PLYMOUTH, England -- Three thoughts from Liverpool's 1-0 win at Plymouth in the FA Cup third-round replay.
It could have been a bad night for Liverpool, with the club facing their biggest FA Cup humiliation since losing to non-league Worcester City in 1959, but Lucas Leiva's first goal in six and a half years spared their blushes and secured a 1-0 third-round replay victory Wednesday at Home Park.
A win is a win, and the positives for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will come in the shape of impressive performances by youngsters Ben Woodburn and Joe Gomez and another outing for Philippe Coutinho on his return from injury.
But having been unable to score past League Two Plymouth during 90 frustrating minutes at Anfield earlier this month, winning by a solitary goal against a team lying 67 places beneath his side in the football pyramid, will give Klopp cause for concern.
It could have been more -- Divock Origi saw an 86th-minute penalty saved by home goalkeeper Luke McCormick -- but Liverpool have seen the goals they scored in the early part of this season dry up in recent weeks.
The team that hit four past Arsenal, Leicester and Crystal Palace, five past Hull and six past Watford has now scored just twice in four games. One of those, against Manchester United at the weekend, came from the penalty spot, while Lucas' goal against Plymouth was a header from a corner.
The loss of Sadio Mane to African Nations Cup duty is clearly hurting Liverpool, who miss the forward's pace and ability to stretch teams. He could yet be away for another month, so Liverpool need to find a way to rediscover the cutting edge that tore opponents apart early in the season.
2. Lucas earns his night in the spotlight
Lucas has always divided opinion among Liverpool supporters during his 10 years at Anfield, but the Brazilian's commitment and endeavour have never been questioned.
His detractors claim that the 30-year-old lacks the class to be a Liverpool player, regarding him merely as a stopgap when more celebrated teammates are unavailable. Something of a nearly man, Lucas missed Liverpool's League Cup win in 2012 through injury and has been an runner-up with the club in every major competition.
By contrast, those prepared to highlight his qualities will point to Lucas' readiness to play anywhere and do any job while wearing the red shirt, and his loyalty and reliability were rewarded with the captain's armband at Plymouth.
But the sight of him celebrating his first goal in over six years -- 2,316 days, in fact, since his last strike against Steaua Bucharest in September 2010 -- was a special one for a player whose commitment to the Anfield cause saw him reject a move to Inter Milan earlier this month.
On a night when Klopp rested several senior players ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against Swansea City, the experience of Lucas at the heart of Liverpool's defence was crucial. He is not the best player ever to play for the club, but the likes of Lucas are needed in every squad pushing for honours and he showed that on Wednesday.
3. Plymouth show what they have to offer
Vying for promotion from the fourth tier of English football, Plymouth defied the odds to claim the 0-0 draw at Anfield 10 days ago that secured this sellout replay in Devon.
But despite the resolute defensive display on Merseyside, manager Derek Adams and his players were criticised for being too negative against Liverpool and adopting safety-first tactics, aimed solely at earning another shot at Klopp's team.
Former Liverpool and England midfielder Steve McManaman was one of the more vocal critics in his role as a TV pundit, and the Plymouth supporters subjected him to good-natured terrace tormenting as the home side attempted to fight back from Lucas' goal.
And Plymouth deserve credit for their readiness to take Liverpool on with a more attack-minded approach on home turf. The likes of Graham Carey, Oscar Threlkeld and substitute Louis Rooney caught the eye, while Jake Jervis saw a volley hit the post.
An FA Cup shock proved beyond them on this occasion, but Plymouth, sitting second in League Two, are well-placed to claim the real prize of promotion this season.
