Liverpool flattered by 4-1 Barnsley score as Arne Slot justifies strong starting XI | OneFootball

If you wondered why Arne Slot picked such a strong starting XI against Barnsley, Liverpool’s performance should tell you exactly why.

The team sitting fourth in the Premier League won 4-1 against the 17th-placed side in League One, and it was a scoreline that flattered them. They were poor despite starts for Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Jeremie Frimpong and Alexis Mac Allister, while Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all came off the bench. Only Jones and Ekitike did not start against Arsenal.

There was confidence that Liverpool would qualify for the fourth round of the FA Cup for four minutes when they were 2-0 up, and then again from the 84th minute when Florian Wirtz restored the Reds’ two-goal lead.

Barnsley should be brushed aside by Liverpool at Anfield, but they put in a really good account of themselves, rattling the post inside the first 30 seconds and looking dangerous down the left, with Reyes Cleary threatening Virgil van Dijk at 0-0.

Had Barnsley opened the scoring after 28 seconds, it would have been the earliest “too early” goal for an underdog against Premier League opposition in this season’s FA Cup. Portsmouth scored “too early” against Arsenal on Sunday, as David James noted.

Liverpool would have upped their game at 1-0 down, and it might have been exactly what they needed to avoid what turned out to be an underwhelming performance.

Conor Hourihane’s game plan was clearly to have a go but drop deep when Liverpool had possession. There is only so much you can do, though, and nothing you can do when Szoboszlai strikes the ball as he did for the opening goal. Hourihane would have been content with restricting the hosts to shots from range.

Jeremie Frimpong’s strike for 2-0 was also an absolute thunderb***ard, and it felt like Liverpool could relax and add two or three more.

They did relax…too much. Szoboszlai’s failed backheel six yards from his own goal was more arrogant than complacent or over-confident, and former Liverpool academy player Adam Phillips capitalised to bring the Tykes back into the third-round tie, scoring in front of the Kop.

Slot’s side ultimately won by three goals, but it felt like there was an upset in the air. Barnsley could have won a penalty at 2-1, and a £169million combination between Wirtz and Ekitike finally gave Liverpool breathing space with six minutes left, before they combined again with Barnsley throwing the kitchen sink at the other end.

It was not convincing, but the most important thing was the result, ensuring it was Liverpool v Brighton, not Barnsley v Brighton, in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Yet it probably would have been completely different had Slot not gone with such a strong team.

It might have felt like a perfect opportunity for Calvin Ramsay, Wataru Endo and Trey Nyoni to come in and impress, but starting Federico Chiesa, Rio Ngumoha and Joe Gomez was enough rotation. Giorgi Mamardashvili and Andy Robertson were always going to start and are arguably the best back-ups in their respective positions in the Premier League.

In an FA Cup round in which holders Crystal Palace were beaten by non-league Macclesfield, Reds head coach Slot was taking no chances. A team selection that might have raised eyebrows before kick-off was justified.

With even more changes – perhaps including a rest for Szoboszlai – the tempo could have been slower, the pressing structure poorer, and partnerships unfamiliar across the pitch. This team has looked incohesive throughout the season, and Monday’s performance suggests that too much rotation would have been too great a risk. If Barnsley at home was hard enough with that side, imagine it with eight or nine changes.

Konate’s earlier performances going unpunished this season showed how little Slot trusted those behind him in the pecking order to do any better, so his regular starters available against Barnsley were always likely to feature. It is clear the Dutch coach views his depth as insufficient, either structurally or technically; perhaps it’s a bit of both.

What is more certain is that Liverpool’s performance proved Slot was reasonable to go strong. It did not indict the starters. It also did not vindicate the back-ups. And it showed that this group remains fragile against weaker opposition when the intensity drops.