So it
wasn't the quiet night Brendan Rodgers wanted. With the League Cup back
on the agenda, Liverpool's manager expressed his wish for 'something
less eventful' than last month's drama against Middlesbrough.
What
he got was anything but. Though there was no epic penalty shootout on
this occasion, the spectacle was no less enthralling as Liverpool
managed to extricate themselves from a bleak position against 10-man
Swansea, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win in injury time.
And
it was thanks, in no small part, to Mario Balotelli. Yes, him. For
once, Liverpool's enigmatic striker came up trumps when it was required,
finding himself in the right place at the right time to convert a
searching Fabio Borini cross, seven minutes after coming on as
substitute.
Balotelli
was only on the field 16 minutes in total but that did not stop him
becoming a key figure in the narrative, even managing to get involved in
a jostling match with Jonjo Shelvey after Dejan Lovren had risen
highest at the back post to score a the winner.
Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren roars after his injury time header sealed a 2-1 win against Swansea in the Capital One Cup
Mario Balotelli came off the bench to score Liverpool's equaliser from Fabio Borini's cross in the 86th minute
Balotelli posted his delight on Twitter after breaking his barren scoring spell with a crucial goal in front of home fans
Lovren heads in the winner unmarked in the 95th minute of extra time to send Liverpool through to the quarter-finals
Swansea winger Marvin Emnes scores the opening goal in the Capital Cup fourth round clash at Anfield
Never far away from controversy, Balotelli has an argument with Jonjo Shelvey in front of officials at the end of the game
Liverpool:
Jones 6, Manquillo 6, Toure 6, Lovren 6.5, Johnson 6, Lucas 7,
Henderson 6, Markovic 5 (Lallana 6.5), Coutinho 7, Borin 7.5, Lambert
6.5 (Balotelli 7)
Rodgers,
for good reason, was sheepish as his players celebrated in front of the
exultant Kop, appreciating that his side had benefitted from the harsh
sending-off of Federico Fernandez for a robust challenge on Philippe
Coutinho, that led to the free kick from which Lovren scored.
In
the other technical area, Garry Monk – Rodgers' former captain at
Swansea – was incandescent at the decision; that his side had frittered
away a place in the last eight after looking set to cruise through
following Marvin Emnes 65th minute opener added salt to the wound.
For
Rodgers and Balotelli, however, this was a welcome change of fortune. A
second defeat to a team wearing all-white at Anfield in the space of
week, after Real Madrid's brutal lesson in the Champions League, would
have set the alarm bells ringing but, perhaps, this is what they needed.
'That
is Mario,' said Rodgers' assistant Colin Pascoe. 'He is working hard
and he got his just rewards. He nearly missed the game because he felt
his knee in the warm up, so it was a good thing we had him. But I never
thought we were out of it. I thought we were unfortunate to be 1-0
down.'
Monk,
unsurprisingly, did not agree. Once they overcame a sluggish start,
Swansea, inspired by Shelvey's drive, determination and use of the ball,
impressed in the second half and should have taken advantage of
Liverpool's frailities when Emnes put them in front.
'I
am disappointed at the end,' said Monk. 'Hopefully (referee Keith
Stroud) will rescind the red card. These decisions are happening, we
have to take it on the chin. The players are upset with the decision,
upset with the goal but we should have taken that into extra time.
'We
should be clever enough to deal with that. We didn't deserve that. I'm
not talking rubbish, I'm talking sense. I was emotional at Stoke, I'm
emotional again but it is not getting me anywhere. I watched it about 30
times before I came into talk to you. I hope he will rescind that.'
Even
if Stroud does, it will be scant consolation. Swansea were so close to
repeating the trick they pulled at this stage of the competition two
years ago and only naivety cost them. Until then, they had coped with
everything Liverpool had thrown at them.
Liverpool's
play in the opening period was nice enough but lacked punch and only
Fabio Borini looked capable of breaking the deadlock; he had the two
best efforts, one with a left foot drive that fizzed past the post, the
other forced a fine save from Gerhard Tremmel.
Injured striker Daniel Sturridge signs autographs for fans as he makes his way around Anfield ahead of the game
Balotelli (C) trains with substitutes after being left out of Liverpool's starting line-up as Brendan Rodgers made nine changes
Liverpool defender Jose Enrique (C) posted a Twitter selfie of himself and Suso (R) watching the game with friends
Jordan Henderson
(R) - battling for the ball with Swansea's Jonjo Shelvey (L) - was
handed the captain's armband for the first time
Philippe Coutinho (R) was Liverpool's liveliest player during the opening exchanges as the Reds attacked the Anfield Road half
Under fire Liverpool forward Balotelli (C) smiles as he watches the first half unfold from the substitute's bench
New signing Lazar Markovic reacts after slicing a shot from Henderson's neat through ball well wide in the opening half
Swansea forward Bafetembi Gomis (R) performs an aerial duel with Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren
Italian forward Borini comes close to making a breakthrough for Liverpool in the first half but shoots narrowly wide
Former Liverpool midfielder Shelvey (L) forces a save from Brad Jones in a rare attack for Swansea during the first half
Swansea midfielder Shelvey returns the applause from Liverpool fans as he goes to take a corner
Balotelli warms up before the start of the second wearing a pair of customised boots inscribed with 'SUPER M ANGEL'
Part
of Liverpool's problems in recent weeks has been how they have lost
their way in games when things have not gone as they would have wanted
them to, so this was going to be a test of their character as much as
anything else. Swansea sensed as much.
A
sense the tide was turning arrived on the hour when, from another
precise Shelvey corner, Bafetimbi Gomis wriggled away from Lovren and
thumped a header straight at Jones. It was a sign of things to come.
Moments
later, Shelvey again started driving Swansea forward but when his ball
was cut out, Neil Taylor latched on to it and ushered it forward into
the path of Emnes, who had taken full advantage of the fact Lovren had
gone to sleep.
With
plenty of time and space, Emnes took gleeful delight in thumping a
volley beyond the exposed Jones to send the visting hordes wild and push
Rodgers and Company to a place were they had to begin considering the
impact of what defeat would have on their season.
Then
came the grandstand finish. First Balotelli, on for Rickie Lambert,
came good, turning in Fabio Borini's cross before one final attack
culminated with Lovren peeling off at the back post and turning in his
header, atoning for his earlier mistake.
Rodgers
afforded himself a small smile but nothing more. They are into the last
eight and his ambition to win silverware is intact. It isn't getting
any easier.
England international Rickie Lambert (C) moves between Swansea defenders on a rare start for for Liverpool
Swansea winger Marvin Emnes (C) scores the opening goal against the run of play with a left footed finish on 65mins
Swansea teammates rush to congratulate Emnes after his opening goal under the floodlights on Tuesday night
Shelvey jumps on the shoulders of Emnes as Swansea close in on a potential second Merseyside scalp in the Capital One Cup
Brendan Rodgers looks worried as his
Liverpool side stand on the brink of being eliminated from the
competition by his former club
Balotelli replaces Lambert as Liverpool chase the game in the dying minutes before turning the match on its head
The Italian firebrand equalises for Liverpool within seconds of his introduction with a volley between two Swansea defenders
Coutinho congratulates Balotelli after he scores only his second goal since his summer move from AC Milan
Lovren rises up to complete Liverpool's late comeback and deny the Swans in the fifth minute of extra time
Lovren wheels away as Liverpool avoid another defeat to Swansea in the Capital One Cup - having lost to them in 2012-2013
Liverpool players rush to celebrate with Lovren as the Anfield crowd goes wild following the late drama on Merseyside
Balotelli appears to antagonise Shelvey as the pair leave the pitch after a demoralising defeat for Swansea
Captain Henderson gets between Balotelli and Shelvey as the pair continue their argument as they enter the Anfield tunnel
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