Plymouth Argyle welcome Premier League leaders Liverpool to Home Park on Sunday afternoon for an FA Cup fourth round clash. Excitement has been building ever since the draw put the two sides together, and new Pilgrims boss Miron Muslic will be feeling a renewed sense of optimism off the back of an impressive victory over play-off chasing West Brom last Saturday.
All eyes will be on Plymouth come Sunday, and the manager and his playing squad seem to be relishing the attention ahead of the game. The nation’s media have already begun to descend on the city, in anticipation of the arrival of the current best team in the country.
Speaking to the club’s media, Muslic said: “We have the best possible opportunity to represent Argyle in the best possible way.
“[We will] enjoy it, make it as difficult and as hard as possible for Liverpool.
“There is nothing to be afraid [of], a lot of things that we can enjoy and, looking forward, this is also the mindset we want to transfer to the team.”
It will be the first time the two sides have met since 2017, where Argyle earned a replay after a valiant draw at Anfield, only to fall to a slim defeat at Home Park in an FA Cup third round tie. A draw would certainly be a statement this time round, and with the scrapping of replays this season, Muslic’s Greens will know that anything can happen in extra time or even penalties.
There has been plenty of talk regarding the line-ups for both sides, but particularly surrounding Liverpool. Their star-studded squad is packed with big names who supporters will be hoping to catch a glimpse of on the Home Park pitch, most notably of course Mohammed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.
It is safe to presume that at least two or three of Arne Slot’s main men could be involved, based on his selection against Accrington Stanley in the Red’s third round match. He fielded a squad featuring the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai that day at Anfield, and with a number of highly rated youngsters away on loan, there could be room in his squad for some more of his big hitters.
There is, of course, the factor of midweek games either side of their Plymouth trip; an EFL cup semi-final against Tottenham, and a Merseyside derby on the following Wednesday. This could mean more important players are rested, as Argyle are, respectfully, the weaker of the teams they face in the coming week.
Should players be rested by Slot, Argyle could have a real chance of progressing into the fifth round. Their solid defensive showing against West Brom was epitomised by new signing Maksym Talovierov. His strong tackling and passionate celebrations after every challenge set the standard for the Pilgrim’s back line, and that level will definitely be required against the Premier League leaders. Fans will be looking forward to seeing him up against higher level opposition this weekend and will be encouraged by his performance on his debut.
All these debates will remain unresolved until Sunday, however the idea of a little bit of cup magic is capturing the imagination of Plymouth Argyle fans ahead of what looks set to be an entertaining afternoon of action. Anticipation can be felt right across the city, and the league positions might suggest a tough challenge awaits, but Greens fans will know better than anyone what a bouncing Home Park can do for their team on a day as big as this.