A thrilling weekend of FA Cup action comes to a close this evening as Liverpool welcome Barnsley to Anfield. Last season’s truncated cup run was one of the few blights on a Premier League-winning campaign as the Reds were knocked out in the fourth round by Plymouth Argyle, and Arne Slot’s quest to improve on that campaign begins here tonight.
It has been a mixed week of highs and lows for Liverpool. A midweek goalless draw with Arsenal leaves them unbeaten in six but winless in three, while the loss of Conor Bradley to a season-ending knee injury has hung a dark cloud over Anfield. Tonight serves as a presentable opportunity to get back to winning ways, though, as Conor Hourihane’s struggling Tykes make the short trip west.
Barnsley are enduring a difficult season, sitting 17th in League One, having won just eight league matches this season. Their slim chances of a cupset are dimmed even further by captain Luca Connell’s suspension, too. Follow the action LIVE below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis.
Liverpool vs Barnsley latest news
- GOAL! Ekitike puts it beyond doubt
- GOAL! Wirz kills it off
- GOAL! Barnsley pull one back
- GOAL! Frimpong makes it two
- GOAL! Szoboszlai stunner opens scoring
- Kick-off!
FULL TIME: Liverpool 4-1 Barnsley
21:39 , Arthur FerridgeThat does it! Liverpool move on and will host Brighton in the fourth round.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-1 Barnsley | Ekitike 90+4'
21:38 , Arthur FerridgeEkitike marks his injury return with a goal.
Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley
21:37 , Arthur Ferridge90+4mins: So close to a consolation for Barnsley! Cleary whips a delightful cross in for McGoldrick, but the 38-year-old heads over.
Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley
21:36 , Arthur Ferridge90+3mins: O’Keefe is played in behind and has a clear run at goal, but his legs look heavy and he is caught up by Konate. He does win a corner, though.
Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley
21:34 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: There will be five minutes of injury time here.
Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley
21:31 , Arthur Ferridge88mins: One more round of substitutions.
Trey Nyoni is on for Alexis Mac Allister, and Gent for Yoganathan.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley | Wirtz 84'
21:27 , Arthur FerridgeWirtz seals it with a lovely curling effort.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:26 , Arthur Ferridge83mins: In spite of the changes, some of the fight has left the Tykes here. Liverpool seem to be coasting to the finish.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:24 , Arthur Ferridge80mins: EFL veteran David McGoldrick replaces Keillor-Dunn. A final roll of the dice from Conor Hourihane.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:23 , Arthur Ferridge79mins: Gakpo becomes the latest Liverpool player to miss a shooting chance, though he does win a corner for his side.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:21 , Arthur Ferridge77mins: Mac Allister has a crack from 20 yards out but misses high and wide.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:20 , Arthur Ferridge76mins: Szoboszlai plays a simply stunning cross to Wirtz from deep. He runs onto it in the box and nonchalantly... chips it over the bar. What a waste.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:17 , Arthur Ferridge73mins: Changes for both sides, here.
Gravenberch replaces Ngumoha for Liverpool.
O’Connell and Kelly replace Phillips and Ogbeta for Barnsley.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:15 , Arthur Ferridge71mins: Ngumoha has slipped awkwardly and taken his time to get back up. Has he tweaked something there?
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:13 , Arthur Ferridge68mins: Gakpo breaks to the byline before flicking another cross over the six-yard box, but once again there is no red shirt on the scene to put it away.
Barnsley counter, and Cleary’s back-post ball has Robertson in trouble. He puts it behind for a corner to the visitors.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:10 , Arthur Ferridge66mins: Conor Hourihane has been booked after pleading the penalty case with the fourth official.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:08 , Arthur Ferridge65mins: Another huge chance for Liverpool goes begging as Van Dijk heads wide from Gakpo’s cross.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:06 , Arthur Ferridge63mins: On viewing the replay, it looks like Cleary had a case. In the Premier League, it certainly would have gone to VAR and they likely would have deliberated for 10, maybe 15 minutes.
No VAR at this stage of the FA Cup, though, so the referee’s decision will stand.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:05 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Cleary gets the better of Szoboszlai and tears into the box. The Hungarian brings him down and at first glance it looks a stonewall penalty, but the referee waves play on!
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:03 , Arthur Ferridge59mins: They replace Frimpong, Chiesa, and Gomez.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:01 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: Ekitike, Wirtz, and Konate are being readied to come on for Liverpool.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
21:01 , Arthur Ferridge57mins: STUNNING SAVE FROM COOPER! Szoboszlai’s cross is deflected but Van Dijk reacts quickly to catch it on the volley. He hits it into the ground with some power but it pops up to Cooper, who gets a hand to it and directs it over his bar.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:57 , Arthur Ferridge53mins: Ngumoha floats a gorgeous cross to Jones on the edge of the six-yard box, but it is just a little too far beyond him and is ushered behind for a corner.
Robertson is charged with taking it, and does not beat the first man.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:56 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: Frimpong whips a cross in for Gakpo but the goalkeeper Cooper beats him to it.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:53 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: The free-kick is around the wall but does not beat the first man.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:53 , Arthur Ferridge49mins: Barnsley have started this second half on the front foot, perhaps egged on by the prospect of attacking towards the away end. Cleary wins a free-kick on the left flank, 18-yards from the byline.
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:50 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: Chiesa has the first shot of the half, but it cannot find its way through a mess of white-shirted defenders.
2ND HALF: Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:49 , Arthur FerridgeAnd we’re back underway! No changes for either side - all to play for.
H/T! Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:33 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool lead at the break!
Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley
20:30 , Arthur Ferridge44mins: Incredible fall from grace (in the context of this game) from Szoboszlai there. From his stunning opener to an absolute howler which gifted Barnsley a tap-in right in front of the Kop.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley | Phillips 41'
20:27 , Arthur FerridgeWhat on Earth happened there?! Barnsley have one back! Szoboszlai tackled the Tykes forward in the box, but seemed to leave the ball behind as he looked to play out, and Phillips says ‘thank you very much’!
Liverpool 2-0 Barnsley
20:25 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: Anyway, here’s Gakpo attacking with one boot on.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Barnsley | Frimpong 36'
20:22 , Arthur FerridgeFrimpong gets Liverpool’s second, and again it seems to have come from nowhere! He cuts in off the right flank and hits an emphatic finish into the roof of the net from about ten yards out.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:21 , Arthur Ferridge35mins: Naturally, we will bring you a picture of the Gakpo single-shoe counter-attack as soon as we have access to one.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:20 , Arthur Ferridge34mins: Cody Gakpo leads a Liverpool attack - but wait, he’s only got one boot on! He’s clearly lost a shoe and is carrying the other!
The attack comes to nothing, and as the play goes dead the Dutchman has a chance to fix his footwear.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:18 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Gomez is booked for a cynical foul on Cleary, which halted a Barnsley counter. The Tykes are struggling to play out, but when they do, they generally get a shot away.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:16 , Arthur Ferridge29mins: Keillor-Dunn gets into a one-on-one situation with Van Dijk, gets free and fires at goal. It is not a challenging save for Mamardashvili, but Barnsley are asking a lot more questions than Arne Slot would probably like.
The first half-hour of this match has absolutely flown by!
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:12 , Arthur Ferridge27mins: Jones finds Gakpo in the area. The Dutchman cuts back and has a go, but his effort is blocked. It looks like it’ll be another corner for Liverpool after Jones’ follow-up shot goes behind, but it is deemed to have come off Gakpo last.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:11 , Arthur Ferridge25mins: This latest Liverpool spell of possession ends as a long, cross-field ball to Ngumoha floats out of play.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:09 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: The Barnsley corner goes short and eventually comes to Bland, who gets a shot off on the volley and demands a smart save from Mamardashvili.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:09 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: O’Keefe gets a cross into the area which lands in an awkward area and has Mamardashvili concerned. It falls to Frimpong, who puts it behind for a corner.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:06 , Arthur Ferridge20mins: A rare mistake from Szoboszlai as he blazes the corner out of play for a throw-in on the far side.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:06 , Arthur Ferridge20mins: Liverpool are unsurprisingly going through Barnsley like a hot knife through butter. Another snappy passing move ends with Frimpong’s cross being blocked behind. Another corner, is it?
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:04 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: It has been all Liverpool since that flurry of Barnsley attacking activity in the opening 90 seconds or so. Can’t be long till they have a second.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:03 , Arthur Ferridge17mins: The set-pieces are flowing thick and fast for Liverpool. This latest corner is lofted the back post for Van Dijk, but he is double-marked and the Reds are forced to recycle.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:01 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: Szoboszlai is feeling his oats and has another go from long range, but Shepherd gets his head in the way and the ball is out for a corner. Shepherd looks decidedly dazed.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
20:00 , Arthur Ferridge14mins: Ngumoha gets on the ball and cuts into the area, but his cross is cleared before it can reach the intended target.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
19:59 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Keillor-Dunn makes a marauding run and has a pop from the edge of the box, but shanks it wide right.
Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley
19:57 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: That must really have knocked the wind out of Barnsley. They had started so brightly, but there really isn’t much anyone could have done to keep that strike out. What a hit.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Barnsley | Szoboszlai 9'
19:55 , Arthur FerridgeLIVERPOOL LEAD FROM NOWHERE! Szoboszlai gets on the ball in the middle of the park and no defender closes him down. The Hungarian puts his foot through it and rifles his shot into the top left corner from some 30 yards. Stunner!
Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:53 , Arthur Ferridge8mins: The Reds are waking up a bit now. Robertson wins a corner as his cross is blocked by Phillips and goes behind.
Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:52 , Arthur Ferridge7mins: Barnsley certainly aren’t playing like the 17th-best side in League One here. Really lively start from the Tykes.
Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:51 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: Yoganathan cuts to the byline and looks to catch Mamardashvili out with a shot from a tight angle, but his effort is over the bar.
Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:48 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: Another bright attack from Barnsley as Cleary breaks down the right flank and makes good ground but overhits his cross to Keillor-Dunn.
Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:47 , Arthur Ferridge1min: HUGE CHANCE! Almost the perfect start for Barnsley as captain Keillor-Dunn hits the post after barely 30 seconds!
KICK-OFF! Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley
19:46 , Arthur FerridgeWe are underway at Anfield!
Nearly time to get going...
19:42 , Arthur FerridgeThe players are out! Kick-off is imminent...
Team news reminder
19:35 , Arthur FerridgeTen minutes to kick-off! Here’s a reminder of today’s teams.
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha
Barnsley XI: Cooper; Shepherd, De Gevigney, O’Keefe, Phillips, Ogbeta, Cleary, Watson, Bland, Keillor-Dunn, Yoganathan
Rio Ngumoha
19:29 , Arthur FerridgeIt is a big day, too, for Rio Ngumoha.
The 17-year-old, formerly of Chelsea, has shown flashes of brilliance in his limited appearances this season.
Cast your mind back, though, to his stunning late winner against Newcastle earlier this season.
He could cause Barnsley some huge problems here.
Slot previews the tie
19:28 , Arthur FerridgeArne Slot speaks to TNT Sport...
On the squad: “I don't think we were able to make much more changes than this, because as you know we don’t have thatmany players available. As a result of that, we made a few changes, but a few have to start who have already started so many games. But that also means we have a strong lineup today.”
On defensive changes: “We know now that Conor Bradley is out for a long time. That, first of all, is a big, big blow for him. He has had his injuries already this season. He was progressing, making steps, getting better and better, but his injury doesn’t help us. In our back line, we don’t have a lot of options.”
Big day for Chiesa
19:25 , Arthur FerridgeThis is Federico Chiesa’s first appearance for Liverpool since October.
He has really struggled to win over Arne Slot in his time at Anfield.
It had been reported that he was looking for a move away from the club this month, but could he endear himself to the gaffer tonight?
Warm-ups underway...
19:21 , Arthur Ferridge
Fourth round draw in full
19:14 , Arthur FerridgeThose are the headlines from the draw, but you can read the full draw in full HERE!
Premier League sides learn fourth round opponents
19:12 , Arthur FerridgeHere are all the FA Cup fourth round fixtures involving Premier League sides.
Birmingham City vs Leeds United
Macclesfield FC vs Brentford
Man City vs Salford or Swindon
Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Grimsby Town vs Wolves
Burnley vs Mansfield Town
Burton Albion vs West Ham
Arsenal vs Wigan
Hull vs Chelsea
Stoke vs Fulham
Liverpool or Barnsley vs Brighton
Oxford vs Sunderland
Big ask for Barnsley
19:03 , Arthur FerridgeBarnsley come into this match with one win in their last six.
They have fallen to 17th in League One.
A win today could flip their season’s fortunes on their head!
Easier said than done, though.
Liverpool XI
18:55 , Arthur FerridgeA surprising side from Arne Slot in a few different ways.
Rio Ngumoha starts up top as part of a surprisingly strong attack, which also includes Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, and perhaps Jeremie Frimpong.
Virgil van Dijk was expected to be rested, but starts in central defence alongside Joe Gomez.
Hugo Ekitike returns from injury and starts on the bench, as does Wataru Endo!
BARNSLEY TEAM NEWS
18:48 , Arthur FerridgeAnd here are tonight’s visitors.
Barnsley XI: Cooper; Shepherd, De Gevigney, O’Keefe, Phillips, Ogbeta, Cleary, Watson, Bland, Keillor-Dunn, Yoganathan
Subs: Flavell, Roberts, McGoldrick, Jalo, O’Connell, Gent, Kelly, Barratt, Farrell
LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS
18:46 , Arthur FerridgeArne Slot goes strong!
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha
Subs: Alisson, Endo, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Ekitike, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Ramsay
Pre-match scenes
18:45 , Arthur FerridgeAnfield braces for FA Cup action!
Liverpool learn potential fourth round opponent
18:38 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool/Barnsley is the first ball drawn out!
Tonight’s winner will host Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Fourth round draw underway
18:37 , Arthur FerridgeThe FA Cup fourth round draw is underway...
Hugo Ekitike latest
18:35 , Arthur FerridgeHugo Ekitike has arrived with the Liverpool squad, suggesting he will be involved this evening!
He had previously been considered a doubt as he was carrying a hamstring issue.
Fourth round draw up soon
18:30 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool will discover their potential fourth-round opponents in just a few minutes!
Pride of place
18:29 , Arthur FerridgeThe FA Cup is at Anfield this evening ahead of the fourth round draw.
In other Liverpool news...
18:21 , Arthur Ferridge‘Adolescence’ star Owen Cooper, a Liverpool fan, won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.
And he signed off his acceptance speech with a nod to the Reds: "Bring on 2026. You'll never walk alone."
Congratulations to Liverpool fan Owen Cooper on winning a Golden Globe last night 👏 YNWA ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QuJlAHjZfz
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 12, 2026
Elsewhere in the FA Cup
18:15 , Arthur FerridgeThere has been plentiful FA Cup action this weekend.
Crystal Palace fell to the biggest upset in FA Cup history as they were beaten 2-1 by non-league Macclesfield.
Man United fell to another dismal defeat as they were sent packing by Brighton.
So too did Tottenham, theirs at the hands of Aston Villa.
There was a rare win for West Ham, who edged past Championship side QPR, with Taty Castellanos scoring the winner with his first goal for the club.
Chelsea cruised past Charlton Athletic in Liam Rosenior’s first match, and Arsenal breezed by Portsmouth.
Oh, and Man City put ten goals past Exeter City. Yes, you read that right.
Elsewhere, Fulham and Brentford beat Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday to move on.
Last time out in the FA Cup
18:07 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool were beaten 1-0 by Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of last season’s FA Cup in what was comfortably the nadir of Arne Slot’s debut season. Reminisce on that day below...
Liverpool’s hopes of winning a quadruple this season are over after a shock defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup fourth round.
The Reds arrived at Home Park in great form after reaching the Carabao Cup final thanks to a second leg win over Tottenham, but there will be no domestic cup double for Arne Slot in his first season as head coach.
Liverpool suffered an early blow with Joe Gomez, only just back from a hamstring injury, saw his first appearance of 2025 come to an end after just 11 minutes as he was replaced by youngster Isaac Mabaya.
As the experienced defender sat up on the turf, his expression conveyed sheer devastation as he faces another spell on the sidelines.
READ THE FULL MATCH REPORT HERE!
Conor Bradley out for the season
17:58 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool have confirmed Conor Bradley suffered a serious knee injury against Arsenal.
Bradley has avoided an ACL injury but the defender will need surgery to repair damage to ligaments and bone in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.
The right-back was forced off in Thursday's 0-0 Premier League draw at Arsenal after landing awkwardly near the touchline when chasing the ball in injury time.
A Liverpool statement read: “Liverpool FC can confirm Conor Bradley has sustained a significant knee injury.
“The right-back suffered the issue in the latter stages of Thursday night's Premier League fixture away at Arsenal.
“Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days and then begin a period of rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre.
“No timeframe is being placed on his return to playing at this stage of the process.”
Real Madrid sack Xabi Alonso
17:50 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool legend Xabi Alonso has been sacked by Real Madrid after defeat by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
He spent seven months in the hot seat at the Bernabeu and leaves with a win rate just over 70 per cent.
He has been immediately replaced by his assistant, Alvaro Arbeloa.
In a manager market largely devoid of available world-class talent, he may not be out of work for long.
FA Cup fourth round draw LIVE
17:42 , Arthur FerridgeThe FA Cup fourth round fixtures wil be drawn ahead of kick-off here.
Luckily for you, Standard Sport is bringing you LIVE coverage of the draw!
Who will Liverpool face in the next round, provided they progress? Find out HERE!
Standard Sport prediction: No surprises
17:35 , Arthur FerridgeLiverpool have been upset by Barnsley in the past, but should not expect any significant disruptions to their season’s progress on Monday.
Results and performances have been steadily trending upwards of late, and while injury worries are again beginning to mount, Slot has been helped by a number of first-team returnees in recent weeks.
Barnsley come into the match winless in four, and should not expect to snap that run here.
Liverpool to win, 3-0.
Barnsley early team news: Captain suspended
17:30 , Arthur FerridgeBarnsley will be able to call on fit-again full-back Nathanael Ogbeta, while centre-back Marc Roberts has been described by Hourihane as “touch and go.” The same is true of Georgie Gent.
In a major blow to the Tykes, club captain Luca Connell will miss the match as he serves a three-match suspension after being sent off at Wigan.
They may be able to hand a debut to experienced centre-back Eoghan O’Connell, who signed on a short-term deal on Wednesday.
Liverpool early team news: Bradley out for the season
17:25 , Arthur FerridgeWhile Liverpool can be pleased enough with the point they took away from Arsenal, they also came away with another key injury.
Conor Bradley went down late on and had to be stretchered off with a serious-looking knee injury that it has now been confirmed will see him miss the rest of the season.
Liverpool remain without Alexander Isak following surgery on a leg fracture, while it remains to be seen if fellow striker Hugo Ekitike has fully recovered from a hamstring issue.
Slot will be unable to call upon either Wataru Endo, out until the end of the month, or Giovanni Leoni, sidelined until next season.
The match may provide the opportunity to hand some youngsters a run out, with the likes of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni both patiently waiting for a chance to impress.
How to watch Liverpool vs Barnsley
17:20 , Arthur FerridgeTV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6.30pm. The fourth-round draw takes place ahead of kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Good evening
17:12 , Arthur FerridgeHello, and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool vs Barnsley in the FA Cup third round!
There has been a few considerable cupsets so far this weekend. Will the Reds suffer the same fate?
Follow along right here as we wait to find out! Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT.
Stick with us!
