Liverpool secured their passage to the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 victory over a valiant Barnsley side at Anfield, in a match where a moment of madness from goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai threatened to derail their progress. A late double from substitutes Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké eventually gave the scoreline a convincing sheen, but the League One visitors made the Premier League champions work hard for their win.
Barnsley's Brave Start and Szoboszlai's Stunner
Conor Hourihane's side, struggling in the third tier, began with remarkable ambition and came within inches of a shock lead after just 29 seconds. A cross from former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips found Davis Keillor-Dunn, whose header beat goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili only to cannon back off the post.
Liverpool, fielding a strong side as promised by manager Arne Slot, gradually asserted control. The breakthrough came in spectacular fashion from Dominik Szoboszlai. Given ample space on the left, the Hungarian captain unleashed a ferocious 30-yard drive that flew into the top corner of Murphy Cooper's net, a strike he celebrated with a nonchalant shrug.
The comfort of a two-goal cushion was provided by Jeremie Frimpong, who cut in from the right and thundered a shot into the roof of the net. It seemed Liverpool were cruising towards a routine victory and a fourth-round tie at home to Brighton.
A Costly Moment of Showboating
However, Szoboszlai's complacency gifted Barnsley a lifeline just before half-time. Intercepting a pass in his own penalty area, the midfielder attempted an unnecessary backheel to his goalkeeper near the byline. He scuffed the attempt horribly, leaving Mamardashvili stranded and presenting Adam Phillips with the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty Kop goal.
The self-inflicted error transformed the atmosphere at Anfield, injecting fresh belief into the travelling supporters and ensuring Liverpool would have to battle in the second half. Barnsley's keeper, Murphy Cooper, preserved the one-goal deficit early after the restart with a superb save to tip a Virgil van Dijk volley onto the crossbar.
Late Substitutes Seal the Deal
Slot introduced Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, and Ibrahima Konaté on the hour mark to inject fresh energy. The changes nearly backfired immediately when Barnsley's Reyes Cleary burst past Szoboszlai and went down in the area, but referee Farai Hallam waved away strong penalty appeals.
The decisive moment finally arrived as Liverpool's quality told. A flowing move involving Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Ekitiké set up Florian Wirtz on the edge of the box, and the German international curled a beautiful finish into the top corner to finally kill off Barnsley's resistance. In stoppage time, Wirtz turned provider, delivering a perfect cross for Hugo Ekitiké to nod home from close range and add a flattering gloss to the scoreline.
While the late flourish spared Szoboszlai's blushes, the match served as a reminder of the perils of underestimating lower-league opposition in the FA Cup. Barnsley departed with immense credit, but Liverpool's superior class, and ultimately their strength from the bench, proved decisive.
