Fernando Llorente inspired Swansea to end Liverpool’s year-long unbeaten run at Anfield as the Spaniard scored twice in a 3-2 win against the Reds.
The game which failed to record a shot on target in the first half came to life in the second half after Llorente scored twice in four minutes.
But Liverpool hit back through Roberto Firmino who scored twice for Jurgen Klopp’s team to ensure an intense last 20 minutes at Anfield.
Despite iverpool’s industry and attacking foray, it was Swansea who scored the winner through Gylfi Sigurdsson after a rear attack from the Welsh club.
Swansea scored with all three shots on target and have now moved up to 17th on the league table with 19 points.
It's all over at Anfield! What a result and what a performance by the #Swans! ? pic.twitter.com/JHJc610Qe1
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) January 21, 2017
Swansea looking good
In the wake of last weekend’s demoralising 4-0 defeat by Arsenal, Clement said Swansea would be “naive” to ignore the possibility of Premier League relegation this season.
On the evidence of their performance at Anfield, it would be equally naive of anyone to write them off.
In the space of seven days they have gone from a side who collapsed at the first setback to one capable of rallying under extreme pressure.
Their first-half defensive display – which saw them restrict Liverpool to a couple of half-chances – belied their status as the club with the division’s most porous defence.
Their second-half performance was clinical, epitomised by Llorente’s two strikes – a close-range finish following Federico Fernandez’s header from a corner, followed by a header from Tom Carroll’s cross – and Sigurdsson’s decisive, well-placed finish. These were there only three efforts on target.
It was also gutsy. They had to dig very deep against a side who, before Saturday, were unbeaten in the league in over a year at home and who had scored 26 goals in their previous nine league games.
Liverpool loses again
In the programme for this match, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described October’s encounter with Swansea in Wales – a 2-1 win sealed by a late James Milner penalty – as “one of the toughest we have had all season.”
The German may feel the need to revise that after Saturday’s game.
Despite having Philippe Coutinho back in the side – and ending the game with Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge on the pitch – the Reds were short of attacking invention and strength in the absence of Sadio Mane, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Their failure to move the ball quickly enough in the first half meant they did not properly test Swansea’s packed defence.
And while Firmino scored his first goals in six games – the first a header from Milner’s cross, the second a fierce finish after he had chested down Georginio Wijnaldum’s delivery – a total of five shots on target and an Adam Lallana deflected effort against the bar is scant product from nearly 75% possession.
With this result coming after successive away draws at Sunderland and Manchester United, the Reds are in danger of allowing a title challenge to slip away before February has even begun.
Their next game, at home to the league leaders, is now surely a must win.
