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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Liverpool v Swansea, Premier League

Could Liverpool beat Swansea continue to keep up the pressure on leaders Chelsea? Revisit our liveblog and find out.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Liverpool 4-3 Swansea

Newcastle 1-0 Aston Villa

Hello, and welcome to our liveblog for today’s game. Here are the teams:

LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Flanagan, Coutinho, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge. Subs: Brad Jones, Toure, Aspas, Moses, Cissokho, Allen, Teixeira.

SWANSEA: Vorm, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Taylor, Britton, de Guzman, Dyer, Shelvey, Routledge, Bony. Subs: Amat, Hernandez, Tiendalli, Canas, Tremmel, Ngog, Emnes.

We’ll also keep you up to date with the latest developments in the game between Newcastle and Aston Villa, which is also kicking off at 13.30.

If you can’t remember, here’s what happened the last time these two sides met.

TVFootball75HD

So in the unlikely scenario that Liverpool lose today, they will be seven points off leaders Chelsea?

In other words, it’s pretty crucial that they get the three points today.

A quick poll for you before the game begins. Where will Liverpool finish this season?


Poll Results:

4th (236)
5th (235)
3rd (102)
2nd (86)
6th (55)
Other (26)
1st (18)

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Liverpool v Swansea City - Anfield PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Liverpool’s Aly Cissokho pictured with the match day program prior to today’s game.

The game is underway…

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 1-0 Swansea: Liverpool get off to the perfect start.

Beautiful through ball by Sterling to find Sturridge, who rounds the goalkeeper and slots it into the net to keep up his recent phenomenal scoring record (3 mins).

Liverpool haven’t lost at home in the league since their game with Southampton in September, and that stat doesn’t look like changing on the basis of the first seven minutes.

They have started this game in a typically intense fashion.

Nevertheless, as I type, Bony hits a shot from outside the box just over the bar — as if to remind the hosts that this game is far from a formality just yet.

Chris

Bony has gone close again with another half-chance.

Liverpool have looked a little lax since their goal, and as I type, Swansea win a corner.

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 2-0 Swansea: Jordan Henderson curls in a fantastic strike to put Liverpool 2-0 up (20 mins).

GOAL FOR SWANSEA!

Liverpool 2-1 Swansea: Anything Henderson can do, Jonjo Shelvey can do better.

He curls in a fantastic strike from the edge of the area, and incredibly, the Liverpool fans loudly applaud their former player as he refuses to celebrate (22 mins).

Liverpool 2-2 Swansea: We’ve already mentioned that Bony looked threatening, and he has just headed Swansea level after a dangerous free-kick was played into the box (25 mins).

Liverpool’s defensive susceptibility seemed to be their downfall there, as some slack marking allowed the striker to head the ball off another player and into the net.

Some outlets are claiming it was in fact Martin Skrtel that got the final touch for the last goal.

Replays have proved inconclusive so far.

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 3-2 Swansea: Some nice passing from Liverpool leads to Luis Suarez producing an inch-perfect cross for Sturridge to head home (34 mins).

What a game!

Suarez tries to chip the Swansea goalkeeper from the halfway line and only narrowly misses the target.

You just cannot take your eyes off this game.

Bony has produced a snap shot from just outside the box that Mignolet does well to push wide.

We’re approaching stoppage time, but most neutrals won’t want this half to end.

Swansea still look very dangerous, partially due to Liverpool’s vulnerability and consistent sloppiness at the back.

It would be a big surprise if there aren’t more goals in the second half.

HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 3-2 SWANSEA

I can’t think of a better game so far this season based on that first 45 minutes.

Doesn’t sound like the Newcastle game has been quite as entertaining. It’s 0-0 there at half-time.

Caulkin

So half-time and ‘gung-ho’ are the words that spring to mind when attempting to describe that opening 45.

Both sides have displayed some exceptional attacking play while also often looking inept at the back.

Liverpool have once again been brilliant in attack, with Sturridge, Sterling and Suarez all playing as reliably excellent as ever.

Nevertheless, the suspicion that they’re not good enough at the back to win the Premier League is only likely to be reinforced after today’s game.

The second half has begun…

PENALTY FOR SWANSEA!

GOAL FOR SWANSEA!

Liverpool 3-3 Swansea: Skrtel gave away the penalty, as Bony went down after the defender put his arms around him.

The striker then picks himself up and slots home the penalty confidently (47 mins).

Suarez fails to beat the goalkeeper from a tough angle just after the goal.

The second half has picked up where the first left off.

Re: That penalty decision. Skrtel had his arms around Bony, so it was definitely the right decision, yet it’s the type of infringement that most officials tend to take a blind eye to.

It will be interesting to hear Brendan Rodgers’ reaction after the game.

Amid all the early excitement, I never mentioned that Swansea have made the game’s first substitution.

Jose Canas replaced the injured Jonjo Shelvey at half-time.

Liverpool fans breathe a sigh of relief as De Guzman curls a free-kick just wide.

Joe Allen is getting ready to come on for the hosts ostensibly to give them a bit more protection in midfield.

Allen replaces Sterling, who’s actually played well today.

However, Brendan Rodgers clearly recognises that his team need a bit more solidity in midfield.

As I type though, the influential Bony sends De Guzman through, but his shot is tame and straight at Mignolet.

Good last-ditch defending from Ashley Williams, who blocks Sturridge’s shot, preventing him from scoring a hat-trick in the process.

Liverpool have taken off Agger and brought on Toure in what appears to be a tactical substitution.

Meanwhile, Swansea are proving to be their own worst enemies at times — Liverpool’s high pressing is frequently causing the Welsh side to lose possession in dangerous areas.

Suarez goes down in the area, but the referee waves play on, much to the crowd’s frustration.

Replays suggest it was a dive — the Uruguayan certainly made the most of it anyway.

Suarez hits a shot well wide.

Liverpool are definitely on top and look to have a slightly more balanced look since Joe Allen’s introduction.

Here’s a look at that Bony penalty.

As I type, Pablo Hernandez comes on for De Guzman.

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 4-3 Swansea: Brilliant ball by Steven Gerrard to find Suarez — his shot deflects into the path of Jordan Henderson, who scores from close range at the second attempt after his initial shot is blocked (72 mins).

This is not dissimilar from that famous Liverpool-Newcastle 4-3 game, such is the frantic nature of it.

10 minutes remain and ex-Liverpool striker David Ngog has come on, as Swansea attempt to rescue this game.

And they are currently producing some good build-up play in the hosts’ final third, as the Reds fans nervously await the final whistle.

Liverpool are being unusually cagey, as they bid to hold on for a precious victory.

For once they look content to hold on to what they have and not go for another goal, with three minutes remaining.

Dare I say that this looks like being the winning goal?

AllGoals HQ

Gerrard comes so close to winning it, as his shot hits the inside of the post and goes out.

There will be three minutes of added time.

Ngog wriggles free in the Liverpool area, but he fails to properly connect with his shot.

It looks like Liverpool have another three points…

FULL-TIME: LIVERPOOL 4-3 SWANSEA

What. A. Game.

FULL-TIME: NEWCASTLE 1-0 ASTON VILLA

Loic Remy’s last-minute goal has handed the Magpies victory in the other Premier League game that’s just finished.

So it’s finished Liverpool 4-3 Swansea, and I’m still in the process of getting my breath back.

It was a game filled with brilliant play, as well as the odd near-comical moment from a defensive perspective.

Ultimately, Brendan Rodgers’ brave decision to take off Sterling and bring on Joe Allen paid off, as Liverpool looked considerably more solid thereafter and managed to get the winner through Jordan Henderson, who is suddenly looking well worth the £20million that the club paid for him.

While it’s a vital win for the Reds, they’ll know they’ll need to improve defensively if they want to continue to maintain a credible title bid.

Okay, that’s all from me for today.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy the rest of your weekends.

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