LIVERPOOL, Jan 13 — Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stunner and gave away a howler as Liverpool beat third-tier Barnsley 4-1 yesterday to set up a home FA Cup fourth-round clash with 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 upright inside the first 30 seconds.
Right back Jeremie Frimpong, on his FA Cup debut, unleashed a tremendous left-footed effort in the 36th to put Liverpool 2-0 up at a chilly Anfield.
Szoboszlai then veered from the sublime to the ridiculous in a moment of carelessness that handed Barnsley a precious lifeline in the 40th minute.
Seemingly attempting to backheel 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 made it 3-1 in the 84th when second-half substitute Florian Wirtz made amends for a glaring earlier miss by curling a shot into the top right corner to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Hugo Ekitike added the icing on the cake with the fourth in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
The hosts, who suffered a shock fourth-round defeat last year to second-tier Plymouth Argyle, showed they were taking the game seriously by fielding a stronger-than-expected starting line-up.
Manager Arne Slot made six changes in his starting line-up to the side that drew 0-0 at Premier League leaders Arsenal last Thursday.
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 VAR until the fifth round. — Reuters
