Liverpool secured their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 victory over a valiant Barnsley side at Anfield, in a match dramatically punctuated by a moment of genius and a moment of madness from midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Barnsley's Brave Start and Szoboszlai's Stunner
The League One visitors, managed by Conor Hourihane, began with remarkable ambition and came within inches of a shock lead after just 29 seconds. Former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips delivered a cross which striker Davis Keillor-Dunn headed against the post, with Jeremie Frimpong clearing the danger.
Barnsley continued to press, with Nathanael Ogbeta firing just over, but their strategy of sitting off Liverpool in possession proved costly. With space afforded to him, Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, unleashing an unstoppable 30-yard drive that flew into the top corner of Murphy Cooper's net.
The hosts doubled their lead through Jeremie Frimpong, who cut in from the right and blasted a thunderous shot into the roof of the net after a pass from Alexis Mac Allister. It seemed Liverpool were cruising towards a comfortable victory.
A Costly Moment of Showboating
However, the complexion of the tie changed dramatically on the stroke of half-time due to a moment of sheer complacency from the goalscorer, Szoboszlai. Intercepting a pass in his own penalty area, the Hungarian international attempted an unnecessary backheel to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The midfielder scuffed the attempt horribly, leaving the ball rolling free for the alert Adam Phillips to stride onto and slot into an empty net. The gift handed Barnsley a lifeline and ensured the Premier League champions would have to fight for the result in the second half.
Late Flurry Seals Liverpool's Progress
Barnsley's keeper Murphy Cooper produced a superb save to tip a Virgil van Dijk volley onto the bar after the break, keeping his team in contention. The visitors then had strong penalty appeals waved away by referee Farai Hallam when Reyes Cleary went down under a challenge from Szoboszlai, a decision that incensed manager Hourihane, who was booked for his protests.
Seeking to kill the game, Liverpool manager Arne Slot introduced substitutes Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, and Ibrahima Konaté on the hour mark. The changes eventually told. Florian Wirtz finally extinguished Barnsley's resistance with a lovely curled finish into the top corner after a neat move involving Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Ekitiké.
In stoppage time, Wirtz turned provider, delivering an inch-perfect cross for fellow substitute Hugo Ekitiké to head home from close range, giving the scoreline a convincing sheen that somewhat belied the challenge posed by the spirited League One side.
The result sets up a fourth-round home tie against Brighton, with Liverpool ultimately relying on their superior quality to navigate a tricky cup tie that was far more complicated than necessary due to Szoboszlai's extraordinary first-half error.
