Final, 4-1 Liverpool: It’s all over at Anfield. Liverpool ends 2014 with an emphatic win over Swansea City.
Liverpool delivered a vintage performance Friday, dominating the Swans and winning the game comfortably. Lallana mixed luck and talent to lead the way with two goals. Moreno and Shelvey bookended Lallana’s goal with strikes of their own. The only blemish for Liverpool was the zany few minutes after Lallana’s first goal where it conceded Swansea’s lone goal. Otherwise, the Reds closed the calendar year with a fine showing at Anfield.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/549684178967863298 align=’center’]
The three points move Liverpool up to eighth place in the Premier League standings. The Reds leapfrog the Swans, who fall to ninth.
[tweet https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/549685840046473217 align=’center’]
That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. 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 on NESN.com.
Postgame analysis of Liverpool-Swansea City >>
90th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: There will be a minimum of three minutes of added time in the second half.
90th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Liverpool makes its final substitution. Borini replaces Coutinho.
89th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Markovic and Balotelli combine inside Swansea City’s penalty area, leading to a shot on goal from the Italian forward, which Fabianski saves.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SkySportsMNF/status/549683337447882752 align=’center’]
88th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Routledge misses the target from a tight angle.
84th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Gomis chips a shot on goal. Gomis’ effort beats Mignolet, but caroms off the post back into play.
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJean/status/549684190535753730Â align=’center’%5D
83rd minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Balotelli replaces Sterling in Liverpool’s second substitution.
79th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Coutinho shoots from the edge of Swansea City’s penalty area, but it deflects into the Kop.
77th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Lallana’s outing comes to an end, as Markovic replaces the two-goal scorer.
[tweet https://twitter.com/henrywinter/status/549680683392978944Â align=’center’%5D
74th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: Fabianski saves Sterling’s low shot from the edge of Swansea City’s penalty area.
Liverpool is in full flow right now.
72nd minute, 4-1 Liverpool: The Reds are desperate to improve their home form. Goals help.
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/549676345933189120Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/549678264659501058Â align=’center’%5D
69th minute, 4-1 Liverpool: The Reds make it a fantastic four, and Shelvey is the goal scorer.
Henderson drove the corner kick into the goal mouth. Shelvey rose but not high enough to clear it, and the Swansea City midfielder accidentally headed in an own goal.
68th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: The Reds put the Swans under greater pressure, as a flurry of chances end with Skrtel shooting over the crossbar.
66th minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Swansea City makes its final substitution, as Ki comes on in place of Britton.
62nd minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Swansea City makes a substitution, replacing Bony with Gomis.
61st minute, 3-1 Liverpool: Lallana strikes again.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SkySportsMNF/status/549676066336681984Â align=’center’%5D
Coutinho created the opening with a flick to Lallana, who dribbled around Rangel and slots his shot past Fabianski.
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/549676043981049857Â align=’center’%5D
60th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Lallana dribbles from the halfway line towards Swansea City’s goal and shoots from 30 yards out, but Fabianski easily saves his bouncing effort.
54th minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Sakho misplays a pass to Bony, who dribbles forward and shoots low, forcing Mignolet to make a diving save.
53rd minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Liverpool comes back down the field, and Sterling’s shot hits the post.
Henderson’s first-time cross found Sterling at the far post. Sterling shot on the half-volley, but the near post turned it away.
[tweet https://twitter.com/eatmygoaltv/status/549674607670599680Â align=’center’%5D
52nd minute, 2-1 Liverpool: Swansea City strikes back. Sigurdsson is the goal-scorer.
[tweet https://twitter.com/eatmygoaltv/status/549674345404964865Â align=’center’%5D
Routledge chipped a cross to the far post. Sakho won the duel with Bony, but his header went back into the goalmouth, where Sigurdsson arrived to side-foot it home.
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/549673944547352576Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/549674754232573952Â align=’center’%5D
51st minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Lallana scores the flukiest of goals, and the Reds now are up by two.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SkySportsMNF/status/549673296867127296 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/LFC/status/549676966149128192Â align=’center’%5D
Williams played a back-pass to Fabianski. Lallana closed Fabianski down, and the Swansea City goalkeeper kicked it right at him. The ball went airborne and floated into the Swans’ goal.
50th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Routledge needs to change his shorts. Not wants. Needs.
[tweet https://twitter.com/casadelfutbol/status/549672872269332481Â align=’center’%5D
49th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Skrtel is cautioned for tugging on Routledge’s shorts as he tried to sprint away.
47th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Sterling tees up a shot from 30 yards out, but it sails into the Kop.
46th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: The second half is underway at Anfield.
Swansea City made a substitution at halftime, replacing Richards with Rangel.
Halftime, 1-0 Liverpool: That’s the end of the first half. The Reds lead by one.
That was much better from Liverpool. The Reds were on the front foot for much of the first half — in stark contrast to their previous game — and threatened Swansea City throughout. Coutinho was ever dangerous, but Moreno was the unlikely scorer of the game’s opening goal. Liverpool’s passing and movement was good enough to merit the lead.
One famous Liverpool fan probably enjoyed what he saw in the first half.
[tweet https://twitter.com/MailSport/status/549659008483987456Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/549668638639542272Â align=’center’%5D
45th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Coutinho dribbles into the center and unleases a powerful shot from 35 yards out, but it goes straight to Fabianski, who punches it out for a corner kick.
45th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Fernandez tries to head Sigurdsson’s free kick back into Liverpool’s goalmouth. It eventually falls to Dyer, but the Swasea City winger pops a shot into the air, allowing Mignolet to catch it.
43rd minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Swansea is showing some real menace in the closing minutes of the first half, but the final ball has eluded the visitors, allowing Liverpool to clear the danger.
40th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Shelvey appeared to hit Can in the face with a forearm, but the referee declines to punish the former Liverpool midfielder.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Troll__Football/status/549669372537475072Â align=’center’%5D
36th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Coutinho frees himself on the by-line and shoots to the near post, but Fabianski bats it out for a corner kick.
[tweet https://twitter.com/casadelfutbol/status/549665829647052800Â align=’center’%5D
33rd minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Moreno taps in Henderson’s cross, and the Reds have the lead.
[tweet https://twitter.com/casadelfutbol/status/549664797076500480Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/LFC/status/549666155166961665Â align=’center’%5D
It was a well-worked goal. Moreno started the move, passed to Lallana and continued forward. Henderson then collected Lallana’s pass and rewarded Moreno’s marauding run with a well-placed delivery into Swansea City’s goal mouth.
[tweet https://twitter.com/MostarLFC/status/549664810569170944Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/ged0407/status/549664897601376257Â align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/549665019949240320Â align=’center’%5D
32nd minute, 0-0: Bony shoots into the Kop from 35 yards out. It’s the Swansea striker’s first attempt.
31st minute, 0-0: Dyer rises above Moreno and heads Taylor’s cross on goal, but it flies straight into Mignolet’s hands.
28th minute, 0-0: Swansea City now is starting to improve, as it increases the tempo of its passing and takes a more direct route to Liverpool’s goal in order to put pressure on Mignolet and the Reds’ defense.
22nd minute, 0-0: Coutinho drives a shot toward the far post, but it misses by a few feet.
20th minute, 0-0: The Reds outplayed the Swans in the first 20 minutes, enjoying more of the ball and a vast territorial advantage. While neither team has opened the scoring, Liverpool looks much more likely than Swansea to do so.
16th minute, 0-0: Coutinho shoots a low curler on goal. Fabianski makes another save.
13th minute, 0-0: Liverpool fails to convert two great scoring chances.
Sterling played a pass to Moreno, who crossed back to him from the left. Sterling hit a powerful volley, but Fabianksi made a fine reflex save. The rebound eventually fell to Lallana, but the Liverpool forward shot over the Swansea City goal from close range.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SkySportsMNF/status/549659644441137154Â align=’center’%5D
10th minute, 0-0: Liverpool gradually is asserting itself and gaining a greater share of possession, but Swansea City defenders have handled individual situations well enough to thwart the Reds’ attacks before they become genuine scoring chances.
Sixth minute, 0-0: Skrtel out-jumps Fernandez and heads Henderson’s corner kick on goal, but it goes straight to Fabianski, who gratefully collects it.
[tweet https://twitter.com/casadelfutbol/status/549658080909467649Â align=’center’%5D
Fifth minute, 0-0: The opening minutes mostly have been spent in the midfield areas, as the teams slowly try to establish themselves in the game.
Kickoff: Liverpool-Swansea City is underway at Anfield.
[tweet https://twitter.com/karlmatchett/status/549656088229187584 align=’center’]
Pregame: Rodgers makes a number of changes from the team that beat Burnley on Friday.
Can will play on the right side of the three-man back line. The German was impressive in the 45 minutes he played against Burnley.
Liverpool’s wing-backs also have changed, as Manquillo and Moreno take up those positions. Markovic drops to the bench, and Henderson moves to a more familiar center midfield role. Gerrard also starts on the bench.
Liverpool’s three-man attacking line remains unchanged.
Swansea City makes a few changes amid a glut of games:
[tweet https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/549641378150768641 align=’center’]
Liverpool still must reckon with Bony, who scored more Premier League goals than any other player this year.
[tweet https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/549648476813148161 align=’center’]
Here’s what the managers said before the game:
[tweet https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/549650382377742336 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/549649993360236544 align=’center’]
2:30 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet (22), goalkeeper
Alberto Moreno (18), left wing back
Emre Can (23), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Mamadou Sakho (17), center back
Javier Manquillo (19), right wing back
Lucas Leiva (21), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Phillipe Coutinho (10), forward
Adam Lallana (20), forward
Raheem Sterling (31), forward
Substitutes
Danny Ward (52), goalkeeper
Kolo Toure (4), center back
Steven Gerrard (8), midfielder
Lazar Markovic (50), midfielder
RIckie Lambert (9), striker
Mario Balotelli (45), striker
Fabio Borini (29), striker
[tweet https://twitter.com/LFC/status/549641100081004545 align=’center’]
Swansea City
Lukasz Fabianski (1), goalkeeper
Neil Taylor (3), left back
Federico Fernandez (33), center back
Ashley Williams (6), center back
Ashley Richards (29), right back
Leon Britton (7), midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey (8), midfielder
Nathan Dyer (12), midfielder
Gylfi Sigurdsson (23), midfielder
Wayne Routledge (15), forward
Wilfried Bony (10), striker
Substitutes
Gerhard Tremmel (25), goalkeeper
Kyle Bartley (27), defender
Angel Rangel (22), defender
Ki Sung-Yong (4), midfielder
Tom Carroll (14), midfielder
Marvin Emnes (11), striker
Bafetimbi Gomis (18), striker
[tweet https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/549641859304542209 align=’center’]
1 p.m. ET: Anfield was the site of many of the Premier League’s most important events in 2014, so it’s fitting that England’s top flight will end the calendar year there.
Liverpool hosts Swansea City on Monday in a game that will bring the teams to the midway point of the 2014-15 Premier League campaign.
Liverpool currently sits 10th in the standings with 25 points after 18 games. Three points from Monday’s game will bring the Reds level with the eight-placed Swans.
Recent games between these teams have doubled as reunion shows. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers led Swansea to promotion and safety before heading to Anfield in June 2012. Rodgers brought Joe Allen with him, and the Liverpool midfielder is likely to play against his former club. Jonjo Shelvey once played for Liverpool, but the Reds sold him to Swansea, where he has become a first-team regular.
Simon Mignolet is likely to return to the starting 11 after replacing injured stand-in Brad Jones in the first half of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Burnley on Friday.
The last meeting between the teams was a thriller, as Liverpool scored two late goals to eliminate the Swans from the Capital One Cup (Football League Cup) in the fourth Round.
Liverpool-Swansea City kicks off at 3 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from Anfield.
[tweet https://twitter.com/LFC/status/549646758096437249 align=’center’]
Photo via LiverpoolFC.com
