Plymouth picked up their first away win since April 2024 to knock out Brentford in an FA Cup giant killing.
The Championship outfit, who had new boss Miron Muslic watching on from the stands at the Gtech Community Stadium, sit bottom of the second-tier having not recorded a victory since November 5.
AFPArgyle have picked up their first away win of the season[/caption]
But they put in a performance of the season to seal their place in the FA Cup fourth round thanks to Morgan Whittaker’s 82nd minute strike, sealing a shocking 1-0 victory.
Incredibly, Plymouth, led by caretaker manager Kevin Nancekivel following Wayne Rooney’s sacking, went into Saturday’s match having conceded the most goals on the road out of any side in England’s top four divisions.
The Devon outfit have shipped in 35 goals from just 14 Championship matches.
Meanwhile no side have scored more league goals on home soil than Brentford, who have banged in 27 times from ten Premier League outings.
However Thomas Frank’s men were second best in west London, with the Danish boss’ gamble to leave Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo out of his starting XI backfiring.
Both men were hauled on in the second half as Brentford desperately looked to avoid a cup upset, but they ultimately failed to breakthrough a resilient Plymouth side.
Speaking to talkSPORT following the match, a delighted match-winner Whittaker said: “When you look at it, our first away win [of the season] against a Premier League side, not many people would have predicted this today.
“But that’s the FA Cup, anything can happen, you’ve just got to hope that you’re the ones to do it, and luckily we was.”
Commenting on his fourth goal of the season – a low strike into the bottom corner after jinxing into the box – Whittaker stated: “In the Championship when I do that, there’s normally four or five people in front of me.
“So it’s difficult, but when I got that opportunity to keep going, I just thought, ‘Just try and get my shot off.’ Luckily the space opened up.”
Whittaker continued: “The season has been tough up until now, but hopefully this is a turning point.
“We’ve got a new manager coming in – our first away win starting in the New Year – so hopefully it carries on. We couldn’t have done much better.
“It just shows that no matter what you’re doing in the league, and who you’re coming up against in the FA Cup, there’s always a chance.
“It’s the FA Cup, things like this happen, and I’m just grateful that it’s us who it’s happened to.”
And there’s only one team that Whittaker wants to test himself against next – Manchester United at Home Park.
Asked who his dream next opponent would be, the forward said: “Man U at home.
“I just think at home our fans will be mental. I think we’ve got a better chance at home.”
But the Red Devils have a tough task in hand in order to get their name in the fourth round hat with Ruben Amorim’s men to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.