Liverpool make hard work of 4-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley after Dominik Szoboszlai mistake
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Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai (right) celebrating after scoring the opening goal while Barnsley's Corey O'Keeffe makes his way back for the kick-off during the Reds' 4-1 win in the FA Cup third round on Jan 12.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stunner and gave away a howler which disappointed Arne Slot, as Liverpool beat third-tier Barnsley 4-1 on Jan 12 to set up a home FA Cup fourth-round clash with English Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Hungarian opened Liverpool’s account with a long-range screamer in the ninth minute after Barnsley’s Davis Keillor-Dunn had bounced a header off the post inside the first 30 seconds.
Right-back Jeremie Frimpong, on his FA Cup debut, unleashed a tremendous left-footed effort in the 36th minute to put the Reds 2-0 up at a chilly Anfield.
Szoboszlai then veered from the sublime to the ridiculous in a moment of jaw-dropping carelessness that handed Barnsley a lifeline in the 40th minute.
Seemingly attempting to back-heel to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Hungarian instead left the ball perfectly teed up for Barnsley’s Adam Phillips, who spent eight years in Liverpool’s academy, to lash home at the Kop end.
Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong celebrates scoring their second goal with Dominik Szoboszlai.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Liverpool made it 3-1 on 84 minutes when second-half substitute Florian Wirtz made amends for a glaring miss earlier by curling a shot into the top right corner to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Hugo Ekitike, also coming off the bench, added the icing on the cake with their fourth goal assisted by Wirtz in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
The hosts, who suffered a shock fourth-round defeat last season by second-tier Plymouth Argyle, showed they were taking the game seriously by fielding a stronger-than-expected starting line-up.
Manager Slot made six changes to his starting XI
But Barnsley still made it hard for them, fighting for every ball and fuming at being denied a penalty in the 61st minute when forward Reyes Cleary went down after a challenge from Szoboszlai, with no video assistant referee technology until the fifth round.
Barnsley’s striker Reyes Cleary going down in the area during the match following a challenge by Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, but no penalty is awarded.
PHOTO: AFP
Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane was booked for his reaction and said after the game that Szoboszlai had also been “disrespectful” in attempting the botched back-heel.
“I don’t think a player does that against Chelsea, against Arsenal, or in a Champions League game. I’m a little bit disappointed with that, to be honest,” said the Irishman.
Slot gave that short shrift, without sparing his player.
“What does he mean ‘disrespectful’? But I don’t think you should do that in a Premier League game, League Cup game, friendly game or a training session,” said the Dutchman.
“It’s a weird choice and I also have my opinion about it, but I prefer to keep that to myself and speak about it with Dom.”
On the victory, the Liverpool boss added: “We scored nice goals, but I think for too long the game was tight. 2-0 up then giving a goal away like that made it difficult until 10 minutes before the end.”
Szoboszlai did apologise to the team, saying on TNT Sports: “I made it hard for us with the easy mistake, I would say. Football happens, we move on. We go to the next round.
“We wanted to show we take the FA Cup seriously. We showed today we need the whole squad. They also showed quality. We need everyone.” REUTERS, AFP
