Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has playfully called out Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai on social media, following the Reds' 4-1 FA Cup third-round victory over Barnsley.
Mixed Night for Szoboszlai in Liverpool Victory
The match, which took place on Monday, saw Liverpool secure their place in the fourth round after a performance that required patience against their League One opponents. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a powerful, long-range strike, his latest trademark effort for the club.
Jeremie Frimpong doubled the lead, but Barnsley fought back. Szoboszlai was at the centre of their consolation goal, gifting a chance to Adam Phillips with a misjudged backheel in his own six-yard box. The Hungarian was also involved in a penalty appeal when Reyes Cleary went down under his challenge, but the referee allowed play to continue.
Late goals from substitutes Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike eventually sealed a comfortable 4-1 win for Arne Slot's side.
Haaland's Snapchat Intervention
Despite his spectacular goal, Szoboszlai's muted reaction caught the eye of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian marksman, whose Manchester City side thrashed Exeter City 10-1 in their own FA Cup fixture, took to Snapchat to share footage of the celebration.
Haaland added a caption that read: "Domi what a goal smile a bit." The post highlighted the midfielder's downcast demeanour immediately after finding the net.
In response to the clip, it was noted that Szoboszlai did in fact celebrate, seemingly by mimicking Mohamed Salah's iconic celebration from 2019. The Egyptian star is currently away representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Barnsley Boss Accuses Szoboszlai of 'Disrespect'
The incident with the backheel pass led to strong criticism from Barnsley manager Connor Hourihane. He accused the Liverpool player of showing a lack of respect towards lower-league opposition.
"I'm a little bit disappointed with their player if I'm honest," Hourihane stated. "I thought it was a bit disrespectful. I don't think he does that against Chelsea, or Arsenal in a Champions League game."
This is not the first time Szoboszlai has faced such accusations. Last season, during a 3-0 win over Manchester United, he was criticised for showboating while Liverpool searched for a fourth goal.
When questioned about the latest incident, Liverpool manager Arne Slot declined to comment publicly, describing it as a "weird" choice. The Dutchman confirmed he would address the matter privately with the player.
"I don't think you should do that in a Premier League game, League Cup game, friendly game or a training session," Slot said. "I also have my opinion about it but I prefer to keep that to myself and speak about it with Dom."
