Liverpool manager Arne Slot defends his decision to rest players
In what would have been a routine FA Cup tie between the Premier League’s top team and the EFL Championship became a nightmare for the former. Liverpool came into the match against Plymouth Argyle as the overwhelming favourite.
Manager Arne Slot rolled out a lineup mostly of bench players, as he changed 10 players from his League Cup starting XI from Thursday, February 6 against Tottenham Hotspur. It was an expected decision, but it came back to bite them as Plymouth pulled off the shocking 1-0 upset after a 53rd-minute penalty goal from Ryan Hardie.
Slot wanted to adjust his lineup due to fixture congestion
Since Liverpool played in four competitions, Slot wanted to keep his players fit. It is common for the top-flight club to rest players when they’re playing against a lower-league side.
Slot stated, ‘Most of the things we do, we do for a reason. We have many games to play. The ones who played today need game rhythm, for them to be ready in the upcoming months’.
This was further supported by Plymouth being the worst team in the Championship, toiling away at the 24th spot in the league table with only 25 points.
