Key Highlights
- Liverpool’s side was almost full strength – Itandje, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Lucas (Gerrard 75), Alonso, Babel (Kewell 69), Kuyt, Crouch – while Barnsley had to bring in goalkeeper Luke Steele in on an emergency loan just two days before the game.
- While Steele’s heroics on debut helped Barnsley into the sixth round, Charles Itandje had a shocker at the other end in one of Rafa Benítez’s few changes.
- Brian Howard’s spectacular late winner, coming moments after the Barnsley captain was denied a stonewall penalty, send the away fans into delirium. Buoyed by that result and another shock win over Chelsea in the quarter-final, Barnsley were narrowly beaten by Cardiff City in the semi-finals.
- These days, they are mid-table in League One, so a result today against the Premier League champions seems even more unlikely, but Arne Slot found out last year at Plymouth Argyle what a tricky competition this can be, as he was punished for changing all 10 outfield players for the fourth-round tie at Home Park. The Liverpool manager has already promised not to repeat the mistakes of last season by fielding a strong squad here.
- “I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players you saw against Arsenal, maybe with some substitutions, but then they will be on the bench,” said Slot in the build up to this game.
