Liverpool progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a controlled victory over League One side Barnsley at Anfield, as moments of quality proved decisive, Softfootball reports
The visitors almost stunned the hosts inside the opening minute. Adam Phillips delivered an early cross from the right, and Davis Keillor-Dunn’s header struck the post, serving as a sharp warning to Liverpool.
The Reds responded quickly. In the ninth minute, Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike, curling an effort from 25 yards into the top corner for his sixth goal of the season.
Liverpool doubled their lead midway through the first half. Jeremie Frimpong cut inside from the right and fired a low left-footed shot past the goalkeeper at the near post.
Despite trailing, Barnsley continued to pose a threat. Szoboszlai was at fault late in the half when he lost possession inside his own area, allowing Phillips a clear sight of goal, though Liverpool retained their two-goal advantage at the interval.
There were no changes at half-time, but Liverpool made a triple substitution just after the hour mark. Ibrahima Konaté, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz were introduced as Szoboszlai again dropped into a right-back role.
Barnsley remained competitive and felt aggrieved when a challenge by Szoboszlai inside the area went unpunished. At the other end, the visitors’ goalkeeper produced an excellent save to deny a Virgil van Dijk volley, while Szoboszlai cleared a goal-bound effort off the line from a corner.
Liverpool extended their lead late on. Wirtz combined neatly with Ekitike on the edge of the box before finishing calmly to make it 3-1. In stoppage time, Wirtz turned provider, setting up Ekitike to tap in Liverpool’s fourth.
The win comes after Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal in the Premier League earlier in the week. Before kick-off, the Liverpool captain described the FA Cup tie as the road to Wembley as the club target their first triumph in the competition since 2022.
After the game, Liverpool via its official X handle shared that Dominic Szobozlai was named the player of the match for his incredible performance, scoring a goal and producing a massive goal line clearance. They posted:
Liverpool will face Brighton at Anfield in the fourth round in mid-February. Their attention now turns back to the Premier League with Burnley visiting Anfield on Saturday.
