Liverpool were forced to weather a moment of sheer folly from Dominik Szoboszlai before eventually brushing aside Sky Bet League One strugglers Barnsley 4-1 in a far from comfortable FA Cup tie at Anfield.
The Hungary midfielder produced a breathtaking opener from long range but almost single-handedly dragged the hosts into trouble with a rash and unnecessary backheel inside his own six-yard box.
The ill-judged flick gifted Adam Phillips, a former Liverpool academy player and lifelong fan, the chance to score in front of the Kop, an opportunity he gratefully accepted.
What made the error even more baffling was Liverpool’s dominance moments earlier. Szoboszlai’s thunderous 35-yard strike had been followed by an equally impressive effort from Jeremie Frimpong, leaving Arne Slot’s side cruising just five minutes before the interval.
Instead, the mistake reignited Barnsley’s belief. The visitors, sitting 17th in League One, sensed vulnerability and pushed relentlessly for an equaliser, asking uncomfortable questions well into the second half.
Liverpool only found breathing space late on when substitute Florian Wirtz bent in a fine finish in the 84th minute, before Hugo Ekitike sealed the scoreline in stoppage time to set up a home clash with Brighton.
Szoboszlai was fortunate his night did not unravel further. With VAR not in use, Barnsley were left incensed after his heavy challenge on Reyes Cleary went unpunished, believing they should have been awarded a penalty.
Despite extending their unbeaten run to 11 matches, Liverpool again lacked conviction, continuing a worrying trend of laboured performances.
The timing of the match, coming shortly after confirmation of former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso’s exit from Real Madrid, may not have directly affected Slot, but the presence of the ex-Leverkusen boss will inevitably loom larger should Liverpool’s form dip further.
Mindful of last season’s painful FA Cup exit at Plymouth, Slot named a strong starting XI, with five players retained from Thursday’s goalless draw at Arsenal.
Although six changes were made, the side was far from weakened, featuring Joe Gomez, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson, alongside teenage winger Rio Ngumoha and Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili
Slot’s intent was underlined by a bench stacked with more than £250 million worth of summer recruits, including the recently returned Ekitike.
Yet Liverpool were nearly punished immediately when Davis Keillor-Dunn struck the post inside the opening 30 seconds.
Szoboszlai soon atoned with a stunning dipping effort from distance, though memories lingered of the last meeting between the sides in 2008 when Liverpool led before suffering a late defeat.
Jonathan Bland later tested Mamardashvili with a powerful volley, but Frimpong restored calm by cutting inside from the right and firing past Murphy Cooper with a ferocious left-footed strike.
That calm evaporated when Szoboszlai’s lapse allowed Phillips to tap in, shifting the momentum decisively towards the visitors as Liverpool appeared to underestimate their lower-league opponents.
Barnsley stayed alive after the break thanks to an outstanding save from Cooper, who tipped Virgil van Dijk’s volley onto the crossbar.
Their resistance finally ended late on, as departing supporters serenaded the tension with an ironic acoustic rendition of Manic Monday.
