Awesome Argyle too good for Liverpool

There are rare days in the history of a football club that supporters remember forever, days that come along once a decade, if you’re lucky!

For all fans of Plymouth Argyle, and football in Devon, mark down Sunday, February 9, 2025 as that special day.

Ever since the Pilgrims were drawn at home at Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup, the Green Army have been bubbling with excitement and anticipation, a chance to share the field with arguably the best team in the world at present.

Liverpool have been sensational this season, they are seemingly on a procession to the Premier League title, losing just once in 23 matches, and even though manager Arne Slot opted to rest stars like Mo Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Alexis MacAlister, the Reds arrived in Devon with a side packed with quality.

Surely, with Diogo Jota, Joe Gomez, Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz, Enrique Chiesa and the rest, Liverpool would have enough against an Argyle side toiling at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship?

Surely not!

New Head Coach Miron Muslic has inherited a team of struggling Pilgrims but, ever since his introductory speech to the squad that went viral on social media, the former Cercle Brugge boss has brought something new to Home Park.

There have been bumps in the road, including a painful heavy defeat at home to Burnley, but the signs have become gradually more encouraging.

Argyle returned from an epic trip to Sunderland with a brave 2-2 draw, then Ryan Hardie emerged from the bench to score two late goals in a deserved win over West Bromwich Albion, and Muslic has added two beasts at the back.

Maksym Talovyerov signed from Austrian club LASK and Nikola Katic on loan from Zurich. They were colossal in the win over West Brom. As for their performance against Liverpool, start chiselling the statues!

They have brought a new determination to the Pilgrims, and the players around them are responding. Julio Pleguezuelo was also brilliant in the back three, Matty Sorinola literally ran himself into the ground at wing-back and the midfield of Adam Randell and Darko Gyabi played like terriers.

Hardie, fresh from his West Brom heroics, was given the chance to carve his notch in history when Liverpool were punished for an Elliott handball. Penalty awarded, penalty despatched, and massive for Hardie, who famously missed a late spot-kick when the Greens almost shocked Chelsea in the same competition three years ago.

Argyle still had more than 40 minutes to repel Liverpool and, inevitably, the Reds laid siege on the Argyle goal. Katic and co headed everything, and when the increasingly desperate visitors did breach the defences, goalkeeper Conor Hazard responded with two stunning saves.

History was on the horizon and the Pilgrims stayed together for a final whistle that will be remembered forever. Yes, there are huge league games to go and a huge battle for survival but as Katic summed up in his jubilant post-match interview.

“I ******* love it!”