Plymouth Argyle eliminating Liverpool from the FA Cup at the fourth round stage could benefit the team over the rest of this season. Ryan Hardie scored the game's only goal from the penalty spot to beat the Reds.

Arne Slot tasted defeat for only the fourth time since taking charge of Liverpool at Home Park after the Plymouth striker fired past Caoimhin Kelleher following a Harvey Elliott handball. It is already the Reds' third loss this year.

However, looking ahead to the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against Everton, they at least avoided extra-time and a potential penalty shootout by not equalising late on. That is the most immediate of multiple ways the team can benefit from losing.

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Exiting the cup means they will have a week-long break before the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, as that set date follows the fifth round weekend. That gap comes after five games in a fortnight over the rest of this month (Everton away, Wolverhampton Wanderers at home, Aston Villa away, Manchester City away and Newcastle United at home).

Liverpool then seem set to play just four matches in March (Southampton at home, both legs of their last 16 ties and Newcastle at Wembley) as the quarter-finals fall right after the season's final international break. That means they will go two-and-a-half weeks without a game following the League Cup final, and their first match following that gap will be the reverse fixture against Everton at Anfield.

However, the club's league matches scheduled for the weekends of the semi-finals and final could still need rearranging. They host Tottenham Hotspur when the former will take place - albeit that will be set if Spurs lose to Villa - and are due to visit Brighton and Hove Albion - who beat Chelsea in the fourth round - on the latter date.