BARNSLEY’S trip to Premier League champions Liverpool in the FA Cup on Monday is a ‘really good distraction’ from their League One campaign says Conor Hourihane who will attempt to add another shock win at Anfield to the Reds’ history.

Barnsley – who are 17th in the third tier and have taken just a point from their last four games – take on Liverpool live on TNT Sports from 7.45pm on Monday evening, backed by 6,000 fans in the sold-out away end.

Hourihane told the Chronicle: “We hope it gives us a bit of spark. We all know that the league is where our fundamentals are for sure. I think this game is a really good distraction.

“There’s a lot of talk about it and there’s a lot of media duties.

“So you can clearly tell that there’s a bit of an excitement and a bit of a buzz going into kind of a big game.

“It is one that we’re all really looking forward to and one that would be a special occasion for everyone really.”

He added: “It will be an amazing night out for the fans, club and players.

“The fans will be travelling in their numbers and we want to make them proud.

“A lot of our players won’t have played at Anfield and they want to go out and put on a decent showing.

“Standing on the touchline next to the manager of the Premier League champions currently is going to be pretty special. It’s all learning for me.”

Barnsley have famously won on their last two visits to Anfield. They triumphed in the FA Cup in 2008 with goals by Stephen Foster and Brian Howard, having also won in the Premiership in 1997 thanks to Ashley Ward’s strike.

Including a 0-0 draw in the 1982 League Cup quarter-final, Barnsley are unbeaten at Anfield since 1959.

Hourihane said: “I think it’s a bit of a new time and a new stage, with where they are now and how much money they’re spending. There’s some world class players involved.

“But it’s an interesting stat that Barnsley do have there and obviously you can hold onto that hope that you never know what could happen.

“We know it’s obviously going to be challenging, but one that we’ll be fully ready for and prepared for as well.

“Their stadium has developed and changed since the last time Barnsley were there and I think it adds an extra little bit of energy to the game that it’s under the lights as well.

“It’s going to be a real special one.”

Liverpool suffered a poor start to the season and were three places and 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal going into their meeting on Thursday evening.

Arne Slot’s side had been unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.

They spent almost half a billion pounds on new signings last summer including breaking the British transfer record twice for Florian Wirtz then Alexander Isak who is currently injured.

Their star attacker Mo Salah is with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

It is not clear what kind of team Barnsley will face on Monday, with Slot having previously made wholesale changes for domestic cup ties.

Hourihane said: “I will probably be keeping an eye on their game on Thursday and see if there is any talk about maybe them changing completely after that game. We have been looking at the last cup game that they had against Crystal Palace when Palace beat them and they went relatively different.

“You can analyse them and you have a look but it’s difficult to know what exactly they will do. We’ve got to be prepared as best as we can and really focus on us and how we look as well.”

Barnsley were beaten 7-0 at Manchester United last season in the EFL Cup and then 6-0 in the same competition under Hourihane this season by Premier League visitors Brighton.

“I think we want to put on a good showing of ourselves and do ourselves justice and see where that takes us.

“There’s the game at Old Trafford but we would even probably say that a little bit at the start of the season with Brighton, getting beaten by six was a little bit sore. I know they scored a couple of unbelievable goals that night, but you don’t want to do yourself an injustice and come away from it with a heavy, heavy defeat.

“Can we put on a display that we can be proud of and show them what we’re about for that day?”

Barnsley midfielders Adam Phillips and Vimal Yoganathan both came through the Liverpool academy before being released.

Hourihane played against Liverpool once for Aston Villa in the Premier League and has had mixed fortunes against them in EFL Cup ties. He scored in Villa’s 5-0 win in December 2019, when Liverpool’s first team were at the Club World Cup so a young side filled in. He also missed a penalty in Derby’s shoot-out loss to Liverpool in 2022.