With Liverpool so far off the pace in the EPL standings, in fourth, 14 points behind Arsenal, Arne Slot says that the FA Cup represents a fresh start for the Reds. They will have to make that fresh start without Conor Bradley, who may be lost for the season due to a knee injury suffered in the match against Arsenal.
"Given our position in the Premier League is currently not what we would want it to be, the FA Cup is a competition that gives us a fresh opportunity to build something meaningful,” he said.
Respecting Barnsley
With so many upsets in the competition, most notably Wrexham over Nottingham Forest and Macclesfield knocking out defending champion Crystal Palace, Slot knows he can not take Barnsley, a League 1 side, lightly.
“The starting point for this is to give Barnsley the respect that they deserve. Despite being a young team with a young manager, they already have a reputation for playing good football in League One, and they have reached this stage with two very good results against York City and Peterborough.”
The Road To Wembley Starts Here
Even though he may not play (see predicted lineups), captain Virgil van Dijk has some high expectations for the club in the FA Cup, but also issues a warning about Barnsley.
"Make no mistake, this will be a tough test for us. Barnsley will be coming here with a lot of motivation; they have nothing to lose in many ways, and they will have a lot of fans behind them from the first whistle to the last. So we all have to be ready for a proper game. It doesn't matter what competition you play in or against which opponent; when you wear the Liverpool shirt, you are expected to perform and to win. That is a responsibility we all take extremely seriously, and hopefully, we can give you guys plenty to shout about this evening. The road to Wembley starts here.”
Tempting Fate?
The Reds may incur bad karma by hosting the draw for the next round of the FA Cup before this match even kicks off. Usually, the powers that be wait till all the games have been played before the draw occurs. The draw will actually be at Anfield beginning at 3:45 GMT. If Liverpool win the next round is guaranteed to be at Anfield.
LFC Globe Verdict
Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk are saying all the right things in the media about taking Barnsley and the FA Cup seriously. Now it’s time to back up those statements with a convincing win.
Where To Watch
| Match Info | UK Broadcast | US Broadcast | Canada Broadcast |
| Kick-off | 7:00 PM GMT | 2:45 PM ET | 2:45 PM ET |
| TV Channel | TNT Sports | ESPN + (Stream) | FuboTV |
| Live Stream | Discovery + | ESPN + | FuboTV Canada |
