Liverpool: Swansea managed to record a potentially vital away draw at Anfield, frustrating Liverpool in a 0-0 draw, seeing them pick up their second away point of the Premier League campaign.
Both teams came into the game on the back of impressive wins in the Premier League, Swansea maintaining their impressive home form with a 3-1 victory over Bolton, while Liverpool got back to winning ways at The Hawthorns, winning 2-0.
All this meant the two sides were virtually unchanged, Wayne Routledge replacing Scott Sinclair, after the winger picked up a hamstring injury in training, the only change to the two starting line-ups. Andy Carroll continued his partnership with the impressive Luis Suarez.
Swansea showed no signs of nerves in the early stages, playing in their usual passing style, but after just seven minutes the home side really should have taken the lead.
Charlie Adam’s inch perfect pass set Stewart Downing off down the left hand side, the winger drilled a low cross to Andy Carroll, and with his preferred left foot, the England man contrived to smash his effort against the crossbar from just six yards.
After a spell of domination from the home side, in which they failed to capitalise, Swansea almost punished them in the best possible fashion.
After great work down the left hand side from Wayne Routledge, the winger floated a teasing ball into the Liverpool area. In-form man Danny Graham stole ahead of his marker, and may have got the slightest of touches on the ball, but Pepe Reina was equal to it, clawing the ball away from goal.
Reina’s opposite number Michel Vorm had to be at his best just minutes later, getting down low to his left hand side to parry Luis Suarez’s curling effort wide, after the Uruguayan displayed terrific footwork to fashion the chance.
The game had a real cup tie atmosphere to it, end to end the whole way through, and Brendan Rodgers would have been by far the happier manager as the teams left the field of the play for the half-time break.
Shortly after the half time break, manager Kenny Dalglish signalled his intentions for the second half, replacing the ineffective Jordan Henderson with the more attacking minded Dirk Kuyt.
The substitution had little effect on the game though, as Swansea continued to retain possession, to the groans of the increasingly frustrated Anfield faithful.
As the game continued the away side continued to grow in confidence, beginning to realise they could win the game.
Danny Graham’s effort from the edge of the area was spilled by Pepe Reina, and the Spaniard had to be at his best to deny Nathan Dyer from the rebound.
Both managers decided to roll the dice late on, with the pacey Scott Sinclair and Craig Bellamy being introduced.
Just minutes from time it was the Welsh side who should have won it late on. Danny Graham’s cushioned header was perfectly weighted for Mark Gower, who somehow blazed his 12 yard effort over the crossbar, with the goal at his mercy.
It was then the home side who thought they had won it. Dirk Kuyt latched on to Daniel Agger’s knock down to head home from just 5 yards, only for his celebrations to be cut short by the linesman, rightly so by the looks of the replay.
To the frustration of the home crowd, Liverpool contrived to drop points at home against a promoted team for the second time in a fortnight.
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