Chelsea suffered a massive shock to the system in Saturday tea-time's match in Yorkshire, going down to a second-half goal against a spirited side from the Championship.
The Blues can have few complaints. Although the side that had knocked Liverpool out in the previous round defended deeply and invited pressure in the final moments, we lacked a cutting edge to our play and were matched all over the field for much of the game.
Avram Grant made six changes to the side for this quarter-final. Lampard and Drogba were absent so there was room for a return to midfield for Shaun Wright-Phillips and Anelka played up front. The full-backs were rotated from the Olmypiacos game, Belletti and Bridge selected, but Terry and Carvalho were maintained in the centre.
Completing the changes from the Champions League match, French pair Anelka and Malouda joined Joe Cole in attack.
Barnsley, roared on by their fans, started well. It took a timely block from Carvalho to stop Howard testing Cudicini after only two minutes. That followed some neat approach play.
Bridge crossed dangerously and later Ballack blasted over as the Blues attempted to stamp our mark on the approach play.
Cole then lobbed over from 25 yards with eight minutes gone.
Barnsley, when they went forward, were moving the ball with good pace. On 13 minutes they won their second corner, punched away effectively by Cudicini.
Wright-Phillips and Ballack showed good awareness to work a shooting opportunity for Cole on 19 minutes but after he made space, the number 10 was denied by some solid defending from Kozluk.
The healthy away support suffered a heart-stopping moment played out in front of them four minutes later when Terry and Cudicini contrived to make hard work of a pass-back. The ball was smashed into Odejayi but luckily flew wide.
A quick Essien free-kick released Bridge to cross but Cole was too well policed in the centre. With 15 minutes to the break, the contest remained pretty even but the home side then began to genuinely threaten.
With eight minutes left of the half, Barnsley had their best chance yet, Ferenczi took a ball over his shoulder down but from 10 yards out, poked against the outside of the post. His reaction showed how disappointed he was not the have done better.
Then the impressive Odejayi surged past Carvalho and stuck an angled shot on target that Cudicini scrambled away. The reaction of the Barnsley public to their side heading into the dressing room for the break left Chelsea in little doubt. The underdogs believed a shock could happen here.
The Blues began the second-half with a couple of mistakes but then Cole was fed by Wright-Phillips. He crossed and it took a touch at full-stretch by the keeper to stop it falling to an unmarked Malouda.
The French winger was too often peripheral to the main action but his compatriot Anelka laid-off to Cole, Kozluk blocking the shot which went wide. Anelka came deep to collect, advanced but shot too tamely to trouble Steele with 54 minutes gone. The visitors were at least marginally on top.
That continued as Belletti and Wright-Phillips moved the ball sharply and Cole crossed but once again Barnsley defended well, this time Hassell diving in the way of Anelka's shot.
A similar move down the left cut Barnsley open on the hour but Cole's lay-back was behind Anelka. Anything more accurate and the centre-forward could not have failed to score.
Grant made his first change on 62 minutes, Kalou a straight swap for Malouda, the Ivorian's turn to take on right-back Marciano van Homoet, older brother of Chelsea youth team player, Jeffrey Bruma.
Chelsea had been territorial on top but everything changed on 65 minutes when Devancy lofted a speculative cross high to the far post, Cudicini stretched but was beaten to the ball by the tall Odejayi who headed in.
A poor offside decision when the linesman failed to spot a defender on the line curtailed an opportunity to hit straight back and with time ticking on, it was time to gamble.
On 74 minutes Pizarro came on for Belletti and the team went three at the back. Carvalho pushed forward when he could with Essien covering back with Bridge and Terry. The next opportunity was Wright-Phillips's but from 12 yards out in a crowded area, he struck wide.
With eight minutes to go, Cole was fouled a yard outside the area on the right. Ballack's free-kick didn't make it through the bodies.
With less than a minute on the clock and play spread everywhere, a penalty area melee ended with Anelka returning Terry's pass but the skipper's shot was lifted well, well over.
Carvalho was booked for a foul as three minutes stoppage time began. The final Chelsea chance fell to Wright-Phillips after a spot of head tennis but again, the shot was over and that was it.
Chelsea had lost to lower division opposition in the FA Cup for the first time since 1995, and the first time since 1992 without a penalty shoot-out.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cudicini; Belletti (Pizarro 74), Terry (c), Carvalho, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Essien, Ballack; J Cole, Anelka, Malouda (Kalou 62).
Booked Carvalho 90.
Barnsley (4-4-2): Steele; Van Homoet, Foster, Souza, Kozluk; Devaney (Togwell 72), Hassell, Howard (c), Campbell-Ryce; Odejayi (Coulson 10), Ferenczi.
Scorer Odejayi 65.
Booked Kozluk 55.
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