Liverpool boss Arne Slot claimed his side’s unexpected FA Cup loss to second-tier Plymouth was a disappointment following a near perfect start to his term in charge.
Before travelling to Argyle, who are currently at the bottom of the Championship, the Reds were on track to win four trophies.
However, they were unable to win at Home Park as Slot paid a hefty price for making drastic changes.
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The Dutchman left out Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah from his squad, keeping only custodian Caoimhin Kelleher from the team that crushed Tottenham 4-0 on Thursday to advance to the League Cup final.
Darwin Nunez was brought in to try to save the game in the second half, but Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa started up front, so the Premier League leaders should still have had enough to advance.
“We were not having a very good day. A result like this is the outcome,” said Slot.
“It hurts everyone that is involved with Liverpool – fans, me players.
“We were all wanting to be in this competition for as long as possible and when you go out in the second possible game, that’s a setback.”
Ryan Hardie’s penalty finished the game when Harvey Elliott handled inside the area eight minutes into the second half.
Diogo Jota and Nunez forced Conor Hazard to make last-minute stops, but Plymouth won in one of the biggest FA Cup upsets ever.
“I can’t say the boys didn’t fight, both teams barely created a chance and then it was a penalty.
“In a game like this, it is up to one moment. That moment was for them and they deserve it,” added Slot.
“I think they were able to do better but it’s a system and a way of playing which is hard to create against.
“I wasn’t surprised. When we had the ball they were really aggressive.
“Not easy to create especially if a team has not played together all the time.
“It hurts everyone. We were all wanting to be in this competition for as long as possible.
“They kept on fighting until the last second, it wasn’t a work rate problem but they couldn’t find chances. We have to be more creative.”