Manchester City striker Erling Haaland’s Snapchat story about Dominik Szoboszlai has gone viral following Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Barnsley in the FA Cup third round on Monday night. While the scoreline suggests the Reds cruised past their League One visitors, the reality at Anfield was far less comfortable.
Szoboszlai put Liverpool ahead after nine minutes, before Jeremie Frimpong lashed in a second to seemingly put Arne Slot’s side in control. However, it was the first goalscorer's mistake inside his own box that handed The Tykes a lifeline. That error left Liverpool’s lead looking increasingly precarious, until late substitutes Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike combined twice in the final 10 minutes to finally kill the contest.
In the end, it was one of the less thrilling ties of the FA Cup’s most famously chaotic round. Elsewhere, sixth-tier Macclesfield Town stunned Crystal Palace on penalties, while Man City ran riot with a double-figure win over Exeter City. Even so, that didn’t stop Haaland from tuning in - and sharing his thoughts felt on social media.
Haaland Aims Snapchat Story at Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring their first goal against Barnsley
The Hungarian international produced yet another stunning strike on Monday night, taking his tally for the season to six goals across all competitions. From 25 yards out, he struck the ball perfectly into the top-left corner, though his celebration was muted as he went about his business in his usual understated manner. Haaland, however, wanted to see a bit more from him, posting the following on Snapchat (see below):
"Domi, what a goal. Smile a bit."
The post may have caught some onlookers off guard, unless they were already aware of the pair’s close friendship. Haaland and Szoboszlai played together during their time at RB Salzburg, with the Man City striker previously noting that the Liverpool midfielder is one of his best friends in football - even as their Premier League clubs have been locked in a fierce title-chasing rivalry in recent years.
Szoboszlai's Eventful FA Cup Third Round
Barnsley's Adam Phillips celebrates scoring their first goal as Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai looks dejected
Szoboszlai looked on course for another Man of the Match performance on Monday night, having opened the scoring and covered an enormous amount of ground across the full 90 minutes. He has proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the world right now, but a moment of madness just before half-time ultimately cost him.
After beating former Liverpool academy prospect Adam Phillips in a foot race to recover the ball in his own half, the Hungarian continued to shield possession inside his own box. He then attempted to pull off his trademark backheel towards his goalkeeper, only to make a complete mess of it and gift his opponent the easiest goal of his career. Watch the incident below:
Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane has since accused Szoboszlai of a lack of respect after the bizarre goal, branding him as "disrespectful" for actions he "wouldn't do against Chelsea or Arsenal or in the Champions League," as per Liverpool Echo. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old apologised for making life more difficult for his teammates.