Liverpool are determined to avoid another FA Cup shock after lessons from a historic upset last year. Manager Arne Slot has confirmed he will field a stronger side against Barnsley on Monday, ensuring the Reds do not repeat the mistakes that saw Plymouth knock them out of the tournament in 2025.
Learning From Past Mistakes
In 2025, Liverpool, then Premier League leaders, suffered a humbling third-round defeat to Plymouth, who were bottom of the Championship. Slot had rotated all 10 outfield players, leaving only Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez as senior figures, and paid the price for underestimating their opponents.
Reflecting on that day, Slot admitted:
“Last season I made the decision that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup because you cannot play every player every single time. But it’s obvious that we’re not in the League Cup anymore and the FA Cup has always been very important for us.”
Strong Line-Up Against Barnsley
With Liverpool hosting League One side Barnsley this week, Slot has vowed to go much stronger:
“On Monday you will see all the players you saw against Arsenal, maybe with some substitutions, but then they will be on the bench. So that’s going to be different than last season against Plymouth.”
Slot emphasized that while cup competitions always carry risk, the Reds will take Barnsley seriously:
“We all know in cup competitions things can happen, but you cannot compare Plymouth away with the players we played back then to Barnsley at home. I was just informed the last time Barnsley played against us they beat us in 2008 in our stadium. We take them very seriously, as we took Plymouth as well.”
Strategic Changes In Cups
Slot also addressed his approach to squad rotation, explaining that changes are necessary early in campaigns to protect key players for league and Champions League fixtures:
“If we had played Virgil [van Dijk] and these players again maybe I would have missed out on them against Arsenal as well.”
The Dutch manager’s message is clear: Liverpool will not underestimate any opponent this time around, and fans can expect a near full-strength squad when the Reds aim to progress in the FA Cup.
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