Liverpool will travel to Home Park to take on Plymouth Argyle for their FA Cup fourth-round clash on Sunday afternoon, with a spot in the next stage on the line.
Liverpool are coming into the game vs Plymouth Argyle on the back of a sensational performance against Tottenham in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, and they have booked their place in the finals of the competition. The Reds will be full of confidence, and they will look to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Argyle will look to pull off an upset at home. Liverpool are likely to field a heavily rotated side here, and they will look to rest their key players at the weekend. It remains to be seen whether the home side can upset the odds and get a good result at home.
The visitors cannot afford to be complacent, and they will have to be at their best to get the job done here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Plymouth Argyle
The home side will be without the injured trial of Joe Edwards, Brendan Galloway, and Kornel Szucs. Plymouth Argyle are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Conor Hazard in goal.
In the back three, Julio Pleguezuelo will start alongside Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovierov. Matthew Sorinola and Tymoteusz Puchacz will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Liverpool on the break here.
Adam Randell and Jordan Houghton will add a defensive cover and physicality from the middle of the park. Ryan Hardie and Rami Al-Hajj will start as the advanced central midfielders, and they will look to create opportunities for their attackers with their passing vision. Mustapha Bundu will lead the line for Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hazard; Pleguezuelo, Katic, Talovierov; Sorinola, Randell, Houghton, Puchacz; Hardie, Hajj; Bundu
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is still recovering from his hamstring injury. The away side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Caomhin Kelleher in goal.
Joe Gomez is likely to start alongside Jarell Quansah at the heart of the defence. Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas will be deployed in the full-back areas. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Curtis Jones will start alongside Wataru Endo in the double pivot. They will look to keep things compact in the middle of the park and provide defensive cover. Harvey Elliott will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Federico Chiesa will start on the flanks along with Luis Diaz. They will look to add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Darwin Nunez will spearhead the Liverpool attack vs Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Jones; Chiesa, Elliott, Diaz; Nunez
Key Stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last two meetings vs Plymouth Argyle.
- Liverpool have won five of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Plymouth Argyle have won two of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Plymouth Argyle have conceded 10 goals in their last five matches.
- Liverpool have scored 16 goals in their last six matches.
Player to Watch
Darwin Nunez
The Uruguay International is likely to be handed a start here, and he will look to make his mark on the game. Nunez has done quite well in recent weeks, even though he has not managed to find the back of the net consistently. His overall performances have been excellent, and the South American will look to harass the Plymouth defence with his movement, work rate and flair.
Liverpool are likely to rest key players like Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo for the game vs Plymouth Argyle. They will depend on Nunez to open up goalscoring opportunities in the final third and link up with his teammates in the attack.
Prediction
Plymouth Argyle 1-2 Liverpool
The home side are likely to put up a strong fight here, and they will not want to succumb to a superior opposition. Liverpool are likely to field a heavily-rotated side, and they will have to work hard to win vs Plymouth Argyle.
This is likely to be a close contest, but the Reds have enough strength in depth and attacking quality to edge this one. A narrow victory for the side is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges.
