Liverpool FA Cup Win Over Barnsley Deemed Tight As Slot Lauds Late Goals And Squad Depth

Liverpool advanced to the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 win over Barnsley, yet the scoreline hid long spells of tension. Late goals from Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike finally settled the tie, setting

up a meeting with Brighton and extending Liverpool’s strong recent record in the competition.

The hosts looked in control when Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong struck from distance for a 2-0 lead. However, Barnsley replied after Szoboszlai tried a backheel to Giorgi Mamardashvili in the six-yard box, allowing Adam Phillips to score and create nervous moments before Liverpool pulled clear near the end.

Liverpool have now progressed from 14 of their last 15 FA Cup third-round ties since 2011-12. That run is the joint-best in that period, alongside Chelsea and Manchester City. Wirtz’s strike also made specific history, while Szoboszlai delivered a strange mix of brilliance and error in midfield.

Team / Player	Key FA Cup / Match Stat
Liverpool	14 progressions from last 15 FA Cup third rounds since 2011-12
Liverpool	4-1 win over Barnsley to reach fourth round vs Brighton
Florian Wirtz	First German Liverpool scorer in FA Cup since Markus Babbel, February 2001 vs Man City
Florian Wirtz	Three goals in five games after failing to score in first 22 for Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai	First Liverpool player since Alexis Mac Allister vs Tottenham, December 2024, to score and make an error leading to a goal in one match
Dominik Szoboszlai	First Premier League player this season in all competitions with a goal, 100+ passes (105) and 10+ possession wins (12) in one game

Arne Slot welcomed the result and the quality of finishing but felt the contest remained open longer than necessary. Liverpool dominated possession yet, in Slot’s view, did not turn control into enough clear chances until the closing stages, when Wirtz and Ekitike finally ended Barnsley’s resistance.

"I was happy with the goals we scoredthey were nice goals," Slot said. "But I think it was a game that was tight for far too long because, at 2-0, and then giving a goal away like that made it difficult until 5-10 minutes before the end. So yeah, good goals but not enough chances from all the ball possession we had. "

Liverpool FA Cup impact of Florian Wirtz from the bench

Wirtz’s contribution stood out again, both statistically and in timing. The Germany international became Liverpool’s first German FA Cup scorer since Markus Babbel’s goal against Manchester City in February 2001. Wirtz has now scored three times in five appearances, after failing to find the net in his first 22 Liverpool games.

Slot highlighted how Wirtz changed the game once introduced. "If you come in for half an hour, and you have a goal and an assist and a few other good moments, you can definitely say he [Wirtz] brought something creative to the team and that we needed. " Slot saw that creativity as decisive against Barnsley’s deep defence.

Liverpool FA Cup win and Dominik Szoboszlai’s mixed display

Szoboszlai’s night captured Liverpool’s uneven performance. The midfielder scored a long-range goal and later tried a risky backheel towards Mamardashvili inside the six-yard box. That mistake handed Phillips a simple finish and briefly pulled Barnsley back into the contest, turning a comfortable scoreline into a fragile one.

The error was Szoboszlai’s only touch inside Liverpool’s penalty area during the first half. It also meant Szoboszlai became the first Liverpool player to score and commit an error leading to a goal in one match since Alexis Mac Allister against Tottenham in December 2024. Slot did not hide disappointment at the decision.

"I don't think you should do that in an FA Cup game or League Cup, a friendly game or even a training session," Slot said of Szoboszlai's mistake. "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. "

Liverpool FA Cup commitment and squad depth

Despite the error, Szoboszlai produced a complete display in other areas. Szoboszlai became the first Premier League player this season, in all competitions, to score, complete at least 100 passes, with 105 attempted, and win possession 10 or more times, achieving 12 recoveries, in a single match.

Szoboszlai accepted responsibility and stressed Liverpool’s approach to the competition. "Sorry to the team againI made it hard for us," Szoboszlai said. "It was an easy mistake, I would say. Football happens, and we move on. We wanted to show that we take the FA Cup seriously. We always take it seriously. We showed again, we need the whole squad. The new guys came in, who didn't play as much as the others, and they showed lots of quality. We need everyone. "

The performance against Barnsley underlined both Liverpool’s ongoing FA Cup consistency and areas Slot may still want to improve before facing Brighton. Late goals, strong individual numbers from players like Szoboszlai and Wirtz, and valuable minutes for squad members all pointed to useful progress within a demanding schedule.