James Milner’s second-half penalty tipped the balance for Liverpool as they edged out Swansea City at Anfield.
Advertisement
While the Reds continue to make hard work of winning at home, it was vital they found a way to win the game on a weekend when numerous sides above them dropped points and supporters will not care too much about how it was achieved.
“It was really insane, it changed all the time, sometimes no wind, sometimes lots”, he said.
The defensive pair have been taken for granted somewhat this season due to being Liverpool’s only senior full-back options – leading them to play nearly every game since the beginning of the campaign – but their performance level has remained impressively consistent and they were in fine form again.
“But when you look at the players we have and the way we’ve worked over my 20 months in charge, you can see it’s only a matter of time before it starts to turn for us”. “I think we were a bit jaded physically”. ‘They showed a good reaction from the last results. Swansea’s reaction was not of tempestuous proportions and rather, the arrivals of Henderson and Sturridge disrupted Liverpool’s flow. “That’s a big plus for the whole team”.
“Tonight, we are deserved winners and there’s no doubt about it – that’s the only thing we should care about”.
Milner also said he was delighted with the return of Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson, who were both introduced as second-half substitutes after returning from injury.
“They are two very important players for us and they’re back in the race”.
Under-pressure Swansea boss Garry Monk was defiant in defeat, insisting his side did not perform like a team which has won just once since the end of August.
“This is the world we live in”, he said. “The two games against City and Chelsea are not to be compared (with the Swansea game), and because of the opponent and the way they play we can not always play like this”.
“At the end of the day it is my responsibility for results and results haven’t been good enough in this period but that did not look like a team in trouble did it?”
Monk may have got at least a point to help him in his aim only for the linesman to adjudge Neil Taylor – with his back turned – had his arms in an unnatural position when Jordon Ibe’s cross hit him, leading to Milner’s 62nd minute victor.
Advertisement
It was an extremely soft decision.
