Chris Sutton notes painful Arne Slot lesson with Liverpool-Barnsley prediction

Arne Slot's Liverpool players will take on League One team Barnsley in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield, and BBC pundit Chris Sutton has offered his thoughts on the game

Chris Sutton has made his prediction(Image: Getty Images)

Chris Sutton believes Liverpool will beat Barnsley in the FA Cup on Monday.

The Reds take on the South Yorkshire team in the third round of the competition at Anfield. Liverpool is widely expected to win the game, with Barnsley sitting just two points above the relegation zone in League One. Arne Slot's players haven't tasted defeat since their 4-1 home loss to PSV in the Champions League in November.

Despite being a Premier League team, Liverpool has been stunned by Barnsley before. The Tykes famously won 2-1 at Anfield in the third round of the FA Cup in 2008 thanks to Brian Howard's late winner, marking one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history.

Premier League winner Sutton believes Liverpool will avoid a repeat of that upset. He thinks Slot has learnt his lesson from last season, when the Reds suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Plymouth. Ryan Hardie's penalty secured the win for Plymouth 11 months ago.

"Barnsley fans will come to Anfield hoping for a repeat of their famous win here in the FA Cup in 2008, but I don't see another shock on the cards," Sutton, who has predicted a 2-0 win for Liverpool, told the BBC.

"Liverpool boss Arne Slot will have learned his lesson about the cup after last season, when his side crashed out to Plymouth after he made 10 changes. Slot needs an FA Cup run this season, so I am sure he will not risk another upset here.

Brian Howard's famous goal at Anfield in 2008(Image: Getty Images)

"If Liverpool were to lose this, he would be under serious pressure.

"I am just not convinced by the way his side are playing at the moment, and I don't think many Liverpool fans are either. Even so, they are at home to a League One side, and this should be a pretty routine victory."

Slot is enduring a difficult second season at Anfield, having clinched the Premier League title last time around. The Reds are fourth in the Premier League table and 14 points behind Arsenal in first. Slot will now be targeting Champions League qualification.

Liverpool has also struggled in the cup competitions. The Reds lost the Community Shield to Crystal Palace before the same team dumped them out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round.

Slot and his players are still in the hunt for the Champions League, sitting ninth in the standings, but the FA Cup could be their best chance of winning silverware this season.

"I made the decision last season that some players needed to rest in the FA Cup because you can't play every player every single time," said Slot ahead of Monday's game. "We're not in the League Cup anymore.

"The FA Cup is always very important for us, but last season, when we were in all of the competitions, you have to make choices with the amount of players we have.

"I can guarantee that on Monday you will see all the players you saw (against Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday). There may be some changes, but they will be on the bench, so that will be different to last season against Plymouth."