Liverpool have moved up to seventh place in the Premier League table courtesy of a 5-0 romp over Swansea City at Anfield this afternoon.
The Reds took full control of the game in the opening half and made their pressure count by taking the lead through a penalty, converted by captain Steven Gerrard.
The home side improved their lead minutes into the second half courtesy of a strike by January signing Philippe Coutinho, while Jose Enrique, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge also got on the scoresheet.
Sports Mole has taken a look back at the 90 minutes that unfolded between the two sides on Merseyside.
Match statistics:
Liverpool:
Shots 33
On target 18
Possession 56%
Corners 10
Fouls 6
Swansea:
Shots 4
On target 3
Possession 44%
Corners 1
Fouls 9
Was the result fair?
It would have been harsh on Liverpool if they had gone away with anything but a victory at Anfield this afternoon due to their dominant display throughout the 90 minutes. Swansea were notably under strength for the match due to manager Michael Laudrup's decision to rest a host of players with next weekend's League Cup final in mind.
Liverpool's performance
As mentioned above, the Reds took control of the game in the early stages of the clash. It was a great team performance overall as they were able to display flowing football throughout and managed to convert their chances following previous games when they have struggled to find the back of the net.
Swansea City's performance
It will be an afternoon for Swansea to forget due to their lacklustre performance at Anfield. The Welsh outfit only had four shots on goal as opposed to Liverpool's 33, which indicates that they rarely posed an attacking threat. While Garry Monk helped hold Swansea's defence, it was a less-than-inspiring team performance overall from the Swans.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Luis Suarez: The Uruguayan striker was at his best today as he played a crucial part in every single goal for the Reds and managed to snatch one of his own before the final whistle. The tricky forward popped up all over the pitch and proved to be a problem for Swansea until he was substituted to a standing ovation.
Biggest gaffe
Wayne Routledge piled on the misery for his side when he gave away a penalty in the second half by handling the ball. The 28-year-old moved in front of Suarez to prevent the Uruguayan from latching onto a cross from Enrique, but as he jumped, he led with his arm, which made contact with the ball and gave away another penalty, which Sturridge converted.
Referee performance
Howard Webb had a relatively quiet game at Anfield. The Yorkshireman had no controversial incidents to deal with throughout the 90 minutes and he made the right decision to wave away a penalty shout by Sturridge in the second half.
What next?
Liverpool: The Reds switch focus to the Europa League next week when they welcome Zenit St. Petersburg to Anfield for the return leg on Thursday.
Swansea City: The Welsh side's next game could end in silverware for the club as they prepare to take on Bradford City in the League Cup final next Sunday.
Danielle Joynson
