Liverpool title race dented as Swansea claim a vital win at Anfield

LIVERPOOL, England — Three thoughts from Swansea’s 3-2 win vs. Liverpool in the Premier League.

1. Swansea stun Liverpool at Anfield
Liverpool kicked off the Premier League weekend and could have provided a reminder that they are still well and truly remain in the title race after back-to-back draws. The encounter with bottom-of-the-table Swansea presented a good opportunity for Jurgen Klopp’s side to lay down a marker to their rivals.

Instead, an embarrassing 3-2 defeat had the opposite effect. Fernando Llorente and Gylfi Sigurdsson were the heroes for Swansea as they combined to score the second-half goals that condemned Liverpool to their first home league defeat this season.

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In a fixture where the Premier League’s best attack squared off against its worst defence, the Anfield crowd arrived in expectation of plenty of goals for the home side, despite Klopp’s warning at his news conference on Friday.

To counter this, Swansea manager Paul Clement set out his side to have as much possession as possible and to limit their opponents’ chance to flex their muscles in the final third, while remaining extremely compact in a 4-5-1 formation without the ball.

Liverpool were dominant in terms of possession and territory, but the signs were evident early that it was going to be a struggle, with Swansea using time-wasting tactics and clever fouls to disrupt the hosts’ rhythm.

When half-time came, Liverpool had only scored twice in nine halves of football. Patience would be needed, but it would not be afforded after Llorente scored twice early in the second period. The Spanish striker first prodded in from a corner and then climbed over James Milner and Ragnar Klavan to head home Tom Carroll’s fine cross.

Anfield roared for a third when Liverpool levelled proceedings through two goals from Roberto Firmino. But it was the visitors who secured the unlikeliest of three points when Sigurdsson — a one-time Liverpool transfer target — remained ice-cool in front of goal following a rapid counterattack. The away side won despite having just three shots on target.

2. Liverpool miss Mane despite Coutinho’s return

Liverpool must look at Sadio Mane’s form at the African Nations Cup with jealously. The Senegalese forward’s two goals in Gabon have helped guide his country to the quarterfinals, which rules out any chance of a swift return to Anfield.

Liverpool have badly missed the pace and threat offered by Mane since he last played for them on Jan. 2 at Sunderland. Never was that more evident than against an entrenched Swansea side on Saturday afternoon.

At least Philippe Coutinho is edging closer to returning to full fitness from ankle ligament damage. After appearances from the bench in fixtures against Southampton and Manchester United, the Brazilian forward has now started Liverpool’s last two games, but is still not able to last an entire 90 minutes.

The 24-year-old looked bright and threatening on Saturday but he was replaced by Daniel Sturridge in the 57th minute when Liverpool were 2-0 down and chasing the game.

Mane can effortlessly glide past opponents and, even when not at his best, requires close attention from defenders due his movement and speed. Without him, Liverpool simply do not have anyone that can fill the void.

The result is the disrupted fluidity of a front line that was free-scoring at the start of the season. The transfer market is still open, but it is not in Klopp’s nature to go out and buy a short-term fix.

3. Swansea show fight under Clement
When these sides last met in October, Francesco Guidolin was Swansea’s manager and his side took a one-goal lead at the Liberty Stadium before Liverpool turned the contest around in the second half. Since then, Bob Bradley has been and gone but now, under Clement, this appears to be a different Swansea.

Starts were handed to new signings Carroll and Martin Olsson, but business this month in the transfer window will not determine whether Swansea maintain their Premier League status. More important will be Clement’s work on the training ground.

And there are plenty of signs of encouragement for Swansea fans. There was some promise early against Arsenal and, for the majority of the 90 minutes at Anfield, they were resilient and strong, carrying out a clear game plan from Carlo Ancelotti’s former assistant.

This result pulled Swansea out of the relegation zone — temporarily at least — but things are not about to get easier, with Man City and Chelsea among their next four league opponents. This win, however, should give them plenty of confidence that they can avoid the drop.

Photo: Fernando Llorente’s two goals helped secure Swansea’s second straight Premier League away win.