Liverpool appeared to have done enough to secure passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup on two separate occasions during their tie with Barnsley. First, there was a brief sense of comfort when the Reds raced into a 2–0 lead, and later when Florian Wirtz restored that same two-goal cushion late in the game.
However, despite eventually winning by three goals, the match was far from straightforward and carried an uncomfortable feeling that an upset was never too far away.
On paper, Barnsley visiting Anfield looked like a fixture Liverpool should have navigated with ease. Yet the visitors showed impressive bravery from the opening moments, almost shocking the home crowd when they struck the post within the first half-minute. Down the left flank, Reyes Cleary caused problems early on, even testing Virgil van Dijk during a nervy opening period.
Had Barnsley managed to score inside the opening 30 seconds, it would have gone down as one of the earliest “too early” goals by an underdog against Premier League opposition in this season’s competition.
Ironically, falling behind might have helped Liverpool. An early setback would likely have forced Arne Slot’s side to raise their intensity, something that was lacking for long spells in what became a strangely flat performance. Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane set his team up to attack when possible but retreat quickly when Liverpool dominated possession.
That approach largely worked, limiting the Reds to efforts from distance—at least until Dominik Szoboszlai produced a stunning long-range strike that broke the deadlock.
Jeremie Frimpong followed with an equally ferocious effort to make it 2–0, a moment that seemed to signal the end of Barnsley’s resistance. Instead, Liverpool eased off. Szoboszlai’s ill-judged backheel near his own goal handed Barnsley a lifeline, which former academy player Adam Phillips gratefully accepted, scoring in front of the Kop and reigniting belief among the visitors.
Even after that, Barnsley pushed for more. They felt hard done by at 2–1 when a potential penalty went unawarded, and it took a high-quality combination between Wirtz and Ekitike—players worth a combined £169 million—to finally settle the contest late on. Another link-up between the pair soon followed as Barnsley committed bodies forward in desperation.
While the final scoreline suggested comfort, the performance did not. Still, the priority was achieved: Liverpool advanced to face Brighton in the next round rather than suffering an embarrassing exit.
Slot’s decision to field a strong lineup proved crucial. Although it might have seemed an ideal chance to rotate heavily and give opportunities to fringe players, the manager clearly felt that would have been a gamble too far.
Some rotation was made, but core players remained. In a round where defending champions Crystal Palace were eliminated by non-league opposition, Slot’s caution was justified.
The display highlighted Liverpool’s fragility when intensity drops and underlined the manager’s lack of trust in his squad depth. Ultimately, the result validated his approach, even if the performance raised fresh concerns about consistency and cohesion.
