**Szoboszlai's Heroics and Blunders: Liverpool Edge Barnsley 4-1 in Thrilling FA Cup Clash**

Liverpool secured their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a hard-fought 4-1 victory over Sky Bet League One side Barnsley at Anfield on January 12, 2026. The match, part of the 2025-26 English FA Cup third round, saw Dominik Szoboszlai emerge as both hero and villain in a game full of drama.

The Hungarian midfielder opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a stunning 30-meter strike, silencing the traveling Barnsley fans after their early threat when Davis Keillor-Dunn's header hit the upright.[1][3][4][5]

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 36th minute through right-back Jeremie Frimpong's impressive left-footed effort on his FA Cup debut, putting the Reds 2-0 up at halftime.[3][4]

However, Szoboszlai's moment of madness just before the break handed Barnsley a lifeline. Attempting a risky backheel to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, he instead teed up former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips, who smashed home to make it 2-1.[1][4][5]

"Sorry to the team," Szoboszlai later told TNT Sports. "I made it hard for us with an easy mistake. Football happens and we move on."[5]

Barnsley, 17th in League One, refused to back down in the second half. They pushed for an equalizer, nearly getting a penalty in the 61st minute when Reyes Cleary went down under a challenge from Szoboszlai, but no VAR was in use until the fifth round. Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane was booked for protesting and later called the midfielder 'disrespectful'.[1][4]

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, wary of last season's shock exit to Plymouth, made six changes but started key players like Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones, and Federico Chiesa. Youngster Rio Ngumoha also featured.[1][2]

Slot introduced substitutes Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and others after the hour mark to steady the ship. Wirtz curled home in the 84th minute to make it 3-1, before Ekitike tapped in from a Wirtz cross in added time for 4-1.[1][3][5]

Goalkeeper Mamardashvili made crucial saves, including tipping a van Dijk volley onto the bar. The win extends Liverpool's unbeaten run to 11 games, setting up a home fourth-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion on the February 14 weekend.[1][5]

Barnsley impressed despite the defeat, embodying the FA Cup's magic, much like Macclesfield's upset over Crystal Palace.[6]