Surprise in England: Liverpool was eliminated from the FA Cup by the bottom of the Second Division

It was a historic day. Unforgettable. One of those that will remain etched in the collective memory of football fans. A day in which David and Goliath once again exemplified a battle between two teams with extreme differences in the hierarchy of their squads. The modest Plymouth Argyle Football Club eliminated Liverpool from the Fourth Round of the FA Cup , winning by the minimum difference in the match played at Home Park, a stadium with a capacity for 1,500 people (it is estimated that there was a greater number of spectators due to the quality of the rival) that became the scene of an unexpected feat.

Ryan Hardie was one of the heroes of the day, sealing the final 1-0 for the team that is bottom of the Championship (England's second division) with just 5 wins, 10 draws and 15 losses

Harvey Elliott 's handball inside the Liverpool area forced Samuel Barrott to award the penalty seven minutes into the second half . The home striker then slotted home past Caoimhin Kelleher to put the visitors on course for victory

Then came the epic sacrifice. Although the Scottish striker had the chance to extend the lead with a shot that bounced off the post, the metallic sound made the Anfield men react , taking the fight to the area defended by Conor Hazard , another of the heroes of the day.

The goalkeeper was flung from one side to the other as Luis Diaz , Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Trent Kone-Doherty tried to avoid embarrassment. He argued with defenders when his complaints were not listened to and hesitations in the back line could have led to an equaliser. And he showed solidity in the closing stages, when Caoimhin Kelleher 's desperate forays into the area looked to head home a saving header through the air.

So far this season, Liverpool had only lost once in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest, had the precedent of being eliminated by Tottenham in the semi-finals of the League Cup and defeat by PSV in the Champions League, which had not caused them any problems in qualifying for the round of 16 of the most coveted competition on the Old Continent .

An episode that occurs every February 9th . As if it were a curse, the date seems to be a stigma for those from Anfield in the FA Cup , given that in 1901 they had lost to Notts County (2-0), in 1972 to Leeds United (2-0), in 2016 to West Ham (2-1) and today to Plymouth (1-0).

ALL THE RESULTS OF THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE FA CUP

Manchester United Leicester City

Leeds United 0–2 Millwall

Leyton Orient 1–2 Manchester City

Coventry City 1–4 Ipswich Town

Everton 0–2 Bournemouth

Preston 0–0 (4-2 p.) Wycombe Wanderers

Southampton 0–1 Burnley

Stoke City 3–3 (2-4 p.) Cardiff City

Wigan Athletic 1–2 Fulham

Birmingham 2–3 Newcastle

Brighton 2–1 Chelsea

Blackburn Rovers 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Liverpool

Aston Villa – Tottenham

Doncaster Rovers – Crystal Palace

Exeter City – Nottingham