The scoreline was far more convincing than Liverpool’s performance against League One opposition. Barnsley made Arne Slot’s side battle for the right to host Brighton in round four while their head coach, Conor Hourihane, accused Dominik Szoboszlai of disrespect for gifting his team a goal while showboating. Slot appeared inclined to agree.
Liverpool were grateful for a late Florian Wirtz-inspired flourish for an ultimately comfortable margin of victory and banishing any anxieties. But this had been another slog against a low defensive block until the expensive substitute swept home a fine third goal and created a stoppage‑time fourth for Hugo Ekitiké. There was no more relieved man inside Anfield than Szoboszlai.
The Hungary captain punctured an enterprising start by Barnsley with a brilliant 30-yard strike only to let them back into the tie with a ridiculous error. The former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips profited in front of the Kop to reduce the arrears to 2-1 and reward Barnsley’s disciplined and occasionally dangerous display. The visitors had other moments, not least when the impressive winger Reyes Cleary went down in the Liverpool penalty area under a Szoboszlai challenge, before Wirtz’s class ultimately told.
“It is such an amazing feeling for Adam scoring in front of the Kop,” Hourihane said. “Liverpool fan, coming through the academy; it’s something he can look back on for the rest of his life and say he did that. Not many people can. 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.”
There was no danger to the Liverpool goal when Szoboszlai intercepted Corey O’Keeffe’s pass towards Phillips and set off across his own penalty area. Once he reached the goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, however, the midfielder, showboating after his superb opener, took the tricks too far. Szoboszlai attempted to backheel the ball to his keeper but scuffed the attempt and left Mamardashvili stranded. Phillips, continuing his own run into the box, duly converted into a gaping Kop goal.
An unhappy Slot said: “I don’t think you should do that in an FA Cup game or League Cup, a friendly game or even a training session. It’s a weird choice and I also have my opinion about it but I prefer to keep that to myself and speak about that with Dom.”
The Liverpool head coach added: “It is not the first time – I’m talking generally – 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.”
Barnsley had started the tie superbly. With only 29 seconds on the clock the striker Davis Keillor-Dunn beat Joe Gomez to a Phillips cross from the right and headed against a post. Nathanael Ogbeta also went close with an angled attempt that sailed just over the Liverpool crossbar.
There were no mid-season mini-breaks for Liverpool’s senior players this year. Slot, as promised, named a strong starting lineup and bench for the third-round tie having learned a painful lesson when doing otherwise at Plymouth last season. Szoboszlai got on the right side of his boss when collecting a ball in space on the left and giving the Barnsley goalkeeper Murphy Cooper no chance with a brilliant drive into the top corner.
Liverpool dominated the next 30 minutes. Szoboszlai struck another clean effort from distance that rebounded out for a corner off the head of the defender Jack Shepherd. Jeremie Frimpong supplied the comfort of a two-goal advantage with another fine strike. Receiving Alexis Mac Allister’s pass on the right, the Netherlands international cut across Ogbeta into the penalty area and unleashed a thunderous shot into the roof of Cooper’s net.
Frimpong’s first Anfield goal should have been the platform for Liverpool to ease into the fourth round. Szoboszlai’s error ensured otherwise. Cooper produced a superb save to tip a Virgil van Dijk volley on to his crossbar before Barnsley raged over Farai Hallam’s decision to dismiss their penalty appeals when Cleary went down in front of Szoboszlai. The midfielder pulled the winger’s shirt but also played the ball and, with no video assistant referee to dissect that one, play continued.
The introduction of Wirtz and Ekitiké on the hour eventually paid dividends for Slot. Wirtz missed a glorious opportunity to extend Liverpool’s lead when putting a Szoboszlai cross over the bar from close range. But the Germany international made amends when Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Ekitiké combined to prise open the Barnsley lines. Collecting Ekitiké’s flick on the edge of the area, Wirtz curled a lovely finish into the top corner to banish any late Liverpool nerves. He also teed up Ekitiké with an inch-perfect cross in stoppage time. The France forward made no mistake from close range.
