MATCH PREVIEW # MANCHESTER CITY VERSUS PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

 Match details: Manchester City versus Plymouth Argyle, FA Cup fifth round

Venue: The Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date: Saturday 1st March, 2025

Kick off: 5.45pm 

Head-to-Head: 

Manchester City: 11

Draw: 4

Plymouth Argyle: 5

Current Form (last six, all competitions): 

Manchester City: 

L 1-5 Arsenal A

W 2-1 Leyton Orient A (FA Cup)

L 2-3 Real Madrid H (UEFA Champions League)

W 4-0 Newcastle United H

L 1-3 Real Madrid A (UEFA Champions League)

L 0-2 Liverpool H

Plymouth Argyle: 

W 2-1 West Bromwich Albion H

W 1-0 Liverpool H (FA Cup)

W 5-1 Millwall H

L 2-0 Blackburn Rovers A

D 1-1 Luton Town A

D 1-1 Cardiff City H

Top scorers: 

Manchester City: Erling Haaland (32)

Plymouth Argyle: Ryan Hardie (11)

Manchester City factfile: 

Year founded: 1894

Nickname: City, Citizens

Last season's league finish: 1st in the Premier League

Notable honours: 

World Club Championship: 

Winners: 2023 

European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 

Winners: 2023

European Cup Winners' Cup: 

Winners: 1970

First Division/Premier League: 

Winners: x 10

FA Cup:

Winners: 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011, 2019, 2023

League Cup:  

Winners: 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Manager: Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola's ascent from Barcelona B Head Coach to UEFA Champions League winner took place against a footballing backdrop very different to the one he has created since joining City. 

After graduating from the club's famous La Masia academy as a player, he was a European Cup winner in 1992 under Johan Cruyff, when Barca beat Sampdoria

He won the La Liga title in three of his four seasons at the Camp Nou and lifted the UEFA Champions League twice.

In addition, the Catalan giants won the Supercopa de Espana three times, as well as twice lifting the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

There were eyebrows raised when he decided to take over at Bayern Munich in 2013, particularly as they had just won the Champions League and domestic treble. Nevertheless, Pep led his all-conquering Bayern to the last four of the UEFA Champions League in each of his three seasons, landing the Bundesliga three times and winning the league and cup double twice.

On his arrival at the Etihad, Guardiola made a stunning start to life at City, winning his first 11 games in charge and was twice nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award in August and September 2016. 

In his second season he guided the Blues to the Premier League title and the Carabao Cup, smashing records along the way in a stunning season.

He picked up four successive Manager of the Month awards and was voted the Premier League Manager of the Season and the LMA Manager of the Year.

He was again voted Premier League manager of the year after guiding City to four more trophies in 2018-19 to become the Club’s most successful boss ever with six trophies in three seasons.

City added the Carabao Cup and Community Shield to Pep’s list in 2019/20, but the Catalan won yet more silverware in 2020-21, with another Premier League title and Carabao Cup success.

He also became the first City boss to take his side to a Champions League final in May 2021, taking his trophy haul to ten. 

Guardiola‘s incredible spell at the Etihad saw him claim a fourth Premier League title in five years in 2021-22 as well as reaching the Champions League semi-final.

And to top off another history-defining season under Pep's tenure in 2022-23, their FA Cup final win over Manchester United was followed by our Champions League final win over Inter saw us named Treble winners, becoming the second manager to achieve the feat with an English club since Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United in 1998-99.

The manager continues to take us to new heights as he led the club to their first ever Super Cup victory in their debut appearance in the European showpiece. Cole Palmer‘s equaliser to make it 1-1 against Europa League champions Sevilla sent the game to penalties in which Guardiola‘s side came out victorious. 

Pep also won his fourth FIFA Club World Cup in December 2023 as City beat Fluminense 4-0 in Jeddah.

Player to Watch: Phil Foden

 Widely regarded as one of England’s most gifted players, Phil Foden excelled at youth level before graduating into the first-team. 

After successfully graduating to the first team, Foden produced several impressive displays and made several matchday squads in the early part of the 2017/18 season before departing for the Under-17 World Cup in India.

England won the tournament and Foden was instrumental, scoring twice in the final and scooping the Golden Ball prize for the tournament’s best player.  On his return to Manchester, he was handed his senior debut against Feyenoord in the Champions League in November 2017 replacing Yaya Toure in the 75^th minute, which saw him become the youngest City player to play in a European competition.

He then went on to make his England debut in September 2020, during a campaign that saw him voted as the PFA Young player of the year for the 2020-21 campaign. 

Foden has since added many more honours to his collection, including the Premier League title, an FA Cup winner's medal and a Champions League winner's prize during the 2022-23 season - as City completed the treble. 

He also appeared for England in their run to the final of Euro 2024, where they were beaten by Spain in the final. 

Old boys: 

Manchester City: None

Plymouth Argyle: None

Probable line-ups: 

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Stefan Ortega; Rico Lewis, Victor Reis, Ruben Dias, Nico O'Reilly; Rodrigo, Iker Gundogan; Savinho, James McAtee, Phil Foden; Omar Marmoush

Plymouth Argyle (3-4-2-1): Conor Hazard; Maksym Talovierov, Nikola Katic, Julio Pleguezuelo; Matthew Sorinola, Adam Randell, Jordan Houghton, Tymoteusz Puchasz; Michael Baidoo, Callum Wright; Mustapha Bundu: 

Last meeting: Saturday 25th February 1989,    Manchester City 2    Plymouth Argyle 0

 

 

A TIME FOR UNSUNG HEROES TO MAKE AN IMPACT

 When mounting a challenge for promotion, many teams won't just be looking for big performances from their star players, but they will also be looking to some of the lesser heralded players in their squads to make an impact as well. 

One such player who has stepped up to the plate for Torquay United in recent in their recent weeks, as they aim to clinch promotion from National League South under Paul Wotton, has been defender Finley Craske. 

Over the course of the season, Craske has performed in a number of roles including right-back, right wing-back, left-back and also stood in as a centre-back in recent weeks in the absence of Jordan Dyer and Jay Foulston through injury. 

On Saturday, he netted his second goal for the club against Hornchurch and produced a commanding display on the left-hand side of a back three that included Ed Palmer and Sam Dreyer. It was also only the second time that Craske has made three appearances in the space of a week since joined the Gulls in the summer of 2023. 

In another of United's promotion challenges during the 2003-04 season, whilst Alex Russell and David Graham rightfully got the plaudits they deserved in terms of being nominated in the PFA Division Three team of the season, there were other unsung players who stepped up to the plate when required. 

For example, Martin Gritton might only have scored four times during the course of the campaign, after being top scorer in 2002-03, but his goal against Hull City on February 19, 2004 still ranked as one of the most crucial scored by a Torquay United player that season. 

Then there was Reuben Hazell who, after finding it difficult to displace either Steve Woods and Craig Taylor at centre-back, filled in at right-back following an injury to Lee Canoville for the final five games of the campaign. He even managed to find the target in United's 3-0 Bank Holiday Monday win over Oxford United and let's not forget the penalty decision that rememorably went in his favour against Southend United on the final day at Roots Hall. 

Fast forward to 2025, and Wotton will need players like Craske and others to make similar, hopefully telling, contributions between now and the final day of the campaign, which ends in late April, to help get the Gulls over the line.

 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS HORNCHURCH

 1. James Hamon's penalty save. 

James Hamon's penalty save to deny Hornchurch skipper Tom Wraight in the 30th minute helped to give the Gulls a platform to claim an important three points which moves them up to second in the National League South table. 

At the time that referee Emily Heaslip pointed to the spot, the Gulls led 1-0 thanks to Finley Craske's opener in the 12th minute, after Craske was adjudged to have felled Will Greenidge. However, Hamon correctly guessed the direction of Wraight's spot-kick to preserve United's lead. 

Nine minutes later, Matt Carson doubled United's lead to ensure they went in the half time interval with a two-goal cushion, which they wouldn't have had had it not been for Hamon's save.

2. Seven points from a possible nine. 

United's win over Hornchurch now means that United have picked up seven points from a possible nine, which includes two matches against fellow promotion chasers in Eastbourne Borough and Worthing. 

Their win over the Urchins also means that no one can complete a league 'double' over the Gulls, as Horchurch defeated United 2-1 when the two sides met in Essex last October. 

It marks the first time that no one will have beaten the Gulls both home and away in the league since the 2002-03 season, which was Leroy Rosenior's first season in charge at Plainmoor. 

3. Finley Craske 

Aside from the penalty he conceded, Finley Craske produced a flawless display in United's back three alongside Ed Palmer and Sam Dreyer. 

Apart from the goal he scored, which was his second for the club, Craske made a number of important blocks and tackles and won a number of key aerial challenges, following on from the form that he showed in United's previous fixtures against Eastbourne and Worthing. It would also be the first time that he would have played three matches in a week for some time, which makes his performance all the more impressive.

4. Jordan Young. 

He might have been on the pitch for under an hour, but Jordan Young was a key creative force for the Gulls. 

By the time he was replaced by Omar Mussa on 55 minutes, Young had provided the free-kick, which was flicked on Ed Palmer into the path of Finley Craske for United's opener in the 12th minute. Then on 39 minutes, his cross from the right picked out the onrushing Matt Carson who doubled the Gulls' lead. 

Manager Paul Wotton had revealed in the week that Young had been playing whilst only 70% fit, but he performed as well as many would do whilst fully fit.

5. Reinforcements required. 

United boss Paul Wotton will no doubt be relieved that the Gulls don't have a midweek fixture between now and next Saturday when they make the journey to Chelmsford City. 

By that point, Wotton will have heard the verdict as to whether his appeal against Sam Dreyer's red card against Worthing has been successful or not, so he will know if he will need defensive reinforcements. 

He will also, no doubt, be looking for another striker who can ease the workload on centre-forward and leading scorer Cody Cooke, following the injury to Derby County Emmanuel Ilesanmi.

6. Paying tribute to Tony Bedeau. 

Before kick off, the Plainmoor faithful joined in two seperate minute's applauses for the memory of Tony Bedeau, who sadly passed away at the age of 45 on Tuesday. 

During two spells with the Gulls (1995-2006 & 2007-2008), Bedeau made 374 appearances for United and scored 65 goals, and he would no doubt have been pleased to see Torquay secure a valuable three points.

TORQUAY UNITED 2 HORNCHURCH 1

 After paying tribute to the memory of former striker Tony Bedeau, Torquay United kept their promotion bid on track with a win over Hornchurch.           

In the fourth minute, the Urchins went close through Darren McQueen who was denied by the reflexes of United keeper James Hamon.

However, the Gulls edged ahead on 12 minutes when a Jordan Young free-kick was nodded across the penalty area by Ed Palmer into the path of Finley Craske, who scored his first goal for the club.

Three minutes later, Jordan Thomas went close with an angled effort which was palmed behind by Hornchurch keeper Mason Terry, following good work from Matt Jay and Cody Cooke.

In the 30^th minute, the Urchins were awarded a penalty after Craske was adjudged to have felled Will Greenidge, which Hornchurch skipper Tom Wraight stepped up to take – but it was saved by Hamon.

The Gulls doubled their lead on 39 minutes when a cross from Young picked out Matt Carson who made a late run into the box before slotting home.

In the second half, Charlie Pegrum had a shot turned around the post by Hamon in the 49^th minute.

On 71 minutes, Thomas and sub Omar Mussa combined to tee up Thomas for a shot that Terry tipped over for a corner.

With three minutes to go, Harry Gibbs headed against the post for the Urchins before Angelo Balanta pulled one back a minute later.

TONY BEDEAU 1979-2025

 Whereas Manchester United famously had their Class of 92, which consisted of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, the Neville brothers, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, Torquay United can claim to have their Class of 95.

During the 1995-96 season, which saw the Gulls only retain their Football League status after Stevenage Borough’s Broadhall Way home was deemed not to meet League standards, saw United hand debuts for four teenagers, who all went on to have lengthy careers in the game.

They included Garry Monk, who joined Southampton for £50,000 in 1996 before going on to play for and manage Swansea City in the Premier League, Matthew Gregg, who signed for Crystal Palace for in a deal worth £400,000, Wayne Thomas, who Stoke City paid £250,000 for, and Tony Bedeau, who became a stalwart for the Gulls.

Bedeau, who hailed from Shepherd’s Bush, first arrived at Plainmoor in the summer of 1995 after he was released by Chelsea and was handed his debut by Don O’Riordan in a 0-0 draw with Cardiff City on September 8, 1995.

He then remained involved in the first team under Eddie May, O’Riordan’s successor, and Kevin Hodges before he signed his first professional contract on the eve of the 1997-98 campaign. Bedeau spent much of the season playing second fiddle behind Rodney Jack, Andy McFarlane and Jason Roberts, during his loan spell, as the Gulls reached the Division Three Play-off final. Bedeau came on as a sub in the final against Colchester United as a replacement for Steve McCall.

In the 1998-99 season, he became a regular starter under Hodges’ successor Wes Saunders, appearing up front alongside Scott Partridge and then Eifion Williams. In addition to this, he was also a teammate of Chris Waddle and Neville Southall, and the former even recommended him to Sheffield Wednesday, who tabled a £50,000 bid for him.

However, it would be the 1999-00 campaign that would prove to be Bedeau’s finest season at Plainmoor, as he finished the season as the Gulls’ top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions.

During the course of the season, United also reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in a decade, where they faced Queens Park Rangers, his local club, at Loftus Road and drew 1-1 to force a replay back at Plainmoor. Aside from Neville Southall’s virtuoso display in goal and Mick O’Brien’s David Beckham-esque free-kick, the biggest memory that I took away personally from that game was seeing Tony’s dad and granddad in the away stand and the sense of pride that they had in seeing him ply his trade as a professional footballer on that stage.

In the replay, Bedeau gave the Gulls the lead and looked as though the headline writer’s might have had their dream script: ‘Shepherd’s Bush boy beats the Rs’. Sadly, it wasn’t to be as QPR came back to win 3-2 on the night.

After missing out on the Play-offs in 1999-00, the 2000-01 season proved to be a campaign of great highs and great lows for Bedeau. After missing early part of the season through injury, he returned in a Worthington Cup first round, second leg tie against Gillingham, where he netted twice as the Gulls won 3-2, but bowed out as they lost 4-3 on aggregate. He later attracted interest from Oxford United and Rochdale, but remained with the Gulls. It would also be another season where he would see a change of manager as Wes Saunders was sacked and replaced by Colin Lee on a temporary basis. Bedeau also found himself deployed in a wide role, which was where he played in United’s final day decider against Barnet at Underhill, which the Gulls famously won 3-2.

However, talks between Lee and Chairman Mike Bateson broke down when it came to Lee being named as manager on a permanent basis and Bateson appointed former Derby County manager Roy McFarland instead. McFarland and Bedeau never seemed to see eye to eye and he found himself transfer listed, he even joined Barnsley, who were in Division One - now Championship, on loan.

Nevertheless, after McFarland left the club in the summer of 2002, Bedeau received a new lease of life under Leroy Rosenior and was part of the Gulls’ squad who won automatic promotion in the 2003-04 campaign. He also received a call-up for Grenada, where he featured alongside his former Plainmoor colleague Jason Roberts.

The latter part of his time with the Gulls saw Bedeau deployed in a variety of role, including striker, right winger as even as a right-back. He was rewarded for his long service with the Gulls with a testimonial against Plymouth Argyle ahead of the 2005-06 season and was also voted as the League Two player of the month for March 2006.

Bedeau left United for Walsall in the summer of 2006, but returned a year later under Paul Buckle and stayed for the 2007-08 campaign. In returning to Plainmoor, he joined a select band of players who was a teammate of both Alex Russell and Jason Fowler and Lee Mansell and Kevin Nicholson; the others include Steve Woods, Matt Hockley, Kevin Hill and Martin Gritton.

He then returned to London, when he joined Kingstonian before retiring from football where he remained until his untimely recent passing.

An abridged version appeared on TorquayTalk as part of their Gullacticos series. 

 

 

 

FOREST WIN ON PENALTIES AGAINST GRECIANS

 Despite fielding a much changed side, Nottingham Forest avoided a potential 'banana skin' against Exeter City in the FA Cup, as they came away with a win on penalties. 

The Grecians, who were reduced to ten men late on following the dismissal of defender Ed Turns, took an early lead through Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis before Ramon Sosa levelled matters for Forest. 

Eight minutes before the break, Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi gave the visitors the lead which lasted until the 50th minute when Magennis equalised for Exeter to complete his brace. The scores would then remain level for the duration of normal time and after the 30 minutes before it headed for penalties. 

However, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santos had kept his big hitters such as Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White in reserve and they were amongst the Premier League side's successful spot-kick takers, as they won the shoot out 4-3. 

Their reward for reaching the fifth round is a home tie with fellow Premier League outfit Ipswich Town.

MATCH PREVIEW # EXETER CITY VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST

 Match details: Exeter City versus Nottingham Forest

Venue: St James Park, Exeter

Date: Tuesday 11th February 2025

Kick off: 8pm 

Current form (last six): 

Exeter: 

W 3-1 Oxford United (FA Cup) H

L 0-1 Birmingham City A

D 1-1 Peterborough United A

L 1-3 Blackpool H

L 2-6 Leyton Orient H

L 1-4 Stevenage A

Nottingham Forest: 

W 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers A

W 2-0 Luton Town (FA Cup) H

D 1-1 Liverpool H

W 3-2 Southampton H

L 0-5 AFC Bournemouth A

W 7-0 Brighton and Hove Albion H

Top scorer: 

Exeter City: Josh Magennis (14)

Nottingham Forest: Chris Wood (21)

Head to Head: 

Exeter City: 0

Draw: 2

Nottingham Forest: 2

Nottingham Forest factfile: 

Year founded: 1865

Last season's league finish: 17th in the Premier League

Nottingham Forest notable honours: 

European Cup/UEFA Champions League: Winners 1979, 1980

First Division/Premier League: Winners 1977-78

FA Cup: Winners 1898, 1959

League Cup/EFL Cup: Winners 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990 

Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo

 A goalkeeper during his playing career, Nuno represented Portugal at the 1996 Olympics and was part of the Porto squad that won the 2002/03 UEFA Cup and 2003/04 UEFA Champions League under Jose Mourinho.

He started as a goalkeeping coach after retiring in the summer of 2010, before being given his first senior coaching appointment two years later, with Portuguese side Rio Ave.

In his second season Rio Ave were finalists in both of the domestic cup competitions, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League for the first time in their history.

Nuno moved to Valencia, where he secured a fourth-place finish in 2014/15, while winning the Manager of the Month award in Spain three times.

He then spent a season at Porto before moving to England and Wolves.

His first season at Molineux was a triumph as Nuno led the club to promotion and the Championship title, finishing nine points clear.

Nuno guided Wolves to a seventh-placed finish in the 2018/19 season for the club's highest Premier League finish and their highest in the English top flight since the 1979/80 season.

They repeated the feat the following campaign, having been in contention for a top-four spot during the run-in.

Despite a solid start to 2020/21 Wolves were unable to sustain that consistency. Nuno left the club by mutual consent in May 2021 after steering Wolves to a 13th-place finish.

At the end of June 2021, Nuno returned to the Premier League when announced as the new Spurs head coach, but his stay in north London was brief and he departed there in November 2021.

Nuno more recently spent 16 months at Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, but departed in November 2023 six months after leading them to the title.

He helped to keep Forest in the Premier League for a third successive season, as they finished 17th, winning 2-1 at Burnley on the final day of 2023/24.

Player to Watch: Chris Wood

New Zealand-born forward Chris Wood first moved to England in 2009 to sign for West Bromwich Albion and represented his country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa a year later. 

A number of loan spells followed before moved on to Leicester City and Leeds United before joining Burnley in 2017. 

After a successful period at Burnley which led them to the Europa League, Wood then moved to Newcastle before signing for Forest on an initial loan deal in January 2023.

Having settled on Trentside, Wood’s form went to another level following the arrival of Nuno Espírito Santo in December 2023, with 25 of his 29 league goals for Forest coming under the Portuguese Head Coach. It represents the most Premier League goals for a Forest player under one manager, and this season Wood also became the Club's record goalscorer in the Premier League.

Probable line-ups: 

Exeter (4-2-3-1): Joe Whitworth; Jack McMillan, Cheick Diabate, Alex Hartridge, Vincent Harper; Ryan Woods, Ed Francis; Ilmari Niskanen, Caleb Watts, Tony Yogane; Josh Magennis

Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): Wayne Hennessey; Harry Toffolo, Willy Boly, Murillo; Ola Aina, Ryan Yates, Ibrahim Sangere, Elliot Anderson, Neco Williams; Chris Wood,  Taiwo Awoniyi

Last meeting:  21st April 1951 Exeter City 0 Nottingham Forest 5, Division Three South

ARGYLE WRITE NEW CHAPTER IN THEIR HISTORY WITH LIVERPOOL WIN

 They might not have emulated their class of 1983-84 who reached the semi finals of the competition, at least not yet anyway, but Plymouth Argyle have written a new chapter in their history with their victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round. 

After upsetting the form book in the third round to beat Brentford at the GTEC Community Stadium, the Bees had one of the best home records in the Premier League while Argyle were yet to win on their travels, it would have taken something special to surpass that achievement, and it was. 

Yes, it was a much changed Liverpool side, a side shorn of their A listers such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold etc, but the Reds still went into the tie as the overwhelming favourites. Arne Slot could still call upon Diogo Jota, Luis Diazand Federico Chiesa along with Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez. He also had Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones in reserve.

Ryan Hardie's 54th minute penalty ultimately proved to be the difference, but a stunning rearguard display spearheaded by their back three of Maksym Talovierov, Nikola Katic and Julio Pleguezuelo, not to mention a number of top draw saves from Conor Hazard. 

With two wins over Premier League clubs so far in the competition, a lot of teams would probably want to avoid the Pilgrims in the next round. Nevertheless, the attentions of new manager Miran Muslic will be switching to the Championship, as they continue their battle against relegation.

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS EASTBOURNE BOROUGH

 1. Sam Dreyer's off the mark. 

It might have taken a deflection off an Eastbourne defender, but Torquay United centre back Sam Dreyer is now off the mark. Dreyer had seen a goal disallowed against Chelmsford City last November, but he capped an impressive display by opening his account for the Gulls to help end their four-match winless run. 

If he can chip with a few more between now and the end of the campaign, it will provide United with a major boost.  

Also, skipper Oscar Threlkeld remains the only one of the Gulls' starters not to have found the back of the net this season.

2. James Hamon's save. 

James Hamon's 68th minute save to deny Eastbourne's Jason Adigun helped to give the Gulls a platform from which they could go on to win the game. Adigun connected with a cross from the left, but Hamon's reflexes were equal to it - as he made a point blank save. 

Goals can change games and certainly the complexion of the game could have been different if Adigun had found the target.  

In addition to this, Hamon also had the honour of keeping the Gulls' 1,000th clean sheet in regular fixtures since 1927.

3. United's depleted defence stood strong.  

United's achievement in keeping a clean sheet against Eastbourne was made to appear more remarkable by the fact that it was achieved in the absence of Jordan Dyer and Jay Foulston. With the duo unavailable through injury, Gulls manager Paul Wotton went with Ed Palmer and Finley Craske in a back three with Sam Dreyer and the trio laid the foundations of a strong defensive display as United kept an all-important clean sheet.

4. Matt Jay is settling in well. 

United striker Matt Jay produced arguably his best performance since he arrived at Plainmoor following his release by Colchester United. 

A minute before half-time, he teed up Lirak Hasani for a shot that Eastbourne keeper Joe Wright parried behind for a corner, with a pass that manager Paul Wotton said in his post-match interview that no other player on the pitch probably would have made. 

As a recent promotion winner with a team in a higher division, Jay's experience will prove to be important as the season enters its final stages. 

5. It's still tight at the top of National League South. 

After today's matches, the top of the National League South remains as tight as ever, with six points separating the top seven. The Gulls are currently fifth with 55 points and are four points behind leaders Dorking Wanderers, who are on 59 points, with two games in hand and are level on points with fourth placed Maidstone United with a game in hand.

6. The Gulls' impressive record against the top eight remains intact. 

By beating Eastbourne Borough, Torquay United have extended their record against the top eight in National League South to 18 points from a possible 27. It's a run that includes five wins (Dorking Wanderers H, Worthing H, Eastbourne H, Truro City H and Weston Super Mare H), three draws (Boreham Wood A, Maidstone H and Eastbourne A) and one defeat (Maidstone A). 

United still have to travel to Dorking, Worthing, Truro and Weston Super Mare and host Boreham Wood and if they can maintain their form they've shown against them in their remaining fixtures they will give themselves a huge chance of success. 

 

MATCH PREVIEW # PLYMOUTH ARGYLE VERSUS LIVERPOOL

Match details: Plymouth Argyle versus Liverpool, FA Cup fourth round

Venue: Home Park, Plymouth

Date: Sunday 9th February 2025

Kick off: 3pm 

Current form (last six all competitions): 

Argyle: 

W 1-0 Brentford (FA Cup) A

D 1-1 Oxford United H 

L 0-1 QPR H

L 0-5 Burnley H

D 2-2 Sunderland A

W 2-1 West Bromwich Albion H

Liverpool: 

W 2-0 Brentford A

W 2-1 Lille (UEFA Champions League) H

W 4-1 Ipswich Town H

L 2-3 PSV Eindhoven (UEFA Champions League) A

W 2-0 AFC Bournemouth A

W 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur (EFL Cup semi final) H

Top scorer: 

Argyle: Ibrahim Cissoko (now Sheffield Wednesday) (3)

Liverpool: Mohamed Salah (27)

Head to Head: 

Argyle: 2

Draw: 4

Liverpool: 6

Liverpool factfile: 

Year founded: 1892

Nickname: the Reds

Last season's league finish: 3rd in the Premier League

Liverpool notable honours: 

First Division/ Premier League: Winners x 19

FA Cup: Winners  x 8

Football League/EFL Cup: x 10

European Cup/UEFA Champions League: Winners x 6

UEFA Cup: Winners 1973, 1976, 2001

FIFA Club World Cup: 2019

Manager: Arne Slot

Arne Slot took up the position of Liverpool FC head coach on June 1, 2024, having agreed a deal with the club after the end of 2023-24.

The Dutchman joined the Reds from Eredivisie side Feyenoord ahead of the new season, replacing Jürgen Klopp at the helm following his decision to step down following nine years in charge.

Slot arrived at Anfield after three highly successful campaigns with Feyenoord, during which he led them to the league title in 2023 and was named Eredivisie Manager of the Year on two occasions.

He also helped the Rotterdam club to victory in the KNVB Cup in April 2024 after they defeated NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in the final.

Prior to moving to Feyenoord, Slot held the position of AZ Alkmaar head coach, and he had led them to second place in the table, trailing leaders Ajax only on goal difference, when the Dutch season was cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2019-20.

During his playing career, he operated primarily as a midfielder, turning out for FC Zwolle, NAC Breda, Sparta Rotterdam and PEC Zwolle before hanging up his boots in 2013.

Player to Watch: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold emerged from Liverpool FC's Academy to lift a stunning set of major honours before his 24th birthday and is now vice-captain. 

Alexander-Arnold was an integral part of a Reds side that lifted four major trophies within 14 months and surpassed the 100-appearance mark for his boyhood club during a glorious 2019-20 season that featured success in the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

The England international made history by becoming the youngest player ever to start consecutive Champions League finals as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 final in Madrid and is no stranger to domestic individual records, either.

Old boys: 

Plymouth: None

Liverpool: None

Probable line-ups: 

Plymouth (3-4-2-1): Conor Hazard; Maksym Talovierov, Nikola Katic, Julio Pleguezuelo; Matthew Sorinola, Adam Randell, Jordan Houghton, Tymoteusz Puchasz; Michael Baidoo, Callum Wright; Mustapha Bundu

Liverpool (4-3-3): Vitzeslav Jaros; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Wataru Endo, Tsimikas; Diogo Jota, Tyler Morton, Alexis MacAllister; Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, Rio Ngumoha

Last meeting: Tuesday 19th January, 2017, Plymouth Argyle 0    Liverpool 1, FA Cup third round replay

Lucas Leiva scored his first goal in seven years to send Liverpool into the fourth round of the FA Cup at the expense of League Two Plymouth.

Jurgen Klopp's side had to make the 293-mile trip to Home Park after they were held to a frustrating goalless draw in the initial meeting between the two at Anfield.

However, Lucas ensured the long journey was not a wasted one when he headed home Philippe Coutinho's corner early in the first half.

The win should have been more comfortable for the Reds but Divock Origi's poor penalty was comfortably saved by home keeper Luke McCormick.

Plymouth, who are 66 places below Liverpool in the football pyramid, were not overawed by their Premier League opponents and came closest to equalising when Jake Jervis hit the post with a scissor kick midway through the second half.