- Mignolet insists he has nothing to prove at Liverpool
- Rodgers: Sterling is maturing into a proper striker
- Swansea issue Shelvey a warning about his discipline
- Latest Premier League table
Should Liverpool dump Mario Balotelli in January or will the Italian come good? Email george.cooper@telegraph.co.uk with all your thoughts
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35 mins Coutinho almost makes it 2-0, shooting from a narrow angle. Fabianski saves. Coutinho should probably have squared the ball.
Goal! Liverpool 1 (Moreno) Swansea City 0
Breakthrough for Liverpool. Neat build-up play ends with Lallana crossing and Moreno scores from six yards out - actually he blasts the ball straight at Fabianski but it cannons into the net off the keeper. Moreno's second goal for Liverpool.
27 mins Liverpool have gone off the boil a little in the last five, with Swansea holding on to the ball better. That said, Wilfried Bony up front has hardly had a touch.
26 mins Shelvey goes all the way back to Fabianski from the halfway line. Garry Monk none too impressed on the touchline.
24 mins Almost for Swansea...Shelvey touches the ball on to Routledge but he can't take it under control. If he had have done, he was in...Swansea seeing more of the ball now.
22 mins Coutinho shoots again but it's well wide of Fabianski's goal. Coutinho is a bright, exciting player but to me he seems a little lightweight. Not the man you want in a physical battle in the middle of the pitch.
20 mins Good defending from Fernandez to stop Sterling embarking on another of those darting runs. Routledge crosses for Swansea but it drifts out into the Kop. Swansea yet to test Simon Mignolet in the Liverpool goal.
18 mins Finally some possession for Swansea, albeit in their own half of the pitch. Still pretty quiet at Anfield, despite Liverpool's bright start.
16 mins Can looking impressive on the left of Liverpool's three-man defence. Calm and composed, just the sort of influence needed in Liverpool's nervous defence.
14 mins Liverpool really warming to the task now. Coutinho shoots but Fabianksi gathers easily. Sixty-five per cent of the ball so far for Liverpool.
11 mins Goodness me how did Swansea survive that? Moreno crosses low from the left, Sterling hammers in a shot which Fabianski saves at point-blank range. Lallana gets onto the rebound but sends it into the Anfield Road end. Sterling was unlucky but it was a really poor effort from Lallana.
9 mins Poor touch from Lucas when he had the chance to shoot just outside the area, and Swansea can bring it away. At the other and Shelvey just fails to find Routledge as the winger runs into the area.
7 mins All a bit scrappy from Liverpool so far but the intent is there to play pressing, high-tempo football.
5 mins Skrtel wins the header at the back post but heads it straight at Fabianski. Decent chance.
5 mins Lovely burst down the left from Sterling to win a corner.
4 mins Decent couple of touches from Can as he takes the ball out of defence. Liverpool seeing more of the ball in the early minutes but Swansea look fresh and sharp.
2 mins Fast start from Liverpool as Lallana gets into a good position on the edge of the box but loses the ball.
20.00 And we're underway
19.55 A couple of minutes from kick-off at Anfield. Expecting a close, tense contest in this one.
19.47 Emre Can playing in the back three. Someone explain to me the logic in that decision. In fact, Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports is doing just that, suggesting that the inclusion of Manquillo at right wingback will afford Can greater protection than the likes of Jordan Henderson.
19.45 This game last season was an absolute cracker, with Jordan Henderson hitting the winner after Swansea had hit back from 2-0 and 3-2 down. Not sure Liverpool will score four goals tonight...
19.42 Rodgers on changes and the inclusion of Emre Can:
You have to make a few changes and keep the team consistent. The beauty with Emre is he can play a number of positons. Midfield and centre-half. He's strong and aggressive and whatever role he's asked he can play very well." A big night for Simon Mignolet? "A big night for the team."
19.38 And also, significantly, no Steven Gerrard for Liverpool tonight. Gerrard drops to the bench as Emre Can gets a rare start. How will Liverpool cope in midfield without him? Certainly the likes of Lucas and Coutinho need to be better on the ball.
19.31 No room for this man in the Liverpool side again tonight. Rodgers says he will not sell Mario Balotelli during the January transfer window, despite just two goals in 15 games for the Italian striker. But at the moment it's hard to see him playing any part in Liverpool's season. Worst signing of the season?
19.27 Should Swansea win tonight they will be just two points off fourth place, a remarkable achievement by Garry Monk.
19.17 Swansea: Fabianski, Taylor, Williams, Britton, Shelvey, Bony, Dyer, Routledge, Sigurdsson, Richards, Fernandez.
19.16 Liverpool: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Manquillo, Moreno, Lucas, Henderson, Coutinho, Lallana, Sterling.
19.06 Team news as we get it, which should be very soon.
19.03 But let's be honest, Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers have been having a wretched time of things this season. An irrelevance to the title race, they have strikers who can't score goals, midfielders who struggle to make goals and defenders and a goalkeeper who can't stop goals going in. Any way you cut it, that isn't good. The visit of a lively Swansea side, led by the prolific Wilfried Bony, could make for a tricky night for Rodgers. Again.
18.59 Evening folks, George here, welcome to our coverage of Liverpool v Swansea City at Anfield. They say you can do anything with stats, so, in that vein, Liverpool have lost just one of their last six matches, are fifth in the Premier League form table and can close to within five points of the Champions League places with a win over the Swans tonight.
17.00 Good afternoon people. George Cooper is the man to bring you all the action from Anfield tonight. He will be here from around 7pm with all of the pre-match build-up and team news.
Until that time comes have a read of all the information you could possibly wish for below.
Team News
Simon Mignolet will return to the Liverpool goal at the expense of the injured Brad Jones when the Reds welcome Swansea to Anfield
The Belgian had been "indefinitely" dropped by manager Brendan Rodgers, but was called upon from the bench when Jones suffered a thigh injury against Burnley on Boxing Day.
Fabio Borini returns to the squad following suspension but defenders Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson (both groin) and Jon Flanagan (knee) are still not fit.
Jefferson Montero is set to miss the trip to Liverpool.
The Ecuador winger, who has been in fine form lately, damaged a hamstring in the Boxing Day win against Aston Villa and is unlikely to feature although he will be assessed in the next 24 hours.
Swansea manager Garry Monk will again utilise his squad in this hectic festive period with possible recalls for Jazz Richards, Wayne Routledge and Bafetimbi Gomis, while on-loan Spurs midfielder Tom Carroll could replace former Liverpool man Jonjo Shelvey.
Match Notes
This is another tutor versus graduate meeting for Brendan Rodgers as he faces protégé Garry Monk. With Swansea in the congested group separating Liverpool from the Champions League places, this game will determine the validity of Rodgers’ claim his side can ease their way back into contention.
Simon Mignolet will return due to Brad Jones’ thigh injury, but it’s tough to see a way back for Mario Balotelli with Raheem Sterling excelling as a striker.
Starting XIs
Liverpool (Possible, 3-4-3): Mignolet; Toure, Skrtel, Sakho; Henderson, Lucas, Can, Markovic; Lallana, Sterling, Coutinho.
Out: Lovren, Johnson (both groin), Sturridge (thigh), Flanagan (knee), Jones (thgh).
Swansea (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Richards, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Ki, Carroll; Dyer, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Bony.
Out: Montero ((hamstring).
Test: Britton (knee).
Referee: Andre Marriner 6 Y31 R0.
Betting: Home 8-11, Away 4-1, Draw 5-2.
Stat: Liverpool have won just two of their last eight Premier League games at Anfield.
Chris Bascombe's prediction: Liverpool 2 Swansea 1
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