Liverpool survive bizarre Dominik Szoboszlai error to defeat plucky Barnsley
By Carl Markham, Press Association
Liverpool survived a moment of bizarre moment of madness from Dominik Szoboszlai to avoid an FA Cup shock to Sky Bet League One Barnsley with a sketchy 4-1 victory at Anfield.
The Hungary international showed a reckless arrogance with his attempted backheel inside his own six-yard area, which presented Adam Phillips with the opportunity in front of the Kop he would have dreamed of as a former Reds trainee and boyhood fan.
What was so staggering was that his side was in complete control just five minutes before half-time as Szoboszlai’s sumptuous strike had been followed by another stunner from Jeremie Frimpong.
It was all the encouragement the visitors, 17th in the third tier, needed to push for the equaliser and they continued to ask questions until substitute Florian Wirtz curled home in the 84th minute. Hugo Ekitike slid home in added time to book a home tie with Brighton.
Incredibly Szoboszlai’s night could have got worse had VAR been in operation and able to review his tackle on Reyes Cleary which left Barnsley furious they were not awarded a penalty.
This may have been an 11th match unbeaten but, like many of the others, it was far from convincing.
News of former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid a couple of hours before kick-off should not have added any additional pressure on Arne Slot, but the shadow of the ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss will begin to loom larger should results take another dive.
But having learned a painful less in their exit at Plymouth last season, Liverpool’s head coach took no chances with his team selection starting five of those who were in the team for Thursday’s goalless draw at Arsenal.
The six changes hardly weakened the team with Joe Gomez, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson supplemented by 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
It was evident Slot was taking no chances as the bench had over £250 million worth of summer signings on it, which included the fit-again Ekitike.
But his plans were almost undone inside 30 seconds when Davis Keillor-Dunn headed against a post.
Szoboszlai’s night began in spectacular style, drilling home a 35-yard dipping shot but the last time the two sides met in 2008, Liverpool also went 1-0 up and ended up losing 2-1 to Brian Howard’s 90th-minute goal.
Jonathan Bland’s 25-yard volley forced Mamardashvili into a good save but when Frimpong cut in from the right and lashed a left-footed shot which beat goalkeeper Murphy Cooper for pace, Liverpool had a comfortable cushion.
Or so they thought. Szoboszlai had done the hard work, racing back to win possession but then cockiness got the better of him with an attempted backheel to Mamardashvili in the six-yard area instead of continuing his run towards the right flank.
Phillips scored the easiest goal of his career and the game was back on with the visitors seizing on the change in momentum with Liverpool seemingly under-estimating their opponents.
In the second half, Cooper brilliantly tipped a Virgil van Dijk volley on to the crossbar to keep them in the game, with their hopes only extinguished in the 84th minute as fans departed to the tongue-in-cheek strains of an acoustic version of The Bangle’s ‘Manic Monday’.
