Swansea vs. Liverpool: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream & TV Info
Liverpool have enjoyed the rare luxury of a week's rest prior to their trip to south Wales to face Garry Monk's Swansea City on Monday evening.
The Reds have had eight days since their last game, the FA Cup quarter-final stalemate with Blackburn Rovers, and therefore had a week without a midweek fixture for the first time since mid-January.
Monk's side have had even longer without a game, it will be 12 days since their last match—when they narrowly lost out to Tottenham, 3-2.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Swansea enter the game in ninth, while Liverpool need the three points to stay close to Manchester United in the race for fourth place after they beat Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool have never won at the Liberty Stadium, suffering two defeats and one draw on their three previous visits.
Games between these two sides last season resulted in 11 goals across the two games, while the corresponding fixture earlier this season Liverpool enjoy their biggest win of the campaign, 4-1.
The sides also met in the League Cup, with Rodgers' side again the victors, 2-1.
Date: Monday, 16 March
Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 4 p.m. ET
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 / NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Live Stream: Sky Sports 1 / NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Predicted Formations
Liverpool have Joe Allen and Steven Gerrard back from injury along with defender Mamadou Sakho. That means Emre Can can move back into defence and Allen return to midfield, thus restoring the first-choice back three of Can, Martin Skrtel and Sakho.
Rodgers must decide whether to continue with Raheem Sterling out wide, or move him inside alongside Philippe Coutinho and drop Adam Lallana.
Swansea should have striker Bafetimbi Gomis available after he collapsed on the pitch in their defeat to Totteham almost a fortnight ago due to a pre-existing condition.
Form Lines (all competitions)
Swansea
Lost 3-2 vs. Tottenham
Won 1-0 vs. Burnley
Won 2-1 vs. Man United
Lost 2-0 vs. West Brom
Drew 1-1 vs. Sunderland
Liverpool
Drew 0-0 vs. Blackburn (FA Cup)
Won 2-0 vs. Burnley
Won 3-2 vs. Man City
Lost 1-0 vs. Besiktas (Europa League)
Won 2-0 vs. Southampton
Player to watch
Swansea: Jonjo Shelvey
This fixture last season saw Jonjo Shelvey have a hand in all four goals as the two sides drew 2-2. Playing against his former club for the first time, the exuberant midfielder gave the Swans the lead inside two minutes.
He then produced a poor back pass to let Liverpool equalise within two minutes, made a mistake for Liverpool to take the lead, then assisted Michu's equalising goal.
The match at Anfield then saw him score the equalising goal in a 4-3 thriller.
It's fair to say that Shelvey could be at the thick of the action again against his old club!
Liverpool: Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge is struggling to find form and fitness since his six months on the sidelines through injury. Three goals in 11 appearances isn't a bad return, but he hasn't looked at his sharpest and was comfortably subdued by Blackburn's defence last time out.
He may have benefited from more time on the training ground this week and rekindle his combinations with Liverpool's other attacking players.
Key Battle
Rodgers vs. Monk
The key battle here will be how Swansea's defence cope with Liverpool's clear attacking threat. Can they stifle them in the same manner that Blackburn and Bolton have done previously?
Liverpool are perhaps better when the opposing side look to attack them, rather than when the opposition sit deep and deny space for the creative talents of Coutinho and Sterling.
Can Liverpool break them down? Or will Swansea even play in such a manner? If they open up, it could play into the visitors' hands.
The opening goal could be key in this one. Tactics will be key.
Odds (via OddsShark)
Swansea win: +312
Liverpool win: +104
Draw: +260
Prediction: Swansea 1-1 Liverpool
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
