Summary
Follow FA Cup fourth-round draw from around 18:30 GMT
FT: Liverpool 4-1 Barnsley: Szoboszlai scores stunning opener before Frimpong's second
Szoboszlai's error gifts Phillips goal for Barnsley before Wirtz and Ekitike put Reds in control
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Reds host Brighton in fourth round
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Live Reporting
Marissa Thomas
Late goals add shine as Liverpool beat spirited Barnsley in FA Cup
At a glance
Superb Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong strikes give Liverpool 2-0 lead
Adam Phillips pulls one back for Barnsley after Szoboszlai howler
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike score late on as Liverpool make it 11 games unbeaten in all competitions
Arne Slot's side to host Brighton in the next round
Liverpool battled past a spirited Barnsley side at Anfield to set up an FA Cup fourth-round tie with Brighton.
Arne Slot's side scored twice in the first half through brilliant strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong but a calamitous moment from Szoboszlai gave the League One outfit a lifeline.
In the 40th minute, Szoboszlai attempted a backheel in his own box to keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili but scuffed it and Adam Phillips, a boyhood Liverpool fan, was on hand to finish in front of the Kop and send the 6,000 travelling fans wild.
The Tykes had a penalty shout turned down in the second half when Reyes Cleary went down in the box under a challenge from Szoboszlai. On the sideline, Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane was furious and with no video assistant referee in play for the FA Cup third round, there was no check.
Liverpool calmed the nerves late on when substitutes Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz combined, with Wirtz firing an unstoppable effort into the top corner after the France forward's excellent backheel. The pair combined again in added time, with Ekitike sliding in to tap in at the back post.
Slot stuck to his pre-match promise and did not make wholesale changes but there were starts for teenager Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa, while Ekitike came off the bench in the second half after missing the last two games with injury.
Despite 57 places separating the two sides in the league pyramid, Barnsley flew out of the blocks and hit the bar through Davis Keillor-Dunn's header in the opening minute.
Szoboszlai calmed the Anfield nerves with a great hit from outside the box that left Murphy Cooper with no chance in the Barnsley goal.
Frimpong doubled Liverpool's lead in the 36th minute with a left-footed effort but just as the tie looked done and dusted, Szoboszlai delivered the moment that he will never want to watch again.
Thankfully for the Hungarian and Liverpool, it didn't prove costly. Having lost to Barnsley on the two most recent occasions they visited Anfield in 1997 and 2008, this win extended Liverpool's unbeaten run to 11 games.
Liverpool analysis: Four goals but far from convincing
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the opener but his error let Barnsley pull one back
The fact that Slot felt the need to throw on Ibrahima Konate, Wirtz and Ekitike on the hour mark summed up exactly how much Barnsley pushed Liverpool.
When Frimpong made it 2-0 in the first half Liverpool should have coasted to victory, but Szoboszlai's error gave the Tykes a sniff and led to a nervous second half for the home fans.
The hosts were far from convincing and Anfield was on edge until Wirtz restored the two-goal advantage in the 84th minute.
In the end, the difference in class showed with the first three Liverpool goals coming from real moments of individual quality.
The link up between Wirtz and Ekitike after they came on was definitely encouraging to see for Slot and Liverpool supporters but this was a night where Hourihane's side can take plenty of pride from their effort.
Until the 84th minute, this cup tie was well in the balance.
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Related topics
FA Cup Scores & Fixtures
Team Lineups
home team, Liverpool
Manager:Arne Slot
Formation:4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
Substitutes
home team, Liverpool
away team, Barnsley
Manager:Conor Hourihane
Formation:5 - 4 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
away team, Barnsley
Match Officials
- Referee:
- Farai Hallam
- Assistant Referee 1:
- Alistair Nelson
- Assistant Referee 2:
- Hristo Karaivanov
- Fourth Official:
- Ruebyn Ricardo
Match Stats
Key, Liverpool v BarnsleyBasic Stats
Overall possession
Shots
Liverpool 21Barnsley 9Shots on target
Liverpool 7Barnsley 4Total touches inside the opposition box
Liverpool 44Barnsley 18Goalkeeper saves
Liverpool 2Barnsley 3Aerial duels won
Liverpool 11Barnsley 10Fouls committed
Liverpool 6Barnsley 7Corners
Liverpool 11Barnsley 5In-depth match stats
Attack
Shots
Liverpool 21Barnsley 9Shots on target
Liverpool 7Barnsley 4Shots off target
Liverpool 3Barnsley 3Attempts out of box
Liverpool 7Barnsley 5Hit woodwork
Liverpool 1Barnsley 1Total offsides
Liverpool 0Barnsley 2Distribution
Total passes
Liverpool 732Barnsley 232Pass accuracy %
Liverpool 91.3Barnsley 74.6Backward passes
Liverpool 117Barnsley 35Forward passes
Liverpool 207Barnsley 97Total long balls
Liverpool 37Barnsley 46Successful final third passes
Liverpool 261Barnsley 37Total crosses
Liverpool 33Barnsley 14Defence
Total tackles
Liverpool 12Barnsley 12Won tackle %
Liverpool 50Barnsley 75Fouls committed
Liverpool 6Barnsley 7Total yellow cards
Liverpool 1Barnsley 0Total clearances
Liverpool 17Barnsley 33Clearances off the line
Liverpool 1Barnsley 0Season so far
FA Cup
Goals scored
Liverpool 7Barnsley 5Form guide
All competitions
Previous meetings
All competitions
Played3
Previous scores
All competitions
FA Cup
Premier League
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- Skip back to previous meetings
- Skip back to form guide
- Skip back to season so far
Match Facts
Liverpool lost their last FA Cup tie against Barnsley in the 2007-08 fifth round but they have progressed from their other four ties against them in 1894-95, 1905-06, 1913-14, and 1984-85.
Barnsley have won their last two games at Anfield in all competitions, winning in the Premier League in 1997 and FA Cup in 2008. No side are on a longer ongoing winning run away at Liverpool than the Tykes (also Nottingham Forest and Atalanta on two).
Liverpool have progressed from 13 of their last 14 FA Cup third round ties, losing the other 2-1 against Wolves in 2018-19. They haven’t been knocked out at this stage against a non-Premier League side since 2009-10, going out against Reading.
Barnsley have been eliminated in each of their last six FA Cup ties against Premier League sides since knocking Chelsea out in the quarter-final in the 2007-08 campaign.
Liverpool have won eight of their last nine FA Cup home matches (D1) since losing 3-2 to West Brom in January 2018. In fact, their last two home defeats have been against W teams (Wolves and West Brom) – they’ve won their last nine home FA Cup matches against sides not beginning with W by an aggregate score of 25-6.