Final, 0-0: This is no joke. The game ended 0-0, but it is as thrilling a game as we've seen anywhere in the league so far this season.
Both teams attacked each other with levels of pace and quality that their rivals will look on with envy.
Liverpool extends its unbeaten run to eight games, but drop more points at Anfield. The Reds will rue this one at the final reckoning, but no one should forget that Swansea was every bit as good as them on this day.
Had Carroll buried that early chance, we'd have a different scoreline. But the game was always going to play itself out in this manner. Both teams have eleven players that know how to move the ball, open up space and create scoring chances.
One cannot over-praise Brendan Rodgers for what he has done at Swansea City. He has eleven players that — let's be honest — many neutrals have never heard of playing some of the best ball in the league. Now we know what Dalglish was talking about when he said he will not underestimate or disrespect the Swans.
Liverpool had its fair share of chances, but did not control the game to the extent that supporters expected. The visitors were the much better team for a significant portion — twenty minutes or so — of the second half.
Legendary NFL head coach Bill Parcells once said that in the NFL, "you are what your record says you are." His wisdom translates to the EPL. Swansea rests comfortably in mid-table. Liverpool looks towards the top end of the standings, but is some distance away from that level.
This is your match report. That's all for now. Let's discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way.
93rd minute, 0-0: Some home fans are leaving early. How could they? This is as thrilling a game as we've seen so far this season.
89th minute, 0-0: Suarez fires from outside the area. His shot is saved quite well by Vorm. Johnson has a shot shortly after that is saved just as well.
88th minute, 0-0: Kuyt heads it in, but the offside flag is up. Agger heads a free-kick to the Dutchman at the far post but he was a step offside. The young, female linesperson got the call absolutely right … as she should.
84th minute, 0-0: Dyer finds Graham, who heads at the far post to Gower at the spot. Gower overpowers his shot high. It was Swansea's best chance of the game. The visitors still have some life going forward. Skrtel was out of sorts on the cross.
81st minute, 0-0: Suarez is fouled by Williams (booked) at the top of the area. Adam's free-kick is deflected out for a corner.
78th minute, 0-0: Suarez and Kuyt combine at the edge of the Swansea area. Taylor's desperate clearance goes out for a corner. It ends 20 minutes of dominance by the visitors. Agger heads a corner just over the bar.
75th minute, 0-0: Sinclair is coming on for the ever-dangerous Routledge. Carroll departs with Bellamy taking his place.
73rd minute, 0-0: The stats don't lie in this one. Swansea has 57 percent of the possession in the second half. For you math majors out there, that means Liverpool has 43 percent.
68th minute, 0-0: Shouts of belief are coming from the Swansea away fans. Their boys are all over Liverpool at the moment. Agger, who was just booked, concedes a free-kick on the line of the LFC area by fouling Britton.
65th minute, 0-0: Reina makes a fantastic double save to preserve the tie. Dyer shoots from the top of the area and the Spaniard makes the first save (but can't control). He reacts and saves Graham's follow-up shot.
64th minute, 0-0: Reina makes a save on Dyer from about 15 yards away from his goal line. He had to move to cut down the angle after a nice through pass sprung Swansea's 2010-11 player of the season.
62nd minute, 0-0: Swansea is enjoying its best spell of the game in the last five minutes or so. Gowan and Routledge are ever so dangerous in the Liverpool third (of the field).
59th minute, 0-0: Reina nearly coughs up a goal to Graham. He receives a back pass and Graham was seconds away from pinching it from him and walking it into the goal.
57th minute, 0-0: Taylor is booked for a foul on Johnson. Adam finds the head of Suarez with the ensuing free-kick, but his effort is saved by Vorm. See below for Adam's game.
54th minute, 0-0: Adam is at the heart of all of Liverpool's good play going forward. He's looking to play final balls to Carroll's head. Also finding wide players in the final third.
48th minute, 0-0: Adam plays another incisive through ball for Downing on the left. His cross is intercepted by Vorm.
46th minute, 0-0: Kuyt enters for Henderson as the second half kicks off.
Halftime, 0-0: That's it for the first half of a thoroughly entertaining encounter between two teams that know how to pass the ball. I'm going to come out and say it: Swansea's play going forward is a "breath of fresh air" for the EPL.
As for the Reds, they really should have converted that seventh minute chance. It was the most clear-cut of all their chances. The others weren't necessarily of the "should have scored" type.
45th minute, 0-0: Downing and Henderson switching flanks leads to a pair of corner kicks to close out the half.
41st minute, 0-0: Routledge and Dyer switch flanks for the Swans. Johnson and Enrique must be vigilant out there. Most of Swansea's attacks come from out wide. The visitors move the ball through the center and look to create chances when they get it wide in Liverpool's end.
37th minute, 0-0: Not trying to sound like an Englishman, but we've got a proper game of football on our hands today. Both sides are moving the ball on the ground and showing good, team play. Allen shoots just wide of Reina's far post.
33rd minute, 0-0: Agger (and his ridiculous mohawk) steps forward from deep and hits a shot that's intercepted. The space is there as Swansea is only playing with one man up front.
29th minute, 0-0: Suarez draws an save from Vorm that equals Reina's. He collects Adam's rebound, tricks his way past Monk and hits a low shot to the left that the 'keeper saves at full stretch. It's end-to-end excitement at Anfield.
28th minute, 0-0: Reina spares Liverpool's blushes with a wonderful save. Routledge weaves his way past Johnson, Lucas and Henderson. He delivers a cross to Graham, which Reina parries away.
22nd minute, 0-0: Swansea is sitting deep allowing Liverpool to build play slowly. When the Reds bring the ball into the visitors' half, they stay compact with little space between the midfield and defensive lines. Rodgers has fielded a very well organized group. Liverpool will have chances from distance, but the Swans always have numbers in and around their own goal.
20th minute, 0-0: Reds maintain pressure on Swansea. Suarez whistles a shot from distance just wide of near post. Downing has an effort that is deflected out for a corner.
16th minute, 0-0: Enrique fouls Dyer — who beat him for pace — conceding the free kick on the left. Swansea keeps a little possession and whips a few crosses in, but the Reds' defense deals with them. Things sure do seem secure at the back with Agger and Skrtel.
11th minute, 0-0: Most of the early goings have seen the ball stuck in the midfield or Swansea's end. Reds have a couple of good looks at goal, but did not convert. Have you heard that one before?
Seventh minute, 0-0: Adam and Downing link on the left. Adam's through ball springs the winger behind the defense. He crosses to Carroll, who hits the crossbar from close range. That's 11 times LFC has hit the post or crossbar this season. Opposing keepers should get together and take the woodwork out for dinner (yea that was terrible, but it's early here).
Fifth minute, 0-0: Swansea's early possession is impressive. Their players work the ball well from back to front.
Second minute, 0-0: Downing ghosts past Rangel and delivers cross to no one at the far post.
First minute, 0-0: We're under way at Anfield.
Pregame: We're going to stick by our story. Swansea is not to be taken lightly. It's one of the better passing teams in the league — better statistically than LFC — and if it can keep focused on the defensive end, we could have a shock on our hands.
But Liverpool is fully aware of this fact and the Reds will look to apply early pressure on Vorm. An early goal is the order of the day.
10:30 a.m. ET: Liverpool's lineup is unchanged from last week. Here are the teams:
Liverpool
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Glen Johnson (2), right back
Daniel Agger (5), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jose Enrique (3), left back
Lucas (21), midfielder
Charlie Adam (26), midfielder
Stuart Downing (19), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Andy Carroll (9), forward
Substitutes
Doni (32), goalkeeper
Sebastian Coates (16), defender
Martin Kelly (34), defender
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Maxi (11), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward
Craig Bellamy (39), forward
Swansea City
Michael Vorm (1), goalkeeper
Neil Taylor (3), left back
Garry Monk (16), center back
Ashley Williams (2), center back
Angel Rangel (22), right back
Wayne Routledge (15), midfielder
Mark Gower (27), midfielder
Leon Britton (7), midfielder
Nathan Dyer (12), midfielder
Joe Allen (24), midfielder
Danny Graham (10), forward
Substitutes
Gerhard Tremmel (25), goalkeeper
Vangelis Moras (44), defender
Ashley Richards (29), midfielder
Kemy Agustien (26), midfieler
Luke Moore (19), forward
Scott Sinclair (11), forward
Leroy Lita (18), striker
12 a.m. ET: Kenny Dalglish, Craig Bellamy and anyone else associated with Liverpool will tell you that the Reds won't take Saturday's opponents lightly. Swansea City is one of three newly-promoted teams that have brought new players and styles to the English Premier League.
But when it comes to Anfield for its first league game in nearly 30 years, LFC supporters will expect nothing less than a win.
Despite its current tenth-place standing in the table, Swansea is one of the league's worst-performing road teams. This is partly because manager Brendan Rodgers refuses to alter his team's expansive style of play in the face of a higher level of competition and hostile crowds. Games involving his teams are usually entertaining and Saturday's should be no different.
At times this season, Liverpool has struggled against nominally weaker opposition. The Reds will look to put that trend behind them and dispatch their visitors with ease. Dalglish has preached patience during the buildup to the game, but an early goal — as happened last week at West Brom -– will force Swansea into pressing forward and leave it open for mistakes.
The Reds will be without Steve Gerrard as he recovers from infection. Jamie Carragher is doubtful. Expect to see the same team that eased past West Brom last weekend to take the field against Swansea. It will be crucial for the Reds take all three points heading into the international break. They will need the momentum that victory brings when it faces Chelsea and Manchester City later this month.
Make sure to join us at 11 a.m. ET for our Liverpool Live Blog for all the action as it happens.
