It appeared that Dominik Szoboszlai was trying to play a clever backheel toward Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. However, Mamardashvili was positioned slightly to the side on the goal line, not directly behind him. Szoboszlai also failed to execute the backheel properly and lost control of the ball. For a brief moment, the situation turned disastrous, as the loose ball was effectively handed to Phillips—like being served a dessert on a spoon. Phillips made no mistake in finishing, and it is a moment Szoboszlai would probably prefer to forget.

Despite benefiting from the error, the goal left Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane visibly frustrated. He described the manner of the goal as “disrespectful” to his team. Speaking to TNT Sports, Hourihane said he was unhappy with the situation, adding that Szoboszlai would never have attempted such a move against elite opponents like Chelsea or Arsenal.

When asked directly whether he felt the goal showed a lack of respect, Hourihane replied affirmatively. In his view, such a risk would not have been taken in a Premier League or Champions League match, which is why the incident bothered him.

Ironically, Szoboszlai later produced a moment of brilliance of his own. In the ninth minute, he scored an extraordinary goal from 35 yards outside the box—one that neither Barnsley goalkeeper Murphy Cooper nor almost any keeper could realistically have stopped.

Although the match was part of the FA Cup, Szoboszlai also achieved a remarkable milestone. He became the first Premier League player this season to score a goal while completing at least 100 passes (105) and winning possession at least 10 times (12) in a single match. Liverpool’s other goals came from Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike.

After the match, Szoboszlai expressed regret over his costly mistake, apologizing to his teammates for making things harder with an avoidable error. However, not everyone was quick to forgive. Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott also criticized the incident, calling the mistake disrespectful toward the opposition.