Szoboszlai Shines and Slips as Liverpool Cruise Past Barnsley in FA Cup. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to emotion / Mild biased language

Using emotionally charged or subjective wording that can subtly influence the reader’s perception.

“Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane was left incensed midway through the second half when his side were denied a penalty following a challenge by Szoboszlai on Reyes Cleary.” The word “incensed” is an emotional characterization, and the phrase “were denied a penalty” is presented without any balancing detail (e.g., whether it was controversial, what the referee’s view might have been, or if replays were inconclusive). This can nudge readers toward seeing Barnsley as clearly wronged and the decision as obviously incorrect, even though no evidence or explanation is provided.

3 suggestions

Replace emotive wording with more neutral language, for example: “Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane strongly protested midway through the second half when his side’s penalty appeals were rejected following a challenge by Szoboszlai on Reyes Cleary.”

Add brief context to clarify the nature of the incident, for example: “Replays suggested there was contact, but the referee waved away the appeals” or “Replays were inconclusive, and the referee waved away the appeals,” depending on what is factually accurate.

If available, include a balancing reference to the referee’s or pundits’ view, for example: “The referee judged that Szoboszlai had played the ball, a decision that was upheld despite Barnsley’s protests.”

Omission of key information / Unbalanced reporting

Leaving out relevant context or perspectives that would help readers form a more complete and balanced understanding.

The article gives detailed attention to Liverpool’s goals, substitutions, and individual performances, while Barnsley’s perspective is limited to their goal and the manager’s anger over the penalty incident. There is no mention of Barnsley’s overall performance (e.g., chances created, periods of pressure) or any neutral assessment of whether the penalty claim was strong or marginal. This is typical for a big-club-focused match report but still represents a mild imbalance: the reader gets a rich picture of Liverpool’s display and only a thin outline of Barnsley’s.

3 suggestions

Add one or two neutral sentences summarizing Barnsley’s performance, for example: “Barnsley created several half-chances and pressed aggressively after pulling a goal back, briefly putting Liverpool under pressure.”

Provide minimal context on the penalty incident from a neutral standpoint, for example: “Television replays showed some contact, though it was unclear whether it was enough to warrant a spot-kick.”

Clarify the article’s focus explicitly if it is intended as a Liverpool-centric piece, for example: “From a Liverpool perspective, the tie ultimately turned on the impact of the substitutes,” while still briefly acknowledging Barnsley’s efforts.