This time last year Swansea City beat Liverpool at Anfield and gained the belief that saved them from Premier League relegation. Here they defeated Liverpool once more with Hymns and Arias, the fans’ anthem that has sadly not echoed around the Liberty Stadium much of late, sung joyously at the final whistle.
It was a final whistle after which Liverpool’s frustrations boiled over with pushing and shoving. They had spurned chances, been denied by some astonishingly resolute defending and, with just seconds to go, Roberto Firmino thumped a header against a post from close range. Firmino surely had to score and Liverpool will have felt they had to win as they fight to finish in the top four.
Instead, their 18-match undefeated run in all competitions has come to a spectacular end against a Swansea side who are still 20th in the league but are not cut adrift.
In fact, they are three points from safety and the belief this result gave them under their Carlos Carvalhal, their new manager, was palpable. He later laid out in his inimitably colourful style: the patient – the team – were in intensive care when he took over, relegation appearing a certainty, but they are now “well enough to accept visitors”.
There are signs of life; they have a fighting chance.
I have had six games, we have lost one against Tottenham which was an offside goal. We are building. We are not in emergency. We are in hospital but we are not in emergency and we are breathing. We can have visitors now. We still not in good position but confidence is high, the dynamic is better. The commitment is strong. The signs are good. In the Watford game, I said 100 persons out of Swansea, 100 would say we would be relegated. After Watford I said maybe two people would say we can achieve, but 98 say no chance. Now I believe 20 in 100 are looking a different way. These guys are breathing, they are not in emergency. 80 think we are still relegated, but my players will focus, focus on the dynamic, focus on organisation, we can win games and jump up the positions. We are doing better and better. When you win against Liverpool, very strong side.
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Real Madrid are lining up a summer swoop for Mohamed Salah - according to the president of the Egyptian FA.
The Liverpool star has been a revelation since moving to Anfield last summer, scoring 24 goals since his £36.9million transfer from Roma.
The Spanish giants have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old as Zinedine Zidane looks to boost his attacking options, although the Reds will not entertain any bids for the jet-heeled forward.
But according to Hany Abo Rida - head of Egyptian football's governing body - Real will still test Liverpool's resolve at the end of the season.
Furthermore, he believes such a move would be 'great' for his nation.
According to reports in Egypt, Rida said: "Real Madrid will make an offer for Salah during the summer.
"Salah is now looking to improve his game. Obviously if an Egyptian plays for a club as popular around the world as Real Madrid, it's going to be great for Egyptian football."
His comments come just weeks after Salah's national team boss, Hector Cuper, insisted the player was good enough to feature for the 12-time European Cup winners.
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"Without doubt he is the star of the team, but what has helped us to qualify (for the World Cup) is the humility of all the team, including Salah," Cuper told the Spanish media in December.
"Salah is a very good player who has the ability to play for Real Madrid without doubt."
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Talk about after the Lord Mayor's Show.
Liverpool crashed back down to earth on a wretched night at the Liberty Stadium.
From the dizzy heights of sweeping aside the Premier League leaders, the Reds plumbed the depths of despair as they were humbled by bottom club Swansea City.
Forget the frantic finale, forget the missed chances. This was no hard luck story.
Jurgen Klopp's side got exactly what they deserved as their proud 18-game unbeaten run bit the dust in infuriating circumstances.
(Image: (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Liverpool only had themselves to blame after serving up a dire performance devoid of all the qualities which saw them lauded for proving that Manchester City aren't invincible a week earlier.
Where was the composure? Where was the conviction? Where was the zip, the energy, the drive, the spark and the guile?
The names on the back of the shirts were largely the same but Klopp's side were unrecognisable. This was a throwback to dark days Kopites hoped they had seen the back of.
It wasn't a night for scapegoats and finger-pointing at certain individuals.
Liverpool were collectively woeful as they conspired to lose to a struggling side they had thrashed 5-0 at Anfield four weeks earlier.
(Image: (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images))
Standards slipped alarmingly in all departments. The Reds were toothless in attack, lacking both creativity and dynamism in midfield and defensively they gave away a shoddy goal with Alfie Mawson's first-half effort the difference.
Klopp insists he's happy to wait until the summer to splash the cash and sign a replacement for Philippe Coutinho.
But the number of supporters questioning the wisdom of that approach is bound to grow after a night when Liverpool were crying out for a bit of inspiration in the final third.
The Reds have so much to play for between now and May. There is a top-four spot in the Premier League to be secured and there's FA Cup and Champions League glory still to chase.
It requires a leap of faith to believe that Liverpool wouldn't be left counting the cost of losing their biggest asset and not replacing him during the January window.
(Image: Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The Reds' bench at the Liberty Stadium boasted just two league goals between them this season.
Virgil van Dijk won't remember his Premier League debut for the club with any fondness as Liverpool slumped to their first defeat since losing to Tottenham at Wembley in October.
With the £75million defender replacing Dejan Lovren, who had been hampered by illness, it looked like a Reds line up capable of doing some serious damage.
However, rather than carry on from where they left off against Man City, they were sloppy and complacent from the start.
During the opening 45 minutes there was no intensity or tempo to their work. They were far too passive.
(Image: (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images))
The midfield trio of stand-in skipper Emre Can, Gini Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain failed to click, while in front of them Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah looked strangely out of sorts.
Swansea proved they are a different proposition under new boss Carlos Carvalhal. With Leroy Fer and Ki Sung-Yueng sitting in front of a back five they frustrated Liverpool by denying their attackers the kind of space they crave.
The visitors also kept playing into their hands. Moves of real promise repeatedly broke down as a result of the most glaring basic mistakes.
Mane latched on to Joel Matip's lofted pass early on but Lukasz Fabianski was alert and saved bravely at his feet.
(Image: Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Swansea had their moments on their counter with Joe Gomez , who had dived in on Sam Clucas, relieved that the ball had gone out of play before Jordan Ayew found the net.
Midway through first half Van Dijk got across Federico Fernandez to meet Oxlade-Chamberlain's corner but his glancing header flashed wide.
With Swansea getting everyone behind the ball, Van Dijk and Matip had a licence to stride forward. The big Dutchman picked out the run of Salah but his volley flew high over the bar.
Oxlade-Chamberlain's sweet strike belatedly forced a save from Fabianski as Liverpool continued to huff and puff.
Swansea grew in confidence as the first half progressed and four minutes before the break they were in front.
Liverpool made a hash of dealing with a corner as Van Dijk's header bounced off Fernandez and into the path of Mawson, who clinically dispatched it into the bottom corner.
(Image: Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
The Reds could have restored parity on the stroke of half-time but the unmarked Mane sliced horribly wide from Salah's inviting centre.
The second half brought a much needed injection of urgency as finally they started to move the ball quicker and stretch the hosts' backline.
Salah curled wide before Kyle Naughton made a crucial tackle on Andy Robertson before he could pull the trigger.
Robertson became much more involved as an attacking force but Liverpool failed to cash in on his enticing deliveries from the left.
Swansea were pinned back with Salah's shot deflected over the bar. Salah then saw his curling free-kick tipped over by Fabianski as the Reds cranked up the pressure.
However, as they got ever desperate for an equaliser they started taking the wrong option – running into trouble and letting the Swans off the hook.
(Image: (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images))
Klopp sought fresh legs for the final quarter with Adam Lallana and Danny Ings brought on for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wijnaldum.
Ings was making only his third league appearance of the season with the striker desperate to kick-start his Reds career after two serious knee injuries.
The former Burnley frontman provided a real burst of energy but after breaking clear inside the box he couldn't beat Fabianski.
What was most alarming was how Liverpool lost their cool and panicked at times. Matip, Gomez and Van Dijk all unleashed wayward pot shots from distance.
(Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
In stoppage time the Reds should have salvaged a point. First, Can was left pounding the turf in fury after volleying over and then Salah lashed wide.
Firmino looked destined to score at the death but his header struck the post and Lallana was unable to convert the rebound.
Heads were in hands. The Klopp fuelled resurgence has been halted.
MATCH FACTS
Swansea City : Fabianski, Naughton, Van der Hoorn, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Fer, Ki, Dyer (Carroll 64), Clucas, Ayew (Bony 79).
Not used : Nordfeldt, Narsingh, Bartley, Mesa, McBurnie.
Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Can, Wijnaldum (Ings 73), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Lallana 68), Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Not used : Mignolet, Milner, Klavan, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.
Referee : Neil Swarbrick
Attendance : 20,886
Goals : Mawson 41
Bookings : Robertson, Matip
Man of the match : Andy Robertson. One of the few who could hold his head high.
