Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge both score braces as Liverpool edges Swansea in thriller

JORDAN Henderson's late winner gave Liverpool an extraordinary 4-3 win over Swansea City to maintain top-four EPL challenge.

JORDAN Henderson's 74th-minute winner gave Liverpool an extraordinary 4-3 win over Swansea City that maintained the club's impressive bid for a top-four Barclays Premier League finish.

The Liverpool midfielder claimed his second goal of the game by converting at the second attempt after Luis Suarez's shot had been deflected into his path by visiting captain Ashley Williams.

Daniel Sturridge also scored twice, while Swansea responded impressively with a brace from Wilfried Bony and a goal from Liverpool old boy Jonjo Shelvey seeing them level the game at 2-2 and 3-3.

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News_Image_File: Jordan Henderson played one of his best games of the season for Liverpool.

News_Rich_Media: Watch all the highlights from Liverpool's clash with Swansea.

An entertaining first half featured five goals in the opening 36 minutes and left Liverpool in command, although far from convincing, as they took a 3-2 lead into the half-time break.

The three goals also took Liverpool's tally of first-half league goals this season to an astonishing 46 - 16 more than free-scoring Manchester City - but it was to Swansea's credit that they refused to be swept aside.

Liverpool struck after barely three minutes as Sturridge wrote himself into the Premier League history books, becoming just the second player, after Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy, to score in eight consecutive games.

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It was a fittingly memorable goal, as Raheem Sterling pounced on a loose pass from Angel Rangel and produced a magnificent through ball that allowed Sturridge to round advancing goalkeeper Michel Vorm and score.

Henderson doubled the lead after 20 minutes. The Swansea defence backed off, allowing Sturridge to cut in purposefully from the right and play a short pass to Henderson, who planted an unstoppable finish past Vorm from just outside the area.

It had the makings of a comfortable afternoon for Liverpool in their continuing attempts to finish in the Champions League places, but three minutes later Swansea were back in the game.

News_Image_File: Joe Allen skips clear of Swansea City's Chico.

Escaping the attention of Liverpool's markers, Nathan Dyer moved into a central position from the right wing before teeing up Shelvey to unleash a finish almost identical to Henderson's in its power and accuracy.

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Worse would follow for the home side four minutes later, although in controversial circumstances after Martin Skrtel was judged to have brought down Shelvey.

Jonathan de Guzman took the resulting free-kick and found Bony, who guided a header past Simon Mignolet via a helpful deflection off Skrtel.

Anfield was anxious but Liverpool resilient and by the 36th minute they were back in front after a long and patient build-up around the edge of the area.

Eventually, Suarez emerged on the left side of the Swansea box, picking out Sturridge with a far-post cross that the forward headed in.

Swansea were level again soon after, this time from a penalty conceded after Skrtel leapt with Bony to compete for Dyer's cross and fouled the striker in the process.

But the home side had the last laugh.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the character shown by his side.

“It was an important win for us,” he said.

“We certainly weren’t at our best today but the offensive part of our game, which is very strong, came out on top again.

“It was a wonderful victory for us. Swansea played really, really well. Especially when we were 2-0 up to get back into the game.

“But it’s an outstanding result for us and the game typified the character of this team. We’ll analyse where we can be better and certainly as a team defensively, we can be 100 per cent better.

“But part of that, you give credit to Swansea. They had some moments of real quality. We showed our strengths. We’re a great team on the offence and we scored some brilliant goals today.

“We were very good in that aspect of our game.”

News_Image_File: Players embrace after a thrilling game.