Liverpool began the 2025–26 campaign in blistering fashion. After losing the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on penalties, they stormed through their next seven matches across the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup.
But performances masked deeper issues. Late winners became a habit and, once Palace struck again in the league on matchday six, the collapse was dramatic. Just three wins from the next 12 matches followed, alongside nine defeats in a miserable autumn slump.
Slot eventually halted the bleeding. Liverpool are now unbeaten in 10 matches with five wins and five draws yet cracks remain. The three consecutive draws heading into this FA Cup tie mean Anfield is still waiting for a convincing statement.
With memories still raw from last season’s 1–0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle, there is no appetite for another lower-league embarrassment.
Barnsley arrive battered but dangerous
Barnsley’s league position paints a bleak picture, but context matters. The Tykes sit 17th in League One with an 8-5-8 record, though games in hand mean they could climb quickly with a good run.
Form, however, has been poor. They have failed to win in their last four matches, losing three, and their away record is even worse just two wins in their last 12 on the road.
Still, Barnsley are no strangers to the big stage. Despite being stuck in the third tier since relegation in 2022, they remain one of the most historically entrenched Championship clubs of the modern era and FA Cup nights like this can revive any dressing room.
Injuries, absentees and a thinning Liverpool squad
Slot heads into this tie with major selection problems.
Mohamed Salah remains away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo are all unavailable. The club confirmed Conor Bradley’s season is over after suffering a knee injury against Arsenal. Scans confirmed the full extent of Bradley’s knee injury, with damage to both bone and ligaments. Surgery is scheduled for next week and there is no return date. With Leoni also sidelined long-term, the pressure on Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez is growing.
Liverpool’s attacking depth is also stretched, with just four senior forwards available opening the door for fringe players like Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha to get rare opportunities.
Slot sends clear message after Plymouth humiliation
Slot has made it clear this will not be a repeat of last season’s shambolic exit. Speaking after the Arsenal draw, he laid down his intentions:
“I think last season I made the decision that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup, because you cannot play every player every single time. But it’s obvious that we’re not in the League Cup anymore, and the FA Cup has always been very important for us.”
He continued: “But sometimes in a season where you are still competing for the League Cup, for the Champions League, and the league, with the amount of players we had last season and have this season, you have to make choices. But I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players you see today (against Arsenal), maybe with some substitutions, but then they will be on the bench. So that’s going to be different than last season against Plymouth.”
That is a warning Barnsley will not be facing a shadow team.
No room for another FA Cup nightmare
Liverpool’s season is stabilising, but not secure. Three straight draws have stalled momentum, injuries are mounting and the squad is thin.
The FA Cup offers a chance to build belief, rotate intelligently and remind supporters that Anfield remains a fortress even against a club fighting for survival two divisions below.
For Barnsley, it is a free swing. For Liverpool, it is a test of focus, professionalism and lessons learned.
One more FA Cup slip would not just be embarrassing. It would be unforgivable.
