Liverpool falls 1-0 to Plymouth Argyle in FA Cup upset as Spurs ...

Liverpool has been dumped from the FA Cup by struggling second-tier side Plymouth Argyle, which pulled off a stunning 1-0 fourth-round win at Home Park.

Among other results, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in the fourth round.

Liverpool, which fielded an under-strength line-up against Plymouth, cost itself the chance of winning the "quadruple".

With Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, having strolled into the Champions League's last 16 and reached the League Cup final, some fans and pundits had begun to speculate about its potential to win four trophies.

Plymouth's remarkable victory, however, brought a shuddering halt to talk of a clean sweep of silverware for Arne Slot's Liverpool, which had only lost three matches all season prior to its away trip in the FA Cup.

The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute after they were awarded a penalty for a handball by midfielder Harvey Elliott.

Ryan Hardie stepped up to send Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.

Liverpool was bereft of ideas and had just one shot on target in the opening half, with Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard making a diving save in the 36th minute to keep out James McConnell's long-range shot.

The Premier League frontrunners left out Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister among 10 changes to the side that hammered Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the League Cup semifinal second leg at Anfield on Friday AEDT.

Postecoglou rues missed opportunity

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says Spurs were outclassed in their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool in the second leg of their League Cup semifinal at Anfield.

Liverpool, who was also forced into an early change when defender Joe Gomez went down injured, failed to create many chances in a scrappy encounter as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the second-tier Championship, gradually grew in confidence.

The visitors switched gears after conceding the goal but Hazard proved to be the hero for Plymouth as the Northern Irishman brilliantly kept out Diogo Jota's volley in added time, as well as a header from Darwin Nunez.

Slot said he had no regrets about using a second-string line-up.

"I think today showed why we played with who we used. They need momentum to be ready for the upcoming months," he told reporters.

"The result is obviously a big disappointment. The way we played, not a lot to be happy about.

"The boys kept fighting for 100 minutes. They kept fighting but, credit to Plymouth, [they had] a good game-plan, they worked hard."

Villa too strong for Spurs

In front of a home crowd, Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey struck inside the first minute and Morgan Rogers added a second-half goal to secure the win over Spurs.

The result lifted Villa into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 10 years.

Villa took 58 seconds to score when Rogers waltzed forward virtually unchallenged before sending the ball into Ramsey's path.

Rogers doubled Villa's lead in the 64th minute when he slotted home a loose ball from close range.

Spurs' new signing, Frenchman Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, pulled one back in the 91st minute when he flicked home Dejan Kulusevski's cross but the hosts held out to claim the victory.

Reuters