Liverpool regained fourth position in the Premier League table courtesy of a 5-0 win over Swansea City at Anfield in Tuesday's late kickoff.
Tottenham Hotspur had moved above Liverpool earlier in the afternoon, but Jurgen Klopp's side overcame the league's basement side in impressive fashion to return to the top four.
Liverpool struggled to get going in the first 45 minutes before running riot in the second against a Swansea team that were again under the leadership of Leon Britton.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
4.35pmAfternoon all! Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute Premier League coverage continues from Anfield as Liverpool welcome Swansea City. A win for the home side would see them return to the top four, and they will fancy their chances of overcoming the struggling Swans here!
4.38pmRight, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from Anfield. We are at the stage of the season where managers chop and change their XIs...
4.41pmTEAMS!
LIVERPOOL: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Robertson; Can, Wijnaldum, Ox; Salah, Firmino, Coutinho
SWANSEA: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson; Carroll, Mesa, Fer; Routledge, Ayew, McBurnie
4.44pmLiverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has made four changes to the team that started the 3-3 draw at Arsenal last week. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Georginio Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all come in, with Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane among those dropping out. There is also a spot on the bench for Adam Lallana as the England international builds back to full fitness.
4.47pmAs for Swansea, Oliver McBurnie starts his first Premier League game of the season, with Tammy Abraham on the bench and Wilfried Bony out injured. Jordan Ayew also starts for the away side, Renato Sanches stays on the bench. Tom Carroll joins Roque Mesa and Leroy Fer in central midfield.
4.50pm
📸 Anfield under the lights...#LIVSWA pic.twitter.com/ZPwwEneEnw
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 26, 2017
4.53pmI shall bring you some full-time results from the Premier League in the next couple of minutes, and then discuss where that leaves both teams in the table entering this match. One thing I can tell you is that Swansea are still rooted to the bottom, and Liverpool have dropped down to fifth position.
4.56pm3PM PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS!
Bournemouth 3-3 West Ham
Chelsea 2-0 Brighton
Huddersfield 1-1 Stoke
Man United 2-2 Burnley
Watford 2-1 Leicester
West Brom 0-0 Everton
4.59pmTottenham's 5-2 win over Southampton in today's early match saw Liverpool drop out of the top four, but they would return to fourth position with all three points in this match. As for Swansea, the Welsh outfit are still bottom of the table on 13 points - four points behind 17th-placed West Ham United. It would be some night for Swansea if they could win their fourth league game of the season here.
5.02pmLiverpool really should have beaten Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night having taken a 2-0 lead early in the second period. The home side scored three quick-fire goals to turn the game around, before Liverpool levelled it at 3-3. There were periods of the match where Klopp's side played incredible football in the final third, but their defence and goalkeeper let them down again.
© Offside
5.05pmLiverpool have not actually lost in the Premier League since a 4-1 defeat at Tottenham towards the end of October, but they have drawn three of their last four in the Premier League. They have also shared the points in their last three home league games against Chelsea, Everton and West Brom.
5.08pmIn truth, it would be a massive surprise if Liverpool did not collect all the points in comfortable fashion here. Coutinho, Firmino and Salah all start for the home side, while Oxlade-Chamberlain will be keen to impress. Matip is also back to boost the Liverpool defence during a busy run of matches.
5.12pm
Here's #LFC's Boxing Day line-up to face @SwansOfficial... pic.twitter.com/CzB03yR58B
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2017
5.15pmAs for Swansea, the Welsh outfit are still being led by Leon Britton as their search for a new manager goes on. Britton's first game in charge was Saturday's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, and he has again selected the team for this match. It is a big occasion for the 35-year-old.
5.18pmWorryingly for Swansea, they have lost each of their last six Premier League matches on the road. They did manage to hold Tottenham at Wembley earlier this season, but have been beaten by West Ham, Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Stoke and Everton on their travels since that occurred.
5.22pmIt is a massive task for Swansea here, but it is worth remembering that the Welsh outfit won 3-2 at Anfield during the 2016-17 campaign. Fernando Llorente scored a double for the Swans on that occasion, and they have actually been victorious in two of their last three league games against Liverpool.
5.25pm
Getting ready for kick-off!#LIVSWA pic.twitter.com/fIa3UyuBWW
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 26, 2017
5.28pmHere we go then. It is a bitter evening in Liverpool - let's hope that the football warms us up! Liverpool fans will be looking for a strong performance from their team, and it would be a surprise if Swansea managed to take something from this match. Right, kickoff at Anfield is next!
0 minKICKOFF! Swansea kick things off at Anfield...
2 min... Swansea really need Mesa to have a strong game if they are to have a chance of picking up a positive result here. Mesa has not really done it since arriving in England, but he is capable of running the show from the middle of the park. It is Liverpool with early control of the ball here.
4 minQuite a low-key start to this match as Swansea look to quieten the crowd in the early exchanges. You do get the feeling that the visitors need to keep it tight for the first 15, 20 minutes here.
6 minGOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Swansea (Coutinho)
7 minGood grief. Liverpool take the lead in the sixth minute of this match as Coutinho picks out the far corner of the net with a super finish from outside the box. Brilliant from Coutinho there!
9 minHalf-chance for the away side as Ayew rises highest inside the Liverpool box, but the attacker's header is right into the arms of Mignolet. Decent last few minutes at a very quiet Anfield.
11 minCHANCE! Another chance for the home side as Salah plays a super pass into Coutinho to release the Brazilian. Coutinho eventually finds Robertson, but the left-back's strike is just wide of the post. Swansea look like conceding whenever Liverpool break forward here.
13 minCoutinho's free kick eventually finds Klavan at the far post, but the centre-back's header was always drifting over the crossbar. Liverpool are pressing for a second goal at the moment.
16 minIt must be said that it is very, very quiet inside Anfield. Liverpool are winning, and playing some good stuff, but the supporters are not really engaging in what is happening on the field to be honest.
18 minMcBurnie has not really had a touch for Swansea in the first 18 minutes of this match. It might well be a lonely game for the number 62, who has been chosen ahead of Tammy Abraham. Swansea simply have to stay in the match at the moment. A second for Liverpool at this stage would be massive.
20 minRoutledge has been nice and bright for the away side in the last couple of minutes, and he looks to have the pace on Robertson. Swansea could do worse than feed him in a forward area. McBurnie has a half-chance for the visitors, but the striker's effort from a wide angle is straight at Mignolet.
22 minWhile on the subject of McBurnie - the 21-year-old has his socks rolled down by his ankles, and is arguing with pretty much every decision that the referee gives. Fair play, young man. Fair play.
23 minSAVE! Fabianski is down to keep out a curling effort from Can.
25 minNaughton looks to slide a pass into McBurnie after nicking the ball off Can, but Klavan is across to make the clearance. Still 1-0 to the home side with 25 minutes of football played at Anfield.
27 minOxlade-Chamberlain has a go from distance, but his effort was always too high.
30 minSo, 30 minutes on the clock, and Liverpool lead courtesy of a super strike from Coutinho. It has been a pretty low-key match since then, however, with Swansea enjoying their share of the ball. It is the type of match that needs a Swansea goal for the neutral. Can the basement side grab one?!
32 minMentioned this earlier. Fair play to the young man. No over-the-knee socks for him.
Calves fully on show, barely visible shinnies - we support Oliver McBurnie now.
— COPA90 (@COPA90) December 26, 2017
32 minFirmino sends one wide of the post another another counter-attack from the home side.
34 minIt is a bit of a dead game at the moment. Liverpool are struggling to force the issue as they continue to concede possession in the final third. Swansea, meanwhile, cannot string two passes together in dangerous areas. It has not been a classic 34 minutes of Premier League football here.
36 minDecent little spell for Swansea here as they pass and probe in Liverpool's half of the field.
38 minMcBurnie has a half-chance as Liverpool fail to clear a cross from a wide area, but the striker cannot get clean contact on the ball. The home supporters are being a bit restless here.
40 minCoutinho has one deflected behind for Liverpool, and the resulting corner is cleared at the near post. It would be massive if the home side could score a second before the half-time break here.
42 minSalah manages to collect a through pass from Coutinho, but Mawson just about does enough to make the clearance. Salah then goes down inside the box - and wants a penalty - but the referee is not interested. Swansea have just started to come under pressure from the home side here.
44 minCan is back on the field for the home side after a brief spell of treatment.
45+1 minBlow the whistle please referee, this first period has been rotten to say the least.
45+2 minCHANCE! Super chance for Liverpool as Firmino takes advantage of a mistake from Mesa before breaking into the Swansea box, but the forward somehow fires wide of the post!
45+3 minHALF-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Swansea
6.18pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Liverpool leading Swansea 1-0 courtesy of a super strike from Coutinho in the sixth minute. Not much happened between then and the final moments of the half, when Firmino fired a brilliant chance wide of Fabianski's post.
6.23pmSTATISTICS! Liverpool shaded the first-half possession (52%), while they had eight attempts, but just two of those were on target. As for Swansea, the league's basement side hit the target with two of their three attempts. No yellow cards to report - it has not been that type of fixture.
6.29pmBENCH WATCH! Swansea have a lot of attacking players on their bench here, with Abraham, Clucas, Dyer and Sanches all available. As for Liverpool, Klopp has the likes of Lallana, Mane, Milner and Solanke to choose from. The game is delicately poised at the half-way point.
46 minRESTART! Liverpool resume the action here...
48 min... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will be considering changes as play develops in the second period here.
50 minCHANCE! Opportunity for the home side as Salah works some space inside the Swansea box before looking to pick out the bottom corner, but Fabianski is down to make the save.
52 minGOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Swansea (Firmino)
53 minLiverpool double their lead in the 52nd minute as the Brazilian converts a super free kick from Coutinho. It was a brilliant volley from the forward, and that is 2-0 to the hosts at Anfield.
56 minBOOKING! Olsson (Swansea) is booked for a lunge on Firmino.
58 minCLOSE! Salah sends the ball just wide of the post after a quick Coutinho free kick had found the Egypt international in space. It is just too easy. Swansea are so poor here.
60 minSwansea have just offered nothing in this match. It is not too difficult to understand why they are bottom of the Premier League table. It is going to take some effort to keep them in the top flight this season. Will a new manager be in place before they take to the field for their next match?!
62 minHalf-chance for the away side as Fer meets a cross from the right, but the midfielder turns his effort wide of the post. More signs of Liverpool having some problems at the back there.
62 minSWANSEA SUB! Abraham replaces McBurnie for the away side.
65 minGOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Swansea (Alexander-Arnold)
66 minLiverpool make it 3-0 as Alexander-Arnold breaks into the Swansea box before poking the ball into the top corner. Not sure about the defending once again, but the home side have a third here.
66 minGOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Swansea (Firmino)
67 minAnd just like that it is four! Salah breaks clear, and he has the simple task of sliding a pass into Firmino, who simply cannot miss. This could get very, very ugly for Swansea now.
69 minLIVERPOOL SUBS! Solanke and Lallana replace Firmino and Salah.
71 minLiverpool do not appear to be finished in this match as they continue to force the issue in the final third of the field. Swansea have simply not been able to handle the rise in pace here.
73 minSwansea need this game to be over with as soon as possible.
75 minLIVERPOOL SUB! Milner replaces Robertson for the home side.
75 minSwansea just cannot seem to string two passes together in the final third of the field. Today was always going to be tough, but they look really short in all areas, which is a big concern.
78 minHalf-chance for Liverpool as Lallana works some space inside the away side's box before having a go, but his effort was always too high. Little over 10 minutes of football remaining here.
78 minSWANSEA SUB! Sanches replaces Fer for the away side here.
80 minLittle over 10 minutes of football remaining, and the pace of the match has dropped in the last few minutes with Swansea sitting deeper. Liverpool are quite happy with four goals at the moment.
83 minGOAL! Liverpool 5-0 Swansea (Oxlade-Chamberlain)
84 minIt is five for Liverpool as Oxlade-Chamberlain picks out the far corner with a clever finish after more hopeless defending from Swansea. That is Sunday League stuff from Swansea's defence.
86 minSAVE! Fabianski keeps out Solanke from close range as Liverpool threaten again.
88 minWIDE! Solanke just volleys wide of the far post as Liverpool continue to hammer the Swansea goal. This could have been eight or nine. It could have been 15 to be honest.
90 minWe will soon enter the first of three additional minutes at Anfield.
90+2 minLallana goes down, and Liverpool have a free kick just outside the Swansea box...
90+3 minCoutinho's free kick hits the wall after a big build-up. The ball then gets delivered towards Wijnaldum, but the offside flag is raised. That could well be that for this football match.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: Liverpool 5-0 Swansea
7.21pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Liverpool running out 5-0 winners against Swansea to return to the top four ahead of Tottenham. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!
