Liverpool ended a topsy-turvy 2014 on a high note this evening with a 4-1 victory over Swansea City at Anfield.
Alberto Moreno broke the deadlock for the hosts shortly after the half-hour mark, but the main action came in the second half as Adam Lallana and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored within one minute of each other, while Raheem Sterling hit the post moments later.
Lallana added a third just past the hour, and the three points were wrapped up when Jonjo Shelvey flicked a corner into his own net shortly afterwards.
Read how an action-packed match unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's clash between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield. It has been a fantastic year of Premier League action, and this match is the final top-flight game of 2014. If recent meetings are anything to go by, we should be in for a cracker here as both sides look to strengthen their top-four challenge going into the New Year. Let's start with a look at the hosts...
It is fair to say that it has been a mixed year for Liverpool. They went on a magnificent run in the second half of the 2013-14 campaign and came within a whisker of finally ending their long wait for a Premier League title, only to fall just short in the end. However, they have not managed to get anywhere near that level of performance so far this season and will be hoping for a vast improvement in 2015.
They come into this match sitting 10th in the Premier League table, which is simply not good enough for a side most expected to be in and around the top four and some expected to be pushing for the title once again. It has not been an easy season for Brendan Rodgers so far, but there have been a few signs of improvement in recent weeks and, with Daniel Sturridge's expected return date edging ever closer, things are beginning to look up for the Reds.
Victory this evening would be an important step towards keeping up their renewed momentum, though, with results being more important than performances for Liverpool at the moment. Despite losing 3-0 to Manchester United recently, Liverpool actually didn't play too badly in that game, while they were also the better side against Arsenal but still needed a late goal to rescue a point. In contrast, they were poor in their last match against Burnley but crucially came away with all three points.
Winning while playing badly - or indeed playing well - is something that Liverpool have not done enough of so far this season, and has contributed to their disappointing league position so far. In many ways, although the performances against United and Arsenal were arguably better than the one against Burnley, the latter would have given Rodgers more joy. If his side can start to pick up points when they are underperforming then they will certainly begin to climb the table.
They have managed to stem the flow of defeat at least in recent weeks, with the loss to bitter rivals Manchester United their only one in the last nine matches in all competitions. They have won four and drawn four in that time, but remain eight points adrift of the Champions League places - surely now their main priority for the season. Victory today would see them close that gap to five points, with is certainly a surmountable target in 2015.
There are still concerns over Liverpool's home form, however, with Anfield providing a microcosm of the club's change from last season. It was a fortress for Rodgers during their title challenge, but they have only won three home Premier League games there this season, which is the fewest in the top half of the table. They have drawn there last three at Anfield in all competitions and have only won one of their last five. That needs to improve in the New Year.
Indeed, Liverpool have only taken 13 points from their opening nine home matches this season, which is 11 fewer than at the same stage of last term. Those 11 points would put the Reds joint third in the table right now, which goes to show how big an impact home form can have on a season. They will, however, see their victory over Burnley last time out as a chance to go on a bit of a run, with Leicester, Sunderland and Aston Villa next up in the Premier League.
They are unlikely to find it easy against a Swansea side that has surpassed expectations so far this season, though. There were some tipping Garry Monk's side for a relegation battle before the campaign, but they have fared well so far and will end the year in the top half of the table. Indeed, victory tonight would see them move just two points off the top four and six clear of Liverpool. You would have got big odds on that being the case before the season.
The Swans also come into this match off the back of a 1-0 victory on Boxing Day, with Gylfi Sigurdsson's stunning free kick enough to see Garry Monk's side past Aston Villa. That made it back-to-back victories for the club following successive defeats, with Swansea keeping clean sheets in both of those wins. Liverpool have not exactly been scoring freely this year, so they will fancy their chances of keeping the hosts at bay tonight.
Indeed, Swansea boast a very impressive defensive record overall this season, with only three teams conceding fewer goals. Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton are the only sides who have been stingier than Garry Monk's side, who have let in only 19 goals in their 18 outings so far this season. Their attackers usually grab the headlines and have been in fine form this season, but Swansea's league position is arguably even more down to a sturdy defence.
One problem area that they have struggled to rectify this season is their away form, although there are signs that that may be improving following the recent 1-0 victory over Hull City at KC Stadium. That win in their most recent away match was their first on the road since a surprise 2-1 victory over Manchester United on the opening day of the campaign, ending a winless run of seven matches in all competitions that included five defeats.
One of those defeats came right here at Anfield in October, when Swansea visited in the fourth round of the League Cup. They looked to be on course for the next round as they led in the closing stages, but Mario Balotelli levelled things up right at the end of normal time before Dejan Lovren completed the dramatic comeback to ensure Liverpool's progress. More recently, Swansea travelled to Merseyside to take on Everton, and they enjoyed a little more success there, holding the Toffees to a goalless draw at Goodison.
It seems that recent meetings between these two sides at Anfield court drama, with the last league meeting here ending in a thrilling 4-3 victory for the hosts. That remains the highest-scoring away game for Swansea since they won promotion to the top flight, and they will take confidence from their performance against what was at the time a seemingly unstoppable Liverpool outfit, despite the end result.
Garry Monk has been very vocal in his praise of opposition manager Brendan Rodgers in the build-up to this match, and the two are understood to have a good relationship within football. Rodgers, of course, was Swansea boss when they were promoted to the Premier League in 2011, at which point Monk was also the club captain. The now-Swans manager has cited Rodgers as an inspiration in his own managerial career too, so there will be no ill-feeling in the dugouts tonight.
TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the big news as far as Liverpool are concerned is that Steven Gerrard is rested and drops to the bench. Can moves into defence and Henderson returns in midfield, while Mignolet is back in goal due to an injury to Brad Jones. Swansea, meanwhile, have made three changes to their side, with Richards, Britton and Dyer all coming in. Full teams coming right up...
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Manquillo, Moreno; Lucas, Henderson, Lallana, Coutinho; Sterling
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Ward, Toure, Gerrard, Markovic, Balotelli, Lambert, Borini
SWANSEA STARTING XI: Fabianski; Richards, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Britton, Shelvey, Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Bony
SWANSEA SUBS: Tremmel, Rangel, Bartley, Ki, Carroll, Emnes, Gomis
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, Mignolet's inclusion is a significant one for Liverpool as the beleaguered keeper makes his first start since being dropped "indefinitely". The Belgian featured against Burnley and kept a clean sheet having replaced the injured Brad Jones, but he certainly didn't look convincing. There were a number of shaky moments, and you can be sure that Swansea will look to capitalise on a player that looks to be short on confidence right now.
© Getty Images
We are once again expecting Liverpool to operate with full-backs, but interestingly Emre Can is called in as a centre-back for this one. Toure is left on the bench, while Lovren is injured, so Rodgers has opted to give the summer recruit a new role. We are more used to seeing him in midfield, so it will be interesting to see how he copes with the threat of Bony up front. He certainly has the physical presence, but often you need a lot more than that against a player of Bony's quality.
Yet another interesting decision from Rodgers comes in midfield, where Gerrard is dropped to the bench. However, it is not all too surprising considering the festive schedule, and Rodgers is perhaps wisely saving his skipper for the match against Leicester on New Year's Day instead. Lucas, Henderson, Lallana and Coutinho are the men who make up the midfield, and they have all had spells out of the team in the first half of the season so will be keen to stake their claim for a regular spot this evening.
Up front, it is Raheem Sterling who leads the line once again, with Rodgers tipping the youngster to become a top-class centre-forward if he continues to play in that role. Sterling showed good composure to score the winner against Burnley but has also missed a host of chances in that central role that a more natural finisher would have snapped up. Still, though, his pace causes all sorts of problems for defence, and he has again been preferred to Balotelli, Lambert and Borini in the side tonight.
It could be that Liverpool look for a more permanent solution to their striking problem in January, and if they do then they may not need to look much further than Wilfried Bony. The Swansea front man is a real handful when on form, and his goalscoring record is superb as well. No player has scored more Premier League goals than him in 2014, while he has netted in eight of this last 12 outings. He will be the main danger for Liverpool to watch today.
© Getty Images
He is not Swansea's only threat, however, and Gylfi Sigurdsson behind him has established himself as a key player for the club since returning. He has forged a good partnership with Bony and provided plenty of assists, while also weighing in with some important goals. He can deadly from set piece situations too, as he showed in getting the winner against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The likes of Lucas and Henderson will have to keep a close eye on him tonight.
Elsewhere, there is a return to Anfield for Jonjo Shelvey, who came under criticism from Garry Monk this week but has generally fared well against his former club. He has scored in both of his appearances for Swansea against Liverpool since making the move from Merseyside, including a special strike in the corresponding fixture last season. He may well have a point to prove tonight too, which could make him even more dangerous.
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Anfield, which means that it is time for my prediction! This is quite a tough one to call tonight, with both sides going into the game fully capable of coming away with all three points. Liverpool have been underwhelming all too often this season but seem to be turning a corner, while Swansea are capable of pulling a big win out of the bag, as they showed at Old Trafford. A draw would not be a major surprise, but I'm going to go for a 2-1 home win this evening.
History certainly does not favour Swansea going into this match. They have never won a league game at Anfield, drawing three and losing 10 of their trips to the red half of Merseyside. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five against the Swans, and have won their two at Anfield in the league.
I mentioned earlier that this fixture is becoming synonymous with goals, but that wasn't always the case. Indeed, the first three Premier League meetings between these two sides yielded just the one goal, but the last three have produced no fewer than 16, including that seven-goal thriller in the corresponding fixture last season.
Many of those goals have come early on, too, with three being scored inside the opening five minutes in the last two meetings. Liverpool had a reputation for starting matches quickly last season but have struggled to replicate that this time around, so it might be Swansea who are more likely to find an early opener this time around.
The teams are out, and the famous pre-match anthem of Liverpool rings around the stadium as these two sets of players get ready for the final Premier League match of 2014. We're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now.
KICKOFF: Liverpool get us underway here as they look to make it a triumphant end to a topsy-turvy year. Can they do it or will Swansea record their first league victory at Anfield?
Both of these sides like to pass the ball about on the floor, so this should be an intriguing clash tonight. It could suit Liverpool perfectly, much like their recent League Cup clash with Bournemouth.
Bright play by Sterling the break as he skips away from one man down the left before winning a corner off the covering defender. Decent start from both sides here.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner Skrtel almost breaks the deadlock. The ball was floated to the back post for the Liverpool defender, who rises high above Fernandez but can only nod the ball straight into the arms of Fabianski.
Liverpool have started with a really good level of intensity off the ball here, with their players quick to close Swansea down all over the field. It will be hard to keep that up all game, but they have done it well so far.
The hosts have been the main aggressors of the opening 10 minutes, but we are yet to see a good shooting opportunity for either side.
Nice football from Liverpool as they knock the ball about in and around the Swansea area, with Sterling linking up at the end of the move. The latter skipped past a defender into a decent position, but his cut-back doesn't find a red shirt and Swansea are eventually able to clear.
CHANCES! Liverpool have two chances in quick succession to take the lead! Moreno is in acres of space on the left and fizzes a ball into the middle that Sterling meets with a form effort. Fabianski makes a good save to keep it out, but Swansea fail to scramble it clear and it falls to Lallana. However, the midfielder swings at it with his weaker left foot and blazes his effort over the top when he should have done better.
Liverpool's wing-backs are getting a lot of joy down the flanks so far, particularly Moreno down the left. Monk may have to switch things around if he is to stop that route because it is providing plenty of joy for the hosts right now.
SHOT! Another shooting opportunity for the hosts, but this time it is an easy one for Fabianski. Once more Swansea can't completely clear the danger and Lucas feeds it back in to Coutinho on the edge of the box. However, the playmaker's effort is tame and comfortable for the keeper to collect.
Liverpool have had 65% possession in this match so far, and that is an accurate reflection of how they have performed so far. They have very much been in control of this game, and Rodgers will be keen to make sure this spell on top counts for something.
Some nervy play at the back from Liverpool as Sakho just about gets away with a heavy touch and then Can reacts in time to get to the loose ball before the opposition. Can has been calm at the back so far and played a few balls out from defence well.
SHOT! A scrappy period of play eventually ends with Sakho stepping out of defence to win the ball and play down the left for Coutinho. The Brazilian picks it up and cuts inside before firing a low effort a few yards wide of the far post.
Swansea simply have not got going in this match yet. They have offered very little in an attacking sense, with Bony barely featuring at all. It has been Liverpool who have asked all of the questions so far.
Decent spell of possession for Swansea as they finally look to settle into this match. They have not been able to keep the ball anywhere as well as they usually do tonight, which has contributed to Liverpool's dominance so far.
Sterling seems to have pinned himself to Fernandez in this one, but the big defender is dealing well with the challenge so far. They have been involved in a running duel in this opening half an hour or so, and it is one to keep an eye on.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Swansea, but it is their best moment of the game so far. Bony does well on the halfway line to turn and slide the ball into the path of Taylor, who advances down the left flank before sending a cross in towards the far post. Dyer attacks it well and gets his head to it, but he can't put enough power behind his effort to trouble Mignolet.
SHOT! Bony has not seen much of the ball so far, and that is evident here as he lashes at a shot and sends it in to row Z. It was Skrtel's header that gifted possession to the striker but, after holding off one challenge, his effort was a long way off target.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Swansea (Alberto Moreno)
Liverpool get the breakthrough, and it is the unlikely figure of Alberto Moreno who gets the goal! The full-back kept on running into the box as Liverpool worked it out to the right, with Lallana finding Henderson down the channel. The latter plays the ball into the middle, and Moreno is there to put it in from close range. He did his best to miss it, firing it straight at Fabianski, but the keeper could not make the save.
What have Swansea got in response, then? They have offered precious little going forward so far, and you have to say that Liverpool deserve the lead, so it is up to the visitors to hit back now. Something needs to change for Garry Monk's side.
SAVE! Liverpool are pushing for a second here, and Coutinho almost sneaks it in. The Brazilian picks the ball up on the left side of the box and reaches the byline before leaving Richards on the deck with a nice piece of skill. He then tries to catch Fabianski out at his near post with a low drive, but the keeper reacts well to make the stop.
That goal seems to have given Liverpool an even bigger boost rather than sparking Swansea into life. The hosts are playing with confidence at the moment and look likely to get a second before half time unless the visitors can stem the tide here.
Bright play from Shelvey as he shows good feet to dance his way past a few Liverpool defenders on the edge of the box. He makes his way into the area before being levered away from the ball by Can. Shelvey appeared to throw an arm out at Can after that, catching him in the face, but the referee did not see it.
It will be interesting to see whether Shelvey faces an retrospective action for that flailing arm. Cisse was charged for an elbow during Newcastle's win over Everton yesterday, and that was not too dissimilar. Not the smartest move from Shelvey in a week that has already seen Monk question his discipline.
Swansea have a good spell of possession to end the half, with Liverpool being forced into clearing a number of crosses into their box in quick succession. Dyer eventually wins a free kick in a good crossing position for Sigurdsson...
The ball in is a good one and Fernandez gets in behind Can before nodding it back into a dangerous area. Sakho can;t get it completely clear, the Routledge's subsequent shot is sliced and Mignolet comes out to claim.
SAVE! Good play from Coutinho here as he picks up the ball in midfield and drives into the final third before releasing a powerful effort. It swerves just in front of the keeper, who readjusts in time to palm it behind for a corner. Just the one minute of injury time added on, by the way.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Swansea City
Andre Marriner brings an end to the first half, and it is Liverpool who go into the break with the lead following an intriguing opening 45 minutes between two sides that clearly know each other very well. The hosts deserve their advantage, but as long as it remains 1-0 Swansea are still very much in this game.
The goal came from Alberto Moreno, who has been heavily involved for Liverpool so far. It was a nice team move from the hosts as Lallana played the ball out wide right for Henderson, who picked out a good ball into the middle. Moreno had made his way into the area and was unmarked to fire home, although he did hit his shot at Fabianski despite having most of the goal to aim at. The proximity of the effort meant that the keeper could not keep it out, however.
Aside from the goal, Liverpool have created the better chances in this match, including two in quick succession just before the quarter-hour mark. Sterling had the first one when he saw his effort well saved by Fabianski, while moments later Lallana could not keep his shot down when the loose ball dropped to him inside the area.
Coutinho has also threatened on a number of occasions for the hosts, drawing a particularly smart save from Fabianski at his near post moments after Liverpool had taken the lead. He has forced the Swansea keeper into action again just before the break, unleashing a powerful long-range effort that Fabianski had to readjust to keep out due to it swerving just in front of him.
As far as Swansea are concerned, there wasn't much to shout about in terms of clear chances, with Dyer having probably their best when he put a tame header into the arms of Mignolet. Bony has barely been involved at all, with Liverpool doing a good job of preventing service to him both through the middle and down the wings. Monk will want to see a lot more from his side in the second half, that is for sure.
There was a controversial incident five minutes before the break when Shelvey danced through a number of tackles before appearing to throw an arm into the face of Can when the Liverpool man had come across to cover. It could well have been a red card had the referee seen it, but despite being in a good position he appeared to miss the incident.
KICKOFF: Swansea get us back underway for the second half, and they have made a change at the break with Angel Rangel replacing Richards at right-back, presumably to stunt the influence of Moreno.
SHOT! Sterling picks up the ball rather fortuitously after an attempted interception falls to the Liverpool youngster. He controls it well and turns to face goal, but his subsequent effort from range flies a long way off target.
YELLOW CARD! Well, you won't see a more blatant yellow card than this all season. Routledge shows great pace to knock the ball beyond Lucas and Skrtel, the latter of whom comes across and almost rugby tackles the winger, ripping his shorts in the process. Skrtel will now miss the Leicester game on New Year's Day.
SAVE! Bony finally gets a chance to threaten from the resulting free kick, beating his man in the air and planting a downward header towards goal. However, it is central and easy for Mignolet to save.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Swansea (Adam Lallana)
Oh my word, Fabianski has had a horror show here as Liverpool double their lead in the most fortuitous circumstances. A back-pass comes to the keeper, who takes his time on the ball despite Lallana closing him down. Fabianski attempts a clearance, but the ball goes straight in to Lallana and loops into the net!
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Swansea (Gylfi Sigurdsson)
What a response from Swansea! Bony causes problems inside the area, forcing Sakho to nod the ball straight back across his own goal, where Sigurdsson is waiting to tuck it home. It is game on again now!
OFF THE POST! Incredible! Moments after Swansea almost get another goal through Bony's effort, Liverpool break quickly and come within inches of restoring their two-goal lead. Henderson plays a beauty of a ball across goal for Sterling, whose effort looks destined for the far corner, only to strike the post!
Well, what a mad few minutes that was! Bony forced a good stop from Mignolet between Swansea's equaliser and Sterling hitting the post, with the chance coming following a dreadful pass from Sakho. We've had more action in the last five minutes than we had in the whole first half!
The match has a real ebb and flow to it now, with the crowd in good voice and both sides looking to attack every time they get the ball. We are in for an interesting final 30 minutes or so!
Poor play from Sterling as he plays a loose ball backwards that Coutinho picks off. He plays it inside to Sterling, who is in space on the edge of the box, but the youngster chooses not to drive at goal and instead looks to return the ball to Coutinho. Fernandez makes the tackle and then wins a free kick, rescuing what looked like a very dangerous situation for his side.
SAVE! Again Liverpool break forward and find space in behind the Swansea midfield, with Lallana picking the ball up and moving into a shooting position. He lets fly towards the bottom corner, but Fabianski makes the save.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Swansea (Adam Lallana)
Liverpool have their two-goal advantage back, and it is a second for Lallana. It is dreadful defending from Swansea as one Coutinho flick opens up acres of space for Lallana, who ghosts past a couple more challenges all too easily before drilling an effort into the bottom corner. It was an assured finish, but Garry Monk will be wondering where exactly his defence was.
CHANCE! Lallana looks to turn creator here as he takes the ball down brilliantly before sliding a beautifully weighted ball through for Sterling. He rounds the keeper but is forced too far out wide and can't squeeze the ball in from an impossible angle.
SWANSEA SUB: There is so much going on right now that I almost missed Bony going off immediately after that third Liverpool goal. Bafetimbi Gomis is his replacement.
SWANSEA SUB: Another change for the visitors here as Britton is replaced by Ki. Britton and Shelvey were both nowhere to be seen as Lallana raced through for his second goal.
CHANCES! Liverpool are running riot here! The ball pings about the Swansea area as they just can't get it clear, with a number of red shirts having a pop at goal. Eventually it falls to Skrtel, whose effort is deflected behind for a corner.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-1 Swansea (Jonjo Shelvey og)
Things go from bad to worse for Swansea as Liverpool get an unorthodox fourth goal. Henderson's corner initially didn't look to be a dangerous one, but Shelvey could only flick a header beyond his own keeper and into the far corner at the near post. This is turning into a nightmare evening for the visitors!
What a second half this has been so far, although I'm sure the Liverpool contingent will have enjoyed it rather more than the visitors. They have been all over Swansea here and look capable of adding further goals to their tally.
Shelvey has certainly had a mixed time against his former club in recent meetings. He was at fault for both of Liverpool's goals in a recent clash at the Liberty Stadium, but scored a screamer in the last league meeting at Anfield. Tonight, in addition to his own goal, he could also be the subject of an FA investigation into an apparent elbow.
Swansea have at least stemmed the tide a little since that fourth goal, although that could also be because Liverpool have taken their foot off the pedal. Surely there is no way back for the visitors now, although a goal in the next few minutes could make things interesting.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Lallana's two goals have played a massive part in this match, but he won't get his hat-trick tonight. He makes way to be replaced by Lazar Markovic.
SHOT! Lovely football from Liverpool down the right flank as they cut through Swansea once again. Manquillo's cross is dealt with before it reaches Sterling, but Coutinho picks the ball up on the edge of the box before firing an effort off target.
We could be seeing Mario Balotelli shortly here, which is an interesting decision from Rodgers. This could be a perfect match for him to break his Premier League duck the way things are going, though, so it is clear to see why Rodgers might be making that change.
There is a flash point in the corner here as Fernandez and Sterling get involved in a tussle. The latter appears to lash out at the defender and clip him across the face, but interestingly the officials decide to take no action whatsoever. Very strange, that could have easily been a red card, even if it would have been a soft one.
LIVERPOOL SUB: That will be Sterling's last action as he makes way to be replaced by Mario Balotelli.
OFF THE BAR! Swansea are inches away from pulling a goal back! Sigurdsson plays a clever pass in to Gomis on the edge of the box and, despite being hemmed in by red shirts, the striker manages to get a shot away. His curling effort is a very good one under the circumstances and seems to take everyone by surprise as it crashes against the bar.
Balotelli hasn't exactly enjoyed a successful couple of minutes on the field so far. He tripped over the ball with virtually his first action and has given a few loose passes as well.
SHOT! Lovely football from Liverpool as they go in search of a fifth goal. Moreno initially does well to get the ball to Coutinho, who skilfully chips it into the path of Markovic. He then lays the ball off for Henderson, but he doesn't quite catch his 25-yard effort sweet enough and it flies wide.
SAVE! Balotelli almost gets that elusive first Premier League goal for Liverpool! He exchanges a one-two with Markovic inside the box before passing a shot between the legs of a defender, but Fabianski gets down well to make the stop.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Coutinho has been superb today, but he is the third and final Liverpool man to make way here. Fabio Borini, back from suspension, comes on in his place.
The fourth official indicates a minimum of three minutes stoppage time at the end of this match.
CLOSE! Almost a late consolation for the visitors as Gomis picks the ball up and spins away from his man nicely. He then tries to bend a low effort into the far corner, but it skims inches wide of the post.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 4-1 Swansea City
The referee puts Swansea out of their misery with the final whistle as Liverpool run out 4-1 winners at Anfield to end the year on a high. Alberto Moreno got things going with a first-half opener, but it was after the break that things really got going. Lallana doubled the lead in unorthodox fashion, but Sigurdsson responded within a minute to halve the deficit. Lallana soon got a third for the Reds, however, while a Jonjo Shelvey own goal capped off the scoring.
That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a cracking match to end 2014 as Liverpool run out 4-1 victors over Swansea to leapfrog the visitors in the table. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
