Liverpool's FA Cup journey continued with a 4-1 victory over Barnsley, setting up a fourth-round tie against Brighton. The Reds, led by Arne Slot, demonstrated their prowess with two brilliant strikes in the first half from Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong. However, a calamitous moment from Szoboszlai in the 40th minute almost cost them, as he scuffed a backheel, allowing Adam Phillips, a Liverpool fan, to score for Barnsley. The Tykes had a penalty shout turned down in the second half, which sparked frustration from their boss, Conor Hourihane. Liverpool's nerves were tested, but they calmed them late in the game when substitutes Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz combined, with Wirtz scoring an unstoppable effort. The win extended Liverpool's unbeaten run to 11 games, but it wasn't without controversy. Despite a 57-place gap in the league pyramid, Barnsley flew out of the blocks, hitting the bar in the opening minute. Szoboszlai's great hit from outside the box and Frimpong's left-footed effort doubled Liverpool's lead, but Szoboszlai's error almost cost them. The hosts were far from convincing, and Anfield was on edge until Wirtz restored the two-goal advantage. In the end, Liverpool's class showed, with the first three goals coming from moments of individual quality. The link-up between Wirtz and Ekitike was encouraging, but Barnsley's effort was also impressive. Until the 84th minute, the cup tie was well in the balance.
