Liverpool overcame several big scares by Barnsley as superb goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Jeremy Frimpong and Florian Wirtz led the Reds to a 4-1 victory and progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The League One team can be very proud of their performance at Anfield. They may also feel that they suffered after a controversial second half where they were called for a penalty that could have equalized the score.
Barnsley gained momentum from the start and within 28 seconds of the Kop, Davis Keilor-Dunn’s header hit the post.
However, Liverpool calmed the crowd down within 10 minutes with Szoboszlai’s stunning shot from 25 yards out.
But the opener did not dampen Barnsley’s spirits, with Jonathan Brand and Keylor-Dunn both testing Giorgi Mamadashvili in good spots, and Liverpool’s Premier League quality shone once again.
This time it was Frimpong, who started at right-back with Conor Bradley out for the season due to injury, and he cut inside with his left foot and found the back of the net high up. But then Barnsley scored a deserved goal in the first half with a great gift.
Former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips chased a long ball, but Szoboszlai managed to track it back. Then, with just three yards to go, a Liverpool midfielder bizarrely attempted a flick at the goalkeeper but missed, allowing Phillips to score in front of the Kop.
Adam Phillips pulled one back for Barnsley after Szoboszlai’s mistake.
Barnsley continued to struggle despite Liverpool’s pressure in the second period, with Virgil van Dijk’s shot hitting Murphy Cooper’s bar. Slott brought in £220m of talent for Virts, with Hugo Ekitike returning from injury and Ibrahima Konate as cover, but the Ligue 1 side continued to pose a threat.
The big moment for them came at the hour mark. Reyes Cleary, who attacked Liverpool’s attack from Barnsley’s left, ran into the box and fell under a challenge from Szoboszlai.
Referee Farai Haram ignored the claims without VAR until the fifth round, with replays showing the Hungarian player barely touched the ball despite having his hand on the winger’s back.
Barnsley’s hefty penalty claim at Anfield denied
However, Liverpool found a goal with 10 minutes left, Wirtz, who had missed the ball earlier, converting Ekitike’s deft flick into the net, before the pair combined for the French forward to score his fourth goal. The Reds will face Brighton in the fourth round.
Despite winning the FA Cup, Slott is still not satisfied
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Liverpool head coach Arne Slott was unimpressed by Dominik Szoboszlai’s backheel mistake that led to Barnsley’s goal in the FA Cup third round.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slott tells TNT Sports:
“I was happy with the goal we scored, but I think it was a close game for too long. Conceding like that after leading by two more made it difficult until the last five or 10 minutes. If we had had one bad moment after that, it could have been 2-2.”
“I’m happy with the goal. Even with possession, we didn’t have enough chances.
“I couldn’t change 11 players because I don’t have it or I’m in charge of the Under-21s or Under-18s. But you know today you have to respect the competition and respect Barnsley. Even with the number of starters they make it difficult.”
Hourihane: Our players were amazing.
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Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane was left with a sour taste after Dominik Szoboszlai’s backheel that led to Barnsley’s only goal of the night in the FA Cup tie against Liverpool.
Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane told TNT Sports:
“I’m incredibly proud of our players. They were outstanding. We stuck to our plan from start to finish and we got a little tired towards the end because we didn’t have the ball for so long.
“But when you look at 2-1, they brought in top players one after the other and had the best team in the final stages. Our players had an unbelievable performance.
“That’s the level you guys are at. They have to work hard for the goal. The first one was an unbelievable strike and the second and third were also really impressive. We had our own chances as well.”
FA Cup 4th round full draw:
Liverpool vs Brighton Stoke City vs Fulham Oxford United vs Sunderland Southampton vs Leicester City Wrexham vs Ipswich Town Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic Hull City vs Chelsea Burton Albion vs West Ham Burnley vs Mansfield Town Norwich City vs West Bromport Vale vs Bristol City Grimsby Town vs Wolves Aston Villa vs Newcastle Manchester City vs Salford City Swindon Macclesfield vs Brentford Birmingham City vs Leeds United
Liverpool upcoming matches list
Liverpool defeated Barnsley in the third round on Monday and will now face Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Reds are still competing on three fronts this season, so there will be plenty of games over the next six weeks.
Liverpool’s competitive schedule could ease if they finish in the top eight of the Champions League, meaning they can reach the last 16 without a two-legged play-off.
January 17: Burnley (H), Premier League January 21: Marseille (A), Champions League January 24: Bournemouth (A), Premier League January 28: Karabag (H), Champions League January 31: Newcastle (H), Premier League February 8: Man City (H), Premier League February 11: Sunderland (A), Premier League 14/15 February: Brighton (H), FA Cup 4th round 17/18 February: Possible Champions League play-off first leg 21 February: Nottingham Forest (A), Premier League 24/25 February: Possible Champions League play-off second leg 28 February: West Ham (H), Premier League
FA Cup 2025/26 key dates
Round 4: Saturday, February 14, 2026
Round 5: Saturday, March 7, 2026
Quarterfinals: Saturday, April 4, 2026
Semi-finals: Saturday, April 25, 2026
Final: Saturday, May 16, 2026
