Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott expressed frustration after a controversial handball decision led to his team's shock FA Cup fourth round exit against Plymouth on Sunday. The Premier League leaders suffered a 1-0 defeat as Ryan Hardie converted the decisive penalty awarded for Elliott's handball in the box.
The pivotal moment came when Plymouth's Darko Gyabi struck the ball, which hit Elliott's raised arm. Despite video replays confirming contact with his hand, Elliott strongly disputed the referee's decision to award the spot kick.
"I mean, the arguments could go on forever, to be honest," Elliott told reporters after the match. "I was so close to him and I said to the referee: 'Do you expect me to jump with my arms by my side? That's just not a natural way of jumping.'" The young midfielder defended his position, explaining, "I was trying my hardest to block the ball and my arm was up there but it was about a metre away from the player shooting."
Clearly disappointed by the outcome, Elliott added, "But it's football, it's a kick in the teeth really. It's not nice to lose this way and it's not nice for it to be on you, as I gave away the penalty. So, unfortunately it's just one of those things. I need to keep my head up and keep pushing on."
The defeat marks a significant upset for Jurgen Klopp's side, who fielded a heavily rotated team for the cup tie. Liverpool will need to quickly regroup as they face local rivals Everton in a crucial Merseyside derby on Wednesday, where they'll look to put this humiliating cup exit behind them.
