Liverpool didn’t have it all their own way against Barnsley, but the way one player unlocked the game should have fans excited.
This FA Cup tie should not have been as difficult as it was.
The 4-1 scoreline suggests it was a walk in the park, but watching the game, it was anything but.
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Who was your Man of the Match as the Reds head into round four?
FBL-ENG-FACUP-LIVERPOOL-BARNSLEY
Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images
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It was 2-1 with 10 minutes to go, but Dominik Szoboszai’s blushes were spared by the impact made by two substitutes who put the tie to bed.
And it’s one of those subs whose importance to Arne Slot’s side is growing with each passing week.
Florian Wirtz looks destined to be the man at Liverpool
After a difficult start to life at Liverpool, Florian Wirtz has found form.
The German didn’t start this cup clash, but he made a huge impact when he did come on.
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Admittedly, he missed a howler shortly after his introduction, but made up for it with a goal and an assist late on.
It’s now five goal involvements in his last six games, and the mammoth fee Liverpool paid for his services is starting to look good value for money.
Which player does Florian Wirtz remind you of the most?
He has been compared before to Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and now Peter Beardsley
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-0 during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield
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Before Wirtz was introduced, Liverpool were looking quite toothless from open play.
It took a couple of top strikes to give them their first-half goals, and it wasn’t until the introduction of Wirtz and Ekitike that the Reds actually started picking Barnsley apart.
The quality the 22-year-old possesses is staggering — it’s clear he will be the focal point of the Liverpool attack for years to come.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are on the same wavelength
The combinations between the two substitutes made for brilliant viewing after over an hour of lethargic attacking play.
Ekitike’s picture-perfect flick teed up Wirtz to bend it into the top corner, before Liverpool’s number 7 returned the favour in injury time by finding his striker free at the back post.
Florian Wirtz scores for Liverpool vs Barnsley
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Football is a game of confidence, and that short but deadly Anfield outing for the new signings will give them the belief to replicate those performances week in, week out.
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