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Liverpool secured a surprisingly comfortable 5-0 victory over Swansea City at Anfield on Sunday, with goals from Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, home debutant Phillipe Coutinho, Jose Enrique and Luis Suarez, condemning the Swans to a heavy defeat, just a week before the biggest day in the club’s history, the League Cup final against Bradford City.
Michael Laudrup paid the price for fielding a weakened line-up, essentially handing the game on a silver platter to a Liverpool side in desperate need of a victory.
The talking points from the game were:
Luis Suarez steals the show yet again:
The press seems to have run out of adjectives to describe the Uruguayan, as he stole the show against the Welsh side. The forward was in imperious form, constantly terrorizing a weakened Swansea defence, and literally ghosting through the defence with ease, especially in the second half. His usage of space was intelligent, and strived to extract the best from his team-mates throughout the game. Developing a beautiful partnership with Sturridge, Suarez set-up the Englishman on numerous occasions with his incredible range of passing.
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His goal was extremely well taken, but will be frustrated for not having scored more, as he let several chances slip by. In the end, it barely mattered, and the Swans will certainly be happy to have seen the back of him. At times, it appeared as if he was just strolling past the defence; such was the nature of his play. He also linked up well with new signing Coutinho, providing a sumptuous assist for the goal, just 16 seconds into the second half.
Michael Laudrup paid a heavy price:
Looking at the Swansea line-up before the game, you would’ve probably thought that your eyes were deceiving you. Ashley Williams, Michu, Wayne Routledge, Angel Rangel and Nathan Dyer were rested, with Chico Flores injured. Going to Anfield is never an easy trip, no matter what kind of form Liverpool are in, and the Swans made a mockery of themselves. Not to discredit the Liverpool performance, as they would’ve beaten the strongest Swansea line-up with ease based on their wonderful performance, but they would’ve at least been made to work for the victory.
The central defensive partnership of Bartley and Monk was ripped to shreds, with only Monk having kept his reputation intact among the entire back-four, heroically rescuing the team on numerous occasions in the first-half. The team was on the backfoot the entire game, and a 5-0 loss before a cup final is a huge blow, something that Laudrup will have to rectify.
Liverpool played beautiful football:
The build-up to Jose Enrique’s goal was filled with excellent touches and great passes. Each player was tactically aware, and was able to read the movement of his teammates. Enrique, Suarez and Sturridge displayed team football at its finest, and the goal was easily the best of the evening, serving to highlight how brilliant the Reds actually were, despite Swansea resting several crucial figures.
Throughout the game, Gerrard and Suarez worked in tandem to bypass and destroy the defence, while Coutinho was making a decent amount of runs. He also provided an excellent pass for Sturridge. Johnson and Enrique drove down the wings with purpose and linked up well with the rest of the attack. Constantly passing and moving the ball around, the Reds effectively passed Swansea to death at times. In reality, Liverpool should have scored at least 10 goals, because they nearly had 40 attempts on goal.
Will this game revive Liverpool?
Liverpool have played some scintillating football since the turn of the year, and are probably the most aesthetically pleasing side watch in the league, along with Arsenal. Against Albion and Zenit St. Petersburg, the Reds simply failed to hit the target, but banging in five goals would greatly help their confidence ahead of their crucial midweek clash against Zenit. The Russians will head to Anfield wary of their hosts, knowing full well what Suarez and Co. are capable of.
While a top 4 finish seems highly unlikely, the Reds should aim to finish the season on a strong note and aim to finish no lower than 5th, which would almost certainly guarantee them Europa League football next season. It’s a shame that the Reds don’t have at least 10 points more at this stage of the season, having thrown away point after point. The quality in the Liverpool line-up is immense, and in the coming years, expect them to regain their status as one of Europe’s top dogs.
