Liverpool 1-3 Swansea: Swans punish Reds to reach quarter-finals

Published on 01/11/2012 00:00

Liverpool’s defence of the League Cup ended as Brendan Rodgers’ selection gamble backfired, as former club Swansea progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

Chico Flores and Nathan Dyer put the Swans 2-0 up with 17 minutes to go and although substitute Luis Suarez quickly pulled one back Jonathan De Guzman made it 3-1 in added time.

The Reds manager made nine changes from Sunday’s Merseyside derby draw and the starting line-up contained only three players – Jamie Carragher, Stewart Downing and Joe Cole - aged over 24. Swansea went ahead in the 34th minute. Chico beat Sebastian Coates to De Guzman’s corner to power home a header.

Dye combined with the two Spanaiards in the 72nd minute to make it 2-0.

Liverpool needed a quick 
response and they got it when Suarez headed in Steven Gerrard’s free-kick three minutes later but they could not force another and De Guzman made the result safe deep into added time.

Liverpool: Jones, Henderson, Carragher, Coates, Robinson, Allen, Shelvey, Downing, Cole, Assaidi, Yesil. Subs: Ward, Suarez, Gerrard, Fernandez Saez, Sterling, Skrtel, Wisdom.

Swansea: Tremmel, Chico, Richards, Williams, Tiendalli, Hernandez, Britton, Ki, Dyer, de Guzman, Michu. Subs: Cornell, Graham, Routledge, Monk, Shechter, Agustien, Davies.

Referee: L Probert.