Liverpool overcome scare as Szoboszlai error sparks Barnsley fightback in 4-1 FA Cup win

Liverpool eventually booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 win over Barnsley at Anfield, but a costly mistake from Dominik Szoboszlai ensured the tie was far more uncomfortable than the final score suggests. Arne Slot’s side, overwhelming favourites against their League One visitors, needed two late goals to finally shake off a spirited Barnsley challenge.
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Szoboszlai had earlier lit up the night with a spectacular long-range strike to open the scoring, arrowing a powerful effort into the top corner to give Liverpool an early lead. Jeremie Frimpong then doubled the advantage with a composed finish, seemingly putting the hosts in complete control of the contest.
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Barnsley, however, had already shown they were not at Anfield to simply make up the numbers, striking the woodwork inside the first minute and threatening on the counter whenever Liverpool’s press malfunctioned. Their persistence was rewarded on the stroke of half-time in remarkable fashion, as Szoboszlai turned from hero to villain in the space of seconds.
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Having chased back superbly to dispossess Adam Phillips inside his own box, the Hungarian midfielder inexplicably attempted a backheel towards his goalkeeper from close range, only to under-hit it badly. The loose ball fell straight to Phillips, a former Liverpool academy player, who gratefully rolled it into the net to make it 2-1 and drag Barnsley back into the tie.
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The incident infuriated Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane, who later described Szoboszlai’s backheel as “disrespectful” and questioned whether he would have tried the same thing in a Premier League fixture. Slot was similarly unimpressed, branding it a “weird choice” and stressing that such lapses serve only to keep opponents alive when Liverpool should be closing games out.
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Buoyed by the lifeline, Barnsley enjoyed their best spell after the break and pushed hard for an equaliser, unsettling a Liverpool side that suddenly looked nervy in possession. The visitors also had a strong penalty appeal when Reyes Cleary tumbled under a challenge from Szoboszlai in the area, but the referee waved play on and, with no VAR in use at this stage of the competition, the on-field decision stood.
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Liverpool finally reasserted control in the closing stages as Barnsley tired, with Florian Wirtz restoring daylight on the scoreboard with a crisp finish to make it 3-1. Substitute Hugo Ekitike then added a late fourth, a goal that gave the result a flattering sheen for the home side after an unexpectedly anxious evening at Anfield.
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The win sends Liverpool into the fourth round, where they will face Brighton at Anfield, but Slot will know his team must cut out the sort of complacent defending that briefly invited an upset. For Barnsley, the performance and Phillips’ goal provided pride and a sharp reminder that even the Premier League’s elite can be rattled when focus slips.
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