A harsh second half penalty was the only difference between the two sides at Anfield today as a much improved Swans lost to Liverpool but can take great heart from the performance.

If you were Garry Monk you would be forgiven for thinking that everything was against you as Neil Taylor was adjudged to have handled the ball as he turned his back on a cross in a Liverpool attack

It was not what the Swans deserved on an afternoon where the performance level came closer to what we want to see with some crisp and sharp passing causing Liverpool some problems even if we never really threatened Mignolet in the Liverpool goal.

Given all the doom and gloom that was predicted for this particular game we can take great confidence from the performance and with three of the next four games at the Liberty if we can produce more of the same we have every chance of going into the New Year with the league position looking more healthy than it's current 15th place for the Swans.

There was without a doubt more fight and passion from the Swans today and it was a performance that kept a Liverpool side that tore Manchester City apart last season relatively quiet for periods and also caused them some angst as the Swans got the better of many of the midfield battles.

The penalty was harsh and you could see the relief in the Liverpool management and players when James Milner converted it midway through the second half.

The Swans though did not let their heads drop when it would have been easy to forgive them for doing so and for the latter part of the game the visitors had the better of the play and can probably consider themselves unlucky not to get the equaliser that their play deserved.

What we have to take from this game is the confidence that this kind of performance should gain and push hard against Leicester next week and get the win that we so desperately desire.

Fingers crossed

Photo: Action Images

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