It wasn’t pretty, but Liverpool overcame Swansea 1-0 thanks to a fortuitous Jordan Henderson goal at the Liberty Stadium.
Here’s what we learned along the way…
1. Brendan Rodgers still has plenty of friends in Swansea
Rodgers’ links with the club go beyond the team and into the crowd. Here he is reuniting with a fan he used to greet at every home match while he was manager at the club.
2. Jonjo Shelvey is old school
3. He looks like Roger East
4. And he really likes playing against Liverpool
In fact he was everywhere…
5. Even footballers get the back-to-work blues
It’s not unusual at the end of the season for pundits to suggest players look like they’re on the beach already. What’s less common is to suggest in the middle of March they might still be there.
Liverpool were remarkably under-powered in the first half – they barely registered as an attacking force and were a mess in midfield.
6. Simon Mignolet has turned his season around
You never thought you’d be reading thar earlier in the season. Those dark days back in December when the Belgian was dropped from the Liverpool team are long gone now. He’s a key man in this Liverpool team at the moment, and they were lucky to have him in particular with one smart save from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
7. Liverpool fans don’t hold back
Yeah, that’s about right.
8. And there’s no doubt who their hero is – still
9. They all count
Admittedly Liverpool were playing better in the second half, but it would take the most one-eyed of Reds to say they deserved their lead one the goal came in the 68th minute.
It was pure good fortune – and a splash of endeavour – for Jordan Henderson, as Jordi Amat’s challenge ricocheted off his leg, over Lukas Fabianski and into the net. Swansea had reason to curse their luck.
10. Liverpool are good at defending
Yes, that’s six consecutive away clean sheets. Liverpool have only done that twice before – once in the 60s and once in the 70s. That top-four charge is on.
11. We are now officially excited about Sunday
Source: SNAPPA