Szoboszlai Criticized for Poor Sportsmanship in Liverpool’s Victory

LIVERPOOL — Conor Hourihane, the head coach of Barnsley, has expressed his disapproval of Dominik Szoboszlai’s conduct during Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over his team, labeling it as “disrespectful” after the midfielder attempted a backheel pass within his own penalty area.

Szoboszlai initiated the scoring for Liverpool at Anfield, and Jeremie Frimpong soon followed by extending their lead. However, Adam Phillips managed to reduce the deficit for Barnsley just before halftime, capitalizing on Szoboszlai’s miscalculated clearance from close range near his own goal.

“It is such an incredible feeling for Adam to score in front of the Kop,” Hourihane remarked. “As a Liverpool fan and an academy graduate, it is a moment he will cherish for the rest of his life. Not many can say they experienced that.

“However, I must say that the actions of their player were a bit disrespectful. I doubt he would exhibit such behavior against teams like Chelsea or Arsenal, or in a Champions League match. While I am pleased for Adam, I find the player’s actions to be inappropriate.”

Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, echoed similar sentiments during his post-match press conference, acknowledging that Szoboszlai’s blunder added to the tension in the second half at Anfield.

“I have my thoughts on that and I will certainly discuss them with him,” Slot stated. “This isn’t the first time this season we’ve found ourselves 2-0 up, only to concede a preventable goal. This particular instance stands out — even for us!

“Conceding a goal when leading 2-0 can drastically shift the momentum. Typically, when a team is behind, they struggle to maintain possession and are less aggressive in defense, making it easier for us to score further. But when we allow an easy goal, which has happened repeatedly this season, it alters the psychological dynamics for the opposing team. This is certainly not beneficial for us. Even tonight, we witnessed familiar patterns from earlier matches this season.”

In related news, Liverpool has been drawn to face Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.