Swans down the champions

Liverpool 1 Swansea 3

Rodgers left the south Wales club in the summer to take over from Kenny Dalglish but it was the visitors who had the last laugh in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup at Anfield.

Chico Flores and Nathan Dyer put the Swans 2-0 up with 17 minutes to go and although substitute Luis Suarez quickly pulled one back De Guzman made it 3-1 in added time to loosen the eight-time winners’ grip on the trophy.

It was only their 10th defeat in 102 League Cup games as the home team.

After a few close efforts, Swansea, who were not short of confidence, finally took their chance in the 34th minute. Yeung’s low shot was parried wide by Jones and Chico beat Sebastian Coates to De Guzman’s corner to power home a header.

It was their first goal at a Premier League ground since winning 5-0 at QPR on the opening day of the season.

Rodgers wasted no time in sending for the cavalry, bringing on Gerrard and Suarez for the disappointing Cole and the out-of-his-depth 18-year-old Samed Yesil at half-time.

Rodgers’ final throw of the dice was to send on Raheem Sterling but Swansea were in no mood just to defend their lead and, if anything, they re-doubled their efforts with Jones making three saves in quick succession from Hernandez, Dyer and Michu.

That trio applied the finishing blow in the 72nd minute when they caught Liverpool exposed on the counter-attack, the two Spaniards combining for Dyer to score from close range.

“We don’t need you any more,” sang the Swansea fans, although technically there was little they could have done about Rodgers’ summer departure after the manager admitted before the game moving to Anfield was a “no brainer”.

Liverpool needed a quick response and they got it when Suarez headed in Gerrard’s free-kick three minutes later but they could not force another and De Guzman made the result safe deep into added time.

LIVERPOOL: Jones, Henderson, Carragher, Coates, Robinson, Allen, Shelvey, Downing, Cole (Gerrard 46), Assaidi (Sterling 65), Yesil (Suarez 46).

SWANSEA: Tremmel, Chico (Monk 58), Richards, Williams, Tiendalli, Hernandez (Routledge 75), Britton, Ki,Dyer, de Guzman, Michu.

Referee: Lee Probert.

* The Capital One Cup quarter-finals

Leeds v Chelsea Swansea v Middlesbrough Norwich v Aston Villa Bradford v Arsenal

Ties to be played over the week commencing December 10.