Liverpool showed they might have some champion blood in them this season by coming from behind against a resilient Swansea City team to continue their brilliant form in the Premier League. A goal down at halftime, the Reds turned the match around with a brilliant second 45 performance, to move to within two points of the league leaders Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp's side were extremely poor in the first half and Swansea deservedly went into the break 1-0 ahead, thanks to a goal from Leroy Fer. Klopp's halftime speech must have worked, because Liverpool were a team transformed in the second half, pressing, probing and purring like they have done so often this season.
Roberto Firmino equalised for the Reds in the 54th minute, before winning the penalty six minutes from time to allow James Milner to slot home the winner from the spot.
The win, Liverpool's fifth in the Premier League in seven matches, puts them on 16 points, two adrift of Manchester City, who are yet to drop a single point this season.
While Klopp will be relieved with the victory, the manager will also know they were a little fortunate, in the end, to escape with the win. Their first half performance was quite poor – no cutting edge and very little imagination going forward.
The defending wasn't too great either, with Liverpool's vulnerability on setpieces coming to the fore. Swansea opened the scoring on eight minutes. A corner was fired in deep towards Borja Baston, who headed the ball back into the danger area. Mike van der Hoorn hooked the ball towards goal with Fer on hand to tap home from a yard out.
Swansea could have easily gone into halftime with a bigger lead, with Borja failing to find the target with a couple of headers, when he really should have been bulging the net.
Liverpool needed to improve in the second half and they did, with Firmino making it 1-1 courtesy a header off a lofted cross from Jordan Henderson.
The Brazilian then won the penalty that won Liverpool the match, going down under the challenge of Angel Rangel, who had been put under pressure owing to a poor clearance from Modou Barrow. The penalty specialist Milner stepped up to take the spotkick, coolly placing the ball down the middle to give Liverpool all three points.
Other results: Hull City 0-2 Chelsea; Sunderland 1-1 West Brom; Watford 2-2 Bournemouth; West Ham 1-1 Middlesbrough.
