In a match that showcased both brilliance and bafflement from Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian midfielder’s spectacular early goal was dramatically overshadowed by a catastrophic error that gifted Barnsley a lifeline and sparked a post-match debate over respect and professionalism.
Liverpool ultimately secured a 4-1 victory in the FA Cup third-round tie at Anfield, but the conversation was dominated by a single moment of madness five minutes before halftime.
Having opened the scoring with what was described as a “stunning 30-meter strike” in the ninth minute, and with Liverpool leading 2-0, Szoboszlai committed what will be remembered as one of the season’s most glaring mistakes.
After diligently tracking back and intercepting a Barnsley attack, the midfielder found himself with the ball just yards from his own goal. Instead of clearing decisively, he attempted a blind backheel flick towards goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, a move he badly miscued, allowing Barnsley’s Adam Phillips to steal the ball and tap into an empty net.
The blunder left pundits and opponents aghast. On commentary for TNT Sports, Ally McCoist exclaimed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player of that quality do something like that… I’m stunned”.
The incident drew immediate and fierce criticism, most notably from Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane. “I was disappointed with our goal because he [Szoboszlai] doesn’t do that against Chelsea or Arsenal,” Hourihane stated.
When pressed on whether the attempt was disrespectful towards his League One side, he replied, “Yeah, potentially… I don’t think he does that in a Premier League game or in a Champions League game so I was a little bit disappointed with that. It was a bit of a lack of respect”.
His sentiment was echoed by former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman, who analysed the game for TNT Sports. “I don’t like that at all… He would never do that against Arsenal, Manchester City. Why he’s doing it against Barnsley, I will never know,” McManaman said.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot concurred with the criticism of the decision, if not the specific accusation of disrespect. “I don’t think you should do that in an FA Cup or League Cup game, a friendly game or even a training session,” Slot remarked in his post-match press conference. “It’s a weird choice and I have my opinion about it but I prefer to keep that to myself and speak about that with Dom”.
Szoboszlai himself promptly apologised for the lapse. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, he said, “I’m sorry for the team again. I made it hard for us with an easy mistake I would say. But football moves on and we take the next round”.
The error momentarily shifted the momentum of the match, with Barnsley growing in belief. Szoboszlai was later involved in another major incident when he tangled with Barnsley’s Reyes Cleary in the Liverpool penalty area, with the visitors furiously appealing for a spot-kick that was waved away by the referee.
Liverpool’s progression was ultimately secured only by late goals from high-value substitutes Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike in the 84th minute and stoppage time, respectively.
Despite the bizarre own-goal gift, Barnsley’s performance earned praise. “I thought we were outstanding,” said Hourihane, whose team sits 57 places below Liverpool in the English football pyramid. “We got a bit tired at the end but we started so well. They brought on top player after top player”.
For Liverpool, the result extends their unbeaten run to eleven matches in all competitions, though Szoboszlai’s momentary loss of concentration provided an unwelcome and dominant talking point from an otherwise routine cup victory.