot admitting that Plymouth deserved their victory and he expected far more from his team.
He said: "I think (the players here today) are able to do better, but this is a playing style that is quite hard to create your chances against, which is what we saw today. But we expected to play a better game than this, but we give credit to Plymouth as well.". Harvey Elliott has taken issue with the penalty decision that went against him - and cost Liverpool in the FA Cup - claiming he was always in a natural position when he was penalised for handball.
Elliott was penalised as he went to block Darko Gyabi's ball back into the box. His arms were raised above his head and the referee didn't hesitate when pointing to the spot. Liverpool's No.19 also continued his defence, citing the proximity of himself from the ball, as he felt responsible for the moment that cost his team in Devon. He said: "I mean, the arguments could go on forever, to be honest. I was so close to him and I said to the referee, ‘Do you expect me to jump with my arms by my side? That’s just not a natural way of jumping.’ I was trying my hardest to block the ball and my arm was up there but it was about a metre away from the player shooting.
A police officer who admitted to tragedy chanting at a Liverpool football match has been sacked and barred from policing, Essex Police said. Sergeant Tyler Coppin, of Essex Police, previously pleaded guilty to the public order offence towards Liverpool fans at a Premier League match at Anfield against Chelsea last October 20. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, tragedy chanting is when fans sing, chant or gesture offensive messages about disasters or accidents involving players or fans.
Coppin was given a three-year football banning order and ordered to pay £645 in fines and costs in December, Merseyside Police said. Essex Police then instigated misconduct proceedings against Coppin because of his conviction. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
