Liverpool progressed to the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 victory over Barnsley on Monday night, but the win was marred by a moment of sheer folly from goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai that sparked a furious reaction from the visiting manager.
A Moment of Madness Overshadows Spectacular Start
The Hungarian midfielder had given the Reds a dream start at Anfield, unleashing a spectacular 35-yard strike to open the scoring. Jeremie Frimpong then doubled the advantage, putting the Premier League giants in a commanding position against their League One opponents.
However, Szoboszlai's evening took a bizarre turn. Chasing back into his own penalty area, the player inexplicably opted for a risky backheel pass towards goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili instead of making a simple clearance. The misjudgement was instantly punished by Barnsley's Adam Phillips, a former Liverpool academy player, who slotted home to make it 2-1 and realise a boyhood dream of scoring in front of the Kop.
Hourihane's Fury at 'Disrespectful' Act
After the final whistle, Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane did not hold back in his criticism of Szoboszlai's actions, labelling them disrespectful to his third-tier side. "It is such an amazing feeling for Adam scoring in front of the Kop. Liverpool fan, coming through the academy," said Hourihane. "It's something he can look back on for the rest of his life."
He then turned his ire on the Liverpool star: "But it was a little bit disrespectful from their player, to be honest. I don't think he does that against Chelsea or Arsenal or in a Champions League game. Delighted for Adam, but disrespectful from their player's point of view."
Hourihane expressed immense pride in his team's performance, noting that Liverpool "had to bring on every superstar on the bench to get it over the line." Barnsley's resistance was finally broken in the 84th minute by £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz, with £79 million forward Hugo Ekitike adding a fourth in added time.
Slot's Private Rebuke and Unbeaten Run Continues
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, speaking before Hourihane, chose to keep his thoughts on the incident private but confirmed he would be addressing it with the player. "I have my opinion that I will definitely share with him," Slot stated.
He did, however, criticise his team's recurring habit of conceding soft goals: "It is not the first time... we are 2-0 up, there are no problems in the game and we concede a sloppy or an easy goal, but this stands out even for us... It is definitely not helpful for us."
The victory extended Liverpool's unbeaten run to 11 matches and set up a fourth-round home tie with Brighton. Slot paid tribute to a Barnsley side sitting 17th in League One, saying: "They can be proud of themselves and how difficult they made it for us. For a long time they were in the game."
