Key events
Elliott mentioned how young Liverpool’s substitutes are. It’s true – only Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones are established names on the bench.
Liverpool manaager Arne Slot speaks!
It’s going to be difficult. They have changed managers, changed playing styles, a very direct playing style. There will be a lot of long balls, second balls, a lot of crosses to defend.
It’s going to be very difficult for Chiesa to play his best football today because of Plymouth’s playing style. But what I want to see from him today is work rate, fight. It’s going to be the same against Everton [the Merseyside derby is at Goodison Park on Wednesday], lots of long balls, lots of second balls. But I hope he can also show his quality.
This is an excellent Ben Fisher interview with Plymouth’s new-ish manager, Miron Muslic. Do give it a read.
Harvey Elliott, who became Liverpool’s youngest ever player when he played in the FA Cup five years go, speaks to the ITV cameras:
I feel like I’m getting old, when you remind me of that. Now there are 16-year-olds on our bench today. There are opportunities that youngsters can get.
We’re in a position where we can go for everything [in terms of the quadruple]. But there are dangers, it’s a really tough game today. Hostile stadium. We just need to stick to the plan and defend with our lives.
Speaking of Chiesa, do read Jonathan Liew on the Italian, who is popular with both Liverpool teammates and fans despite rarely featuring for the Reds this season since his summer move from Juventus.
Let’s unpack those teams.
Plymouth make two changes from the starting XI that beat West Brom last week: Hardie comes in for Baindoo, while Houghton is replaced by Gyabi – the latter is an eye-catching choice because this is his first appearance for Plymouth this season. The on-loan Leeds midfielder also joined Argyle last season but mostly failed to make an impression from the start.
There is some youth in Liverpool’s line-up, but this is still an experienced side peppered with internationals. The front three of Chiesa, Jota and Diaz is as good as any attack you will see in any side all weekend. Trey Nyoni, 17, makes just his second senior start and his sixth appearance overall in Liverpool’s midfield, alongside 20-year-old James McConnell, who is rated highly by Arne Slot.
The teams!
Plymouth: Hazard, Taloverov, Katic, Pleguezuelo, Sorinola, Randell, Gyabi, Puchacz, Bundu, Wright, Hardie.
Subs: Grimshaw, Mumba, Houghton, Obafemi, Boateng, Tijani, Al Hajj, Baidoo, Palsson.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Quansah, Tsimikas, Nyoni, McConnell, Chiesa, Elliott, Diaz, Jota.
Subs: Jaros, Nunez, Jones, Kone-Doherty, Mabaya, Nallo, Ngumoha, Norris, Young.
Preamble
What a cup tie this is. One team bottom of the Championship, the other top of the Premier League and yet, there is the faintest whiff of an upset here. Plymouth have already despatched top-flight Brentford in the third round (under the interim duo of the first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and the club captain Joe Edwards, the first game since the sacking of Wayne Rooney) and are on something on a hot-streak recently, drawing 2-2 at fourth-placed Sunderland and beating fifth-placed West Brom in their last two Championship matches.
All credit then to Miron Muslic, then, who endured a difficult start to life at Home Park, but seems to have galvanised the players and fans recently. It’s easy to see why: his initial address to the squad after their win at Brentford went viral. In impressive English for a man that has never previously worked in England, Muslic seems to know his way around a speech.
Of course, Liverpool are heavy favourites, not just for this match but for the competition in general, especially with Arsenal and Chelsea suffering early exits. This is their first match at Home Park since 2017, where Jürgen Klopp fielded Liverpool’s youngest-ever side – including an 18-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold – who had to settle for a frustrating 0-0 draw (“a match of never-to-be-forgotten tedium” with Liverpool winning the replay 1-0). Argyle will surely take a draw at 90 minutes today, although the game will now go to extra-time and possibly penalties if that is the case. There is also no VAR today, remember.
Regardless of the odds and regardless of the result, Devon will be rocking. How often can you say that?
Kick-off: 3pm GMT.
