Swansea City stun Liverpool in 3-2 thriller at Anfield
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Updated 21/01/2017 at 15:02 GMT
Premier League, Anfield – Liverpool 2 (Firmino 55, 69) Swansea 3 (Llorente 48, 52, Sigurdsson 74)
Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates
Image credit: Reuters
Swansea stunned Liverpool in a breathtaking second half at Anfield, emerging 3-2 winners thanks to a brace from Fernando Llorente and another from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
If ever the cliché ‘a game of two halves’ was meant for a game it was this one. Neither side mustered an attempt on target in an opening half that barely threatened to even raise a pulse, let alone set them racing.
But a breathless second half is what will be remembered, in which Swansea produced a sensational display to hold off a strong Liverpool comeback.
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Swansea celebrate
Image credit: Imago
Llorente bundled home the opener shortly after the break to set the cat among the pigeons, and added to the sense of panic around Anfield with a bullet header just minutes later.
However, a fired-up Liverpool raced back into the game as Roberto Firmino made it three goals in seven action-packed minutes, before the Brazilian pulled the hosts level with a terrific second.
The game looked set up for the home side to go and win it, but it was Tom Carroll who produced the match-winning moment on his debut, jinking through the Liverpool defence and seeing a deflection tee up Sigurdsson for the winner.
TALKING POINT
Is that Liverpool’s title bid over? It’s been said before* and it will be said again – Liverpool’s defence will be the reason that they don’t win the Premier League. For all of Swansea’s good football, Liverpool should have had enough to win this game… but they don’t and they didn’t. Chelsea could pull 10 points clear of Liverpool, which isn’t necessarily out of reach in theory, but it will be in reality given Liverpool’s defensive Achilles heel.
*on this very website:
MAN OF THE MATCH
Tom Carroll (Swansea City): When Swansea signed Carroll from Spurs this week they probably didn’t realise that they’d just picked up the second coming of Luka Modric. While that may be a slight exaggeration, the diminutive midfielder was a revelation in the centre of the park for his new side, pulling the strings with eye-catching ease and making the most of the space that Liverpool were leaving in behind their advanced midfield. A spare part at White Hart Lane but a treasured first-teamer at the Liberty – Carroll will be delighted that he made the move.
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Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates scoring their third goal with Tom Carroll
Image credit: Reuters
PLAYER RATINGS
Liverpool: Mignolet 5; Clyne 5, Lovren 5, Klavan 4, Milner 6; Henderson 6, Wijnaldum 6, Can 5; Lallana 7, Firmino 7, Coutinho 5. Subs: Sturridge 4, Origi 4, Matip 6
Swansea: Fabianski 7; Naughton 6, Fernandez 6, Mawson 6, Olsson 7; Cork 6, Carroll 9; Fer 6, Sigurdsson 7, Routledge 6; Llorente 7. Subs: Rangel 5, Baston 5, Fulton 5
KEY MOMENTS
16’– SHOT: Firmino dishes out a subtle dummy to get away from his marker and dink in a cross, but - not to be outdone - Lallana attempts a spectacular overhead effort that fizzes narrowly over the bar.
18’ – POST: Oof, debutant Tom Carroll sneaks into the box and sees his shot take a slight deflection to wrongfoot Mignolet and crash off the base of the post.
48’– GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Swansea: Fernando Llorente bundles in a close-range shot after Liverpool fail to deal with a Sigurdsson corner. 1-0 Swansea!
52’– GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Swansea: Now that is a goal! Llorente bullets in a header and it's 2-0 to Swansea.
55’ – GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Swansea: Game on. Milner's excellent cross is dispatched by Firmino and this game has exploded into life in spectacular fashion.
69’ – GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Swansea: Firmino draws Liverpool level with a sumptuous finish, chesting down a lofted cross before smashing home.
74’ – GOAL! Liverpool 2-3 Swansea: Drama at Anfield! Swansea take the lead again and it's Gylfi Sigurdsson who's got it!
STATS AND FACTS
- Liverpool failed to record a first-half shot on target for the first time since November 2015.
- Jordan Henderson is the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to complete 1,500 passes this season.
- Liverpool’s unbeaten Premier League run at Anfield has ended after 17 matches (W11 D6).
- Swansea won an away league game at Liverpool for the first time in their history – they had previously failed to win on 15 visits.
- Liverpool have conceded three goals at Anfield in a league game for only the second time under Jurgen Klopp (also Arsenal in Jan 2016).
- Liverpool are the first PL team score 50 goals this season, while Swansea are the first to concede 50 (both now on 51).
MATCH IN A TWEET
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