Rodgers refuses to abandon attack after seven-goal thriller

Carl Markham 09:39 24/02/2014
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  • Brendan Rodgers has vowed to keep faith with Liverpool’s attacking style after a roller coaster victory over his former club Swansea.

    Liverpool, whose four goals were shared by Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 before finally securing the points.

    Although irresistible going forward the Reds were again erratic in defence, conceding to former midfielder Jonjo Shelvey before Wilfried Bony scored a brace, but Rodgers is not prepared to revert to a more cagey game plan.

    “I think that’s not our style,” he said. “I worry always to play good football. I’m not totally satisfied with always grinding out results.

    “It’s the point of the season where it’s about winning, that’s what professional sport is about.”

    The frenetic pace was set in just the third minute, when the hosts scored a wonderful opener.

    Raheem Sterling robbed Angel Rangel and executed an inch-perfect 30-yard pass with the outside of his right foot which released Sturridge, who rounded Michel Vorm and slotted into the open net.

    The hosts then doubled their lead as Sturridge’s rapid acceleration created space to find Henderson, lurking on the edge of the area, who controlled the ball with his left boot, eyed up the top corner and dispatched a precision finish with his right.

    Swansea’s response was immediate and emphatic.

    Just two minutes after conceding they created their own version of Liverpool’s second, Nathan Dyer playing the Sturridge role as he drifted iside and Shelvey was on hand to match Henderson’s finish, stroking the ball into the top corner from a similar position.

    The goals kept coming, with the visitors making it four with Martin Skrtel unfortunate on two counts.

    The Slovakian was adjudged to have fouled Shelvey for the initial free-kick and, when Jonathan De Guzman’s delivery was headed on by Bony, the ball deflected past Simon Mignolet via his shoulder.

    But once more the Reds proved lethal in the final third as they reclaimed the lead with Luis Suarez floating a cross for Sturridge, and he rose between Ashley Williams and Wayne Routledge to nod home.

    Less than three minutes of the second half had passed when Swansea equalised once again.

    Skrtel cursing his luck once more as he conceded a questionable penalty tangling with Bony who made no mistake from the spot.

    A seventh seemed inevitable and Liverpool grabbed it with 16 minutes remaining.

    Suarez’s shot was blocked by Williams before Henderson fired the loose ball at Vorm, who saved smartly but allowed it to squirm out of his grasp as the England midfielder followed up to finish the job from a yard.


    Elsewhere in the Premier League, Newcastle scored their first goal in over seven hours of football to beat Aston Villa 1-0 at St. James' Park and secure only their second win in their last ten attempts.

    Loic Remy was the man of the moment with the Frenchman delighting the Toon with his stoppage time strike that brought to an end the club's run of five home defeats on the bounce.

    It wasn't quite as good a day for Tim Sherwood as Alan Pardew enjoyed thought as Tottenham's Champions League hopes took a dent in a 1-0 loss at Norwich.

    Chris Hughton, under immense pressure before the game, was left celebrating a wonderful Robert Snodgrass strike at the start of the second-half which lifted Norwich up to 14th and left Spurs in 5th, five points off of Liverpool a place above them.

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