Swansea v Liverpool – story of the match

Posted Tuesday, January 23, 2018 by PA

Swansea produced one of the shock results of the season as Virgil van Dijk’s Premier League debut for Liverpool turned into a nightmare.

Alfie Mawson struck the 40th-minute winner for bottom club Swansea, pouncing on a poor Van Dijk clearance from a corner that Liverpool’s £75million record signing possibly should not have conceded.

Liverpool came into this contest unbeaten in 18 games and on a high after ending the unbeaten record of league leaders Manchester City, so few saw this 1-0 defeat coming.

It''s getting really close at the bottom of the #PL… pic.twitter.com/SEv7mFqofx
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 22, 2018

What they said

"The players were really amazing to do this kind of job.”
Carlos was a very happy man after side’s 1-0 win over @LFC ➡️ https://t.co/mdKYxaQF9w pic.twitter.com/wI6G4tbfw7
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) January 22, 2018

We are breathing. We are not out of the hospital, but we are out of emergency and we can accept visits.

Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal

I’m more frustrated with the performance than the result and I’m angry because it was not a good game. We lost the game in the first half. We didn’t do what we wanted to do.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp

Tweet of the match

Where have #liverpool been since that Man City game??? 🏝☀️☀️
— Daniel Gabbidon (@Gabbidon35) January 22, 2018

Star man – Alfie Mawson

Swansea v Liverpool – story of the match — Alfie Mawson celebrates after breaking the deadlock (Simon Galloway/EMPICS)

Swansea centre-back Mawson showed a striker’s instinct to prod home the game’s only goal prior to the break before helping keep the Reds’ vaunted front line at bay.

From beating City to losing to Swansea

Liverpool arrived in south Wales on an 18-game unbeaten run and buoyed by becoming the first Premier League side to beat Manchester City last time out. That made their loss, and performance, at the team bottom of the table all the more difficult to comprehend.

The Carlos Carvalhal effect

His appointment may have raised eyebrows initially but Carvalhal has had an immediate impact with Swansea. They have won three of his six games in charge, drawing two and losing just once.

Ratings

AND BREATHE! 😅
3️⃣ MASSIVE POINTS! pic.twitter.com/bwOQuH7Inn
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) January 22, 2018

Swansea: Lukasz Fabianski 7 (out of 10), Kyle Naughton 7, Mike van der Hoorn 7, Federico Fernandez 8, Alfie Mawson 8, Martin Olsson 7, Nathan Dyer 6, Leroy Fer 7, Ki Sung-yueng 7, Sam Clucas 6, Jordan Ayew 7. Subs: Tom Carroll (on for Dyer, 64) 6, Wilfried Bony (on for Ayew, 79) 5.

Liverpool: Loris Karius 6, Joe Gomez 6, Joel Matip 5, Virgil van Dijk 5, Andrew Robertson 6, Emre Can 6, Georginio Wijnaldum 5, Sadio Mane 6, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Mohamed Salah 5, Roberto Firmino 6. Subs: Adam Lallana (on for Oxlade Chamberlain, 68) 5, Danny Ings (on for Wijnaldum, 73) 6.