There's another potential story on the cards tonight as a brilliant FA Cup Third Round continues with English champions Liverpool against mid-table League One outfit Barnsley at Anfield.
Liverpool are on a 10-match unbeaten run across all competitions, albeit it has been an underwhelming unbeaten run. The immediate and intense pressure has begun to ease on Arne Slot, though.
Barnsley started the season expecting to challenge for the top six and the playoff places in League One with Conor Hourihane now at the helm at Oakwell. However, the Tykes have been too inconsistent throughout the season and now sit firmly in the bottom-half of the table.
Can they recreate heroics of the past when they won at Anfield in 2008 or will Liverpool make it 11 without defeat? AllSportsPeople brings you all the latest tips and odds for this FA Cup tie.
Liverpool vs. Barnsley: Who Will Win?
Liverpool will rotate heavily. As Arne Slot explained when they were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup in late-October, he doesn’t believe the cup competitions are the ones that a club like Liverpool should be taking too seriously.
Already fallible, that should provide an often entertaining Barnsley side with a bit of confidence to at least bloody the hosts’ nose but Liverpool are firm favourites to progress into the fourth round.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Barnsley (10/1 with Bet365)
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Head-to-Head: Liverpool vs. Barnsley
- That famous Barnsley win at Anfield came in February 2008 as Mark Howard inspired the South Yorkshire outfit to a 2-1 win on Merseyside in the fifth round.
- Barnsley were one of three Championship sides to play at Wembley Stadium in the semi-finals that season, eventually succumbing to a 1-0 loss to Cardiff City in a competition that was won by Portsmouth. The season of upsets had previously seen Liverpool have to come from behind twice to defeat Havant & Waterlooville at Anfield in the third round.
- Overall, Liverpool and Barnsley have clashed on 23 occasions with Liverpool having come out on top in 14 of those games and Barnsley winning five matches.
Liverpool vs. Barnsley: Form Guide
Liverpool – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
- Fulham 2-2 Liverpool (Premier League)
- Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United (Premier League)
- Liverpool 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Premier League)
- Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Liverpool (Premier League)
Barnsley – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Wigan Athletic 1-1 Barnsley (League One)
- Barnsley 0-2 Lincoln City (League One)
- Barnsley 2-3 Mansfield Town (League One)
- Exeter City 3-0 Barnsley (League One)
- Barnsley 3-2 Leyton Orient (League One)
Liverpool vs. Barnsley Betting Tips
Conor Hourihane was known for his impressive efforts from long range and he has built a side that shows quality in low percentage shots from distance, particularly the likes of David McGoldrick and Adam Phillips.
Their absolute key man, though, is former Mansfield Town man Davis Keillor-Dunn and he will be the biggest thorn in Liverpool’s side.
Backing Keillor-Dunn, who has 33 goals and eight assists since joining Barnsley in the summer of 2024, to have over 1.5 shots on target (9/2 with Bet365) would appear good value.
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Liverpool vs. Barnsley Team News
Liverpool Team News
- Conor Bradley was stretchered off against Arsenal, having had his injury dismissed by Gabriel Martinelli, and now the Northern Ireland international is expected to be unavailable for the rest of the season due to requiring knee surgery.
- The absence of Mohamed Salah has coincided with Liverpool’s slight improvement in terms of results and he remains away at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
- Hugo Ekitike faces a late fitness test with Slot suggesting they would try and get him back for this one, while fellow big money summer signing up-front Alexander Isak remains a confirmed absentee.
Barnsley Team News
- The biggest issue for Barnsley as they make the trip to the north west is the absence of captain and key midfielder Luca Connell, who is missing through suspension.
- Reyes Cleary joined on a permanent basis from West Bromwich Albion in the summer and the one time Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund-linked attacker has emerged as a key man for Hourihane’s side.
- Davis Keillor-Dunn missed Barnsley’s clash with Wigan on New Year’s Day but he has returned to full fitness ahead of their stellar cup tie. Georgie Gent is an injury issue, too.
Liverpool vs. Barnsley Lineups: Predicted Starting XI’s
This is how we think the two teams will lineup at the Anfield tonight, with Hugo Ekitike unlikely to start despite seemingly winning his race to be fit for the next Premier League match against Burnley.
Liverpool predicted lineup to play Barnsley
Mamardashvili (GK) – Ramsay, Gomez, Robertson, Kerkez – Nyoni, Mac Allister – Chiesa, Jones, Frimpong – Gakpo
- Out: Leoni, Bradley, Endo, Bajcetic, Salah, Isak
- Doubtful: Ekitike
- Suspension: N/A
Barnsley predicted lineup to play Liverpool
Cooper (GK) – Watson, De Gevigney, Shepherd, Earl – Phillips, Yoganathan – Cleary, Kelly, McGoldrick – Keillor-Dunn
- Out: Gent
- Doubtful: N/A
- Suspension: Connell
Liverpool vs. Barnsley Odds
- Liverpool to win: 2/13 with Coral
- Barnsley to win: 20/1 with AK Bets
- Draw: 11/1 with Sky Bet
Bet Builder Tips: Liverpool vs. Barnsley
Our bet builder for Liverpool vs. Barnsley backs Liverpool to win with over 3.5 goals in the game, Davis Keillor-Dunn to have two or more shots on target in the game and Federico Chiesa to score anytime for the hosts, which came to overall best odds of 14/1 with Bet365 at the time of writing.
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How to Watch: Liverpool vs. Barnsley Live Stream, TV Channel
- Date: Monday, January 12
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Time: 19:45 GMT
- TV/Stream: TNT Sports / discovery+