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Nick Potts
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Swansea v Liverpool, Premier League

Liverpool took on Swansea, as Jurgen Klopp’s side sought to maintain their recent encouraging form.

Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@the42.ie, tweet @the42_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Kick off for the game is at 8pm.

We’re under way…

Liverpool have enjoyed the majority of the possession so far with Swansea sitting back.

Expect that pattern of play to recur throughout the match.

It’s been a pretty uneventful opening to this game.

There have been no real chances of note for either side yet.

Swansea survive a scare.

Mane gets in behind the defence, but miscontrols a long ball, allowing Fabiański to collect it.

Swansea look toothless in attack so far. Every time they threaten a break, a player overruns it or a pass is misplaced.

That said, their main priority, of course, will be keeping Liverpool out.

Swansea counter after Joe Gomez fails to cut out a pass and commits himself in the process.

Dyer then puts it in the net from a tight angle, but the ball narrowly went out of play moments before his fine finish.

Liverpool have looked a little sluggish so far.

They’ve barely threatened against a well-organised Swansea backline.

Van Dijk gets on the end of Oxlade Chamberlain’s corner but nods it just wide.

That would have been two goals in two Liverpool starts for the ex-Southampton player.

Liverpool have had 202 passes so far according to Sky.

Swansea, by contrast, have had 93.

Good chance.

Van Dijk plays a lovely lofted pass. Salah gets on the end of it, but his volley goes over the bar.

Salah flicks it through to the onrushing Matip but the ball is slightly behind the Liverpool defender.

Moments later, Oxlade-Chamberlain shoots from the edge of the area, but Fabiański makes a fairly comfortable save.

Swansea City v Liverpool - Premier League - Liberty Stadium Liverpool's Sadio Mane (front) and Swansea City's Federico Fernandez battle for the ball. Simon Galloway Simon Galloway

Olsson plays a good ball in that Van Dijk has to boot clear for a corner.

Swansea are growing into this game.

SWANSEA 1-0 LIVERPOOL (MAWSON 40)

Van Dijk’s headed clearance from a corner is weak.

The ball deflects to Mawson on the edge of the box and his shot finds the corner of the net.

Robertson gets booked for having a little kick at Ayew as he’s prone on the ground while blocking the ball in the process.

Moments later, Matip gets booked for a late challenge on Clucas.

Liverpool need to retain their composure here.

HALF-TIME: SWANSEA 1-0 LIVERPOOL

Just before the break, Liverpool almost scored.

Sloppy play from Ki Sung-Yeung allowed Salah to break and the Egyptian’s cross was volleyed just wide by Mane.

The second half has begun…

Swansea City v Liverpool - Premier League - Liberty Stadium Swansea City's Alfie Mawson (centre) celebrates his goal. Simon Galloway Simon Galloway

Ayew bursts forward on the counter-attack, but Gomez does well to make the tackle eventually.

Liverpool need to be careful as they push more numbers forward, as the hosts have plenty of pace and skill, making them a threat on the break.

Robertson fires the ball across the box, but no one is able to get on the end of it.

Looks like it will be a backs-to-the-wall second half for Swansea the way they’ve approached it so far.

Claims for a penalty as the ball hits off Mawson around the arm area, but it would have been very harsh to give it judging by replays.

Liverpool have been livelier and upped the temp in this second half.

Fabianski is forced to tip over a free kick by Salah on the edge of the area.

Swansea will do well to survive this period of pressure.

Swansea City v Liverpool - Premier League - Liberty Stadium Liverpool's Sadio Mane reacts during the Premier League match at the Liberty Stadium. Nick Potts Nick Potts

Swansea make a defensive change.

Dyer is replaced by ex-Tottenham midfielder Tom Carroll.

Mane goes down in the box after the faintest of touches on him by the defender.

Replays suggest the referee made the right call in ignoring it.

A change is made by Liverpool.

Oxlade-Chamberlain goes off, with Lallana coming on in his place.

Can drives forward with the ball, but blasts well over from about 30 yards out.

Liverpool look a little short of ideas right now.

The second half has resembled an attack-v-defence training session at times.

Swansea have been really solid and done well to contain some of the best attackers in the Premier League.

As I type, Matip drives forward before blasting over from the edge of the box.

Liverpool’s centre-backs have pushed forward quite frequently, and have been virtually playing as central midfielders at times, so vast is the territory that Swansea have conceded as they look to keep their opponents out.

Liverpool make another attacking change.

Danny Ings, who’s really been on the periphery of the team since joining in June 2015, replaces Wijnaldum.

Ings creates space just inside the box.

However, Fabiański gets down well to save his shot.

Swansea make their second substitution.

A tired-looking Ayew walks off casually and is replaced by Wilfried Bony, who joined Swansea back in August for the second time, but has managed just two goals in 15 appearances since then.

As I type, Gomez drives forward but shoots wide from a difficult angle just outside the box.

Five minutes remain.

Liverpool continue to throw bodies forward, but Swansea have been extremely diligent off the ball throughout the match so far.

For all Liverpool’s possession and territory, clear-cut chances have been few and far between for them tonight.

You could hardly say Swansea don’t deserve the three points as it stands, given how manfully they have defended.

There will be four minutes of time added on.

As I type, the ball breaks to Can inside the box, but the German international volleys wastefully over.

The goalscorer Alfie Mawson has just been deservedly named man of the match by Sky. He’s been terrific at the back.

Salah fires off target when he would have been better off sending in a cross.

The Egypt international has not been at his best this evening.

FULL-TIME: SWANSEA 1-0 LIVERPOOL

Firmino missed a glaring chance in the very last minute.

The Brazilian striker headed against the post from close range to enable Swansea to breathe a sigh of relief.

Right, that’s all from me for now.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

You can read our report of the match here.

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