A 57-place difference in the English football hierarchy is set to be bridged tonight as Premier League winners Liverpool take on League One team Barnsley at Anfield for a spot in the FA Cup fourth round.
Liverpool comes into this match with a 10-game unbeaten streak, although they have drawn their last three games, including a tough 0-0 draw with Arsenal. Barnsley, sitting 17th in League One, will try to draw on their past successes at Anfield, having won twice there in the Premier League and FA Cup. Head Coach Conor Hourihane is urging his team to seize the moment and aim for a significant upset.
Liverpool vs Barnsley – FA Cup Preview and Team News
- Date: Monday, 12 January 2026
- Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
- Venue: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
- Referee: Farai Hallam
- VAR: Not in use
- Last Meeting: Barnsley 1–2 Liverpool (February 2008) — FA Cup
Team News
Liverpool
Liverpool is expected to rotate their squad due to a packed schedule and increasing injuries. Conor Bradley was injured in the match against Arsenal and joins Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Wataru Endo on the injury list. Mohamed Salah is unavailable as he is competing in the Africa Cup of Nations. Young players Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha, and Calvin Ramsay could get a chance to start, with Federico Chiesa possibly leading the attack.
Barnsley
Barnsley will be without midfielder Luca Connell, serving a suspension after receiving a red card against Wigan Athletic. However, Head Coach Hourihane has a stronger squad due to a recent 10-day break. New signing Eoghan O’Connell can play, and former Liverpool youth players Adam Phillips and Vimal Yoganathan look forward to returning to their old club.
Form
Liverpool
Liverpool enters this match after being unbeaten in 10 games across all competitions, but their recent performance includes three straight draws. Their last game ended in a 0-0 draw with Arsenal. Despite these ties, they have a strong record at Anfield in the FA Cup, having won eight of their last nine home matches and progressed from 13 of their last 14 third-round ties.
Barnsley
Barnsley comes to Anfield facing a challenging phase, winless in their last four League One matches, placing them 17th in the standings. They recently benefited from a pause in fixtures due to cancellations. However, their defense has struggled, managing only two clean sheets in the last 25 matches. Interestingly, they are the only team to have a two-game winning streak away at Liverpool.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool predicted XI: Mamardashvili; Ramsay, Gomez, Robertson, Kerkez; Nyoni, Jones; Frimpong, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Chiesa
Barnsley predicted XI: Mahoney; Watson, Gevigney, Shepherd, Earl; Phillips, Bland; Jalo, Kelly, McGoldrick; Keillor-Dunn
How to watch Liverpool vs Barnsley?
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+, with coverage starting at 19:00 GMT.
Read more- Five of the biggest FA Cup third round upsets
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