Goals flow as Reds refuse to be counted out

Liverpool 4 Swansea 3

Slowly, quietly, Liverpool have now become the division’s leading goalscorers, eclipsing even a Manchester City forward line that is generally perceived to be as good as any seen in the history of the Premier League.

The two goals from Henderson, backed up by two from the prolific and irrepressible Daniel Sturridge, took Liverpool’s tally for the season to 70 — one more than Manuel Pellegrini’s side — while the 3-2 lead they took into the interval means that an astonishing 46 of those have come in the first half.

But if Swansea became the latest team to be swept aside in an electrifying start to the game from Liverpool, the manner in which the struggling Welsh club managed to play their way back into contention — twice equalising at 2-2 and 3-3 — was a timely reminder of the areas in which Rodgers must improve if his team is to reach their most realistic goal for the campaign of a top-four finish.

“There have not been too many times this season when we have talked about hard luck stories. And today we weren’t quite at our best but we scored four goals and won the game,” Rodgers said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d take a clean sheet and a 1-0 win, absolutely. We didn’t defend anywhere near well enough today. I’m not overly-happy with the defending. It’s mistakes or decision making that is costing us and there is no doubt we will continue to work on that side of it.”

Liverpool struck after barely three minutes as Sturridge wrote himself into the Premier League history books, becoming the second player, after Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy who twice achieved the feat, to score in eight consecutive league games in the division.

It was also a fittingly impressive goal as Raheem Sterling pounced on a ball given away by Angel Rangel and produced a magnificent through ball which allowed Sturridge to round advancing goalkeeper Michel Vorm before scoring.

Sterling forced Vorm into a diving stop soon after but Liverpool’s anxious play in defence was already becoming evident by the time Henderson doubled the lead after 20 minutes.

It had the makings of a comfortable afternoon for Liverpool in their continuing attempts to finish in the Champions League places but it took only two minutes for poor defending to undo much of the good early work. Nathan Dyer moved into a central position from the right wing as Liverpool markers — Steven Gerrard most notable among them — failed to make a challenge. He eventually found former Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey who unleashed a finish identical to Henderson’s in its range, power and accuracy.

Worse would follow for the home side four minutes later, although in controversial circumstances after Martin Skrtel was judged to have brought down Shelvey 30 yards from goal. Jonathan de Guzman took the free-kick which found Wilfried Bony, the Swansea forward guiding a header past Simon Mignolet via a helpful deflection off Skrtel.

Anfield was anxious but Liverpool resilient and, by the 36th minute, they were back in front after a long and patient build-up around the edge of the area. Eventually, Luis Suarez emerged on the left side of the Swansea area, picking out Sturridge with a far-post cross which the forward headed in from six yards.

Within a minute of the restart, however, Swansea were level again, this time from a penalty conceded after Skrtel leaped with Bony to compete for Dyer’s cross and fouled the striker in the process. Bony himself took the penalty and easily beat Mignolet with a fierce finish to the bottom corner.

There would be openings at both ends, although more for Liverpool than their visitors, as Sturridge and Suarez continued to threaten, with Henderson enjoying a couple of lucky bounces en route to settling the game after 74 minutes. It was a result, if not a performance, which had Swansea manager Gary Monk believing Liverpool are bona fide contenders.

“Why not?” said Monk. “They are up there and it is not out of their grasp. I’m sure that they will be thinking that themselves. The three points today keeps them up there.

“You can see the work that Brendan has put in place. I worked with Brendan and saw what he can do. I said when he left us that Liverpool have a good manager on their hands and you can see the progress they have made with the strike force they have.”

LIVERPOOL (4-1-4-1): Mignolet 6; Flanagan 7, Agger 5 (Toure 63, 5) , Skrtel 5, Johnson 6; Gerrard 6; Sturridge 8 (Moses 78), Henderson 9, Coutinho 5, Sterling 7 (Allen 57, 6); Suarez 7.

SWANSEA (4-4-1-1): Vorm 5; Rangel 5, Flores 5, Williams 6, Taylor 6; Dyer 8 (Ngog 78), de Guzman 7 (Hernandez 72, 6), Britton 6, Routledge 5; Shelvey 7 (Canas 45, 6); Bony 9.

Referee: M Jones 8.