For all their brilliance this season, Liverpool's innate sense of capitulation still threatens to get the better of them. Swansea City almost became the latest beneficiaries of haphazard defending by Brendan Rodgers' side. Forget 'poetry in motion', it was largely organised chaos from the hosts.
And that calamituous back line approach threatens to jeopardize their plans to secure the safe return of the Champions League to Anfield next term, not to mention offsetting the exploits of Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, the afternoon's stand-out performers in attack for the Reds.
Sterling's development over recent months has been cause for optimism among the Anfield faithful that he is finally realising his true potential. Now playing without the burdening expectation of channelling the spirit of John Barnes in his pomp, the 19-year-old exudes quality.
None more so was that evident than when he handed Liverpool the advantage with an exquisite pass, after dispossessing Angel Rangel, for Sturridge to pounce upon and round an advancing Michel Vorm for his eighth goal in as many league outings.
There is no longer any doubt of Sterling's place in England's 23-man squad for this summer's World Cup finals - consistent performances such as this show why he is virtually guaranteed to be on Roy Hodgson's shortlist for the flight to Brazil.
Sturridge, similarly, is another Liverpool player assured a spot in the Three Lions' travelling party, with that third-minute goal seeing him become the first Premier League player since Ruud van Nistelrooy to reach that milestone but more was still to come from the rejuvenated marksman.
The duo could find themselves joined by another of their Anfield compatriots in Jordan Henderson, who not only helped double their advantage with a curling shot from the edge of the area after Sturridge squared the ball to him, but also proved the eventual saviour later in the game.
"He showed great leadership today. You could see him driving the team on," said Rodgers.
"His first goal was an outstanding goal. We've been talking to him about getting up there because in training his finishing is subline and he practices and he works at it. But what was really pleasing for me was his second goal.
"We were telling him to get into the box because he's got the legs and energy to do that. The thing I always say to the midfield players to try to get inside the six-yard box, and that's where his goal has come from."
Swansea appeared galvanized from Thursday's Europa League stalemate with Napoli and it was reflected in their output. Holding the Italians seemed to instill hope in Garry Monk's side that they could again upset the odds.
Jonjo Shelvey engineered the majority of their attacks in the first half but the midfielder was apologetic and seemed embarrassed when he reduced the deficit against his former club with a carbon copy of Henderson's shot that nestled in the top right-hand corner of Simon Mignolet's goal.
Minutes later the visitors pulled level after Wilfried Bony flicked on Jonathan De Guzman's free kick before a Martin Skrtel deflection took it past Mignolet en route to the Kop's net.
Sturridge was on hand again to help Liverpool retake the lead as he rose to nod home a Luis Suarez ball across the face of the area. But within minutes of the interval, poor defending saw Liverpool punished again as Skrtel was penalised for pulling down Bony, who drew Swansea level with the ensuing penalty kick.
The Slovakian can have little complaint with Mike Jones' denouement; his reputation for heavy duty challenges has preceded him for the large parts of the current campaign. However he is not the only Liverpool defender culpable for allowing winning positions to occasionally slip from their grasp.
Softly-spoken though he may be off the pitch, Henderson is a tireless performer that has proved Liverpool's secret weapon at times this season with his energy a vastly underrated quality of Rodgers' attacking juggernaut.
And that relentlessness worked to their full advantage 15 minutes from time after Steven Gerrard's pinged pass found Suarez to line up the midfielder. Vorm was equal to Henderson's initial effort but his follow-up rendered the Swans stopper powerless.
When Rodgers took the reins at Anfield, Liverpool had amassed just 47 goals in a season. With 12 games remaining, they could easily plunder double that amount. Henderson's strike was the club's 70th domestic goal this term - more than any of their Premier League peers.
The danger, however, is that they will not always be able to rely on out-scoring their opponents - something which Rodgers is all too aware.
"Up until now we've got away with it but some of the things that we concede goals in, you can't coach that," admitted Rodgers.
"There's a feel that when you're in the game of how to defend and you have to use that experience to be able to defend properly. I've always said that since I've been here.
"Today we had moments in the game that we weren't so good at, but I'll focus really on the other side - our character to keep going. We were 2-0 up, pulled back to two each and we kept going again."
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet; Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger (Toure 65), Johnson; Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho; Sterling (Allen 58), Suarez, Sturridge (Moses 79).
Subs not used: Jones, Teixeira, Aspas, Cissokho
Goals: Sturridge (3, 36), Henderson (21, 74)
Booked: Skrtel
SWANSEA CITY (4-2-3-1): Vorm; Rangel, Flores, Williams, Taylor; Britton, De Guzman (Hernandez 73); Dyer (Ngog 79), Shelvey (Canas 46), Routledge; Bony.
Subs not used: Tremmel, Amat, Tiendalli, Hernandez, Emnes.
Goals: Shelvey (23), Skrtel OG (27), Bony (48)
Referee: M Jones (Cheshire)
Attendance: 44,731
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Source : http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc-news/1220770-liverpool-fc-4-swansea-city-3---match-report.html
