Somehow, an entire Premier League game managed to be about Jonjo Shelvey on Monday. He scored a goal and notched an assist against his former team, but also made terrible errors that led directly to both of their goals. It was an exciting 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Swansea, but without Shelvey, it might have been a 0-0 stinker.
Swansea City vs. Liverpool: Final score 2-2, Jonjo Shelvey does a bit of everything
This might be the first and last time a Premier League game was entirely about Jonjo Shelvey.
Shelvey gave and took away from Swansea in a matter of just four minutes, scoring the opener before making a horrible error to help Liverpool level the score.
His goal was a brilliant one, though he did need a bit of luck to score it. He completely whiffed on his initial effort at a volley from outside the penalty area, but recovered the ball, then went around Mamadou Sakho on his way into the penalty area. Martin Skrtel blocked his second attempt at his shot, but the third time was a charm for Shelvey, who lifted a shot into the side netting at the far post to put Swansea up two minutes in.
Daniel Sturridge scored the equalizer in the 4th minute thanks to a terrible error in judgment by Shelvey, who tried to pass back to his goalkeeper. Instead, he placed a perfect through ball into the path of Sturridge, who had no problem finishing from close range.
The Liverpool center forward came close to a second goal in the 25th minute, but he was brilliantly denied by Michel Vorm. Victor Moses set up the chance by dribbling through two defenders, then crossing for Sturridge, but his downward header was stuffed by the Swansea keeper.
Shelvey’s day appeared to be heading for downright disaster late in the second half when he made yet another mistake that led directly to a goal. In the 36th minute, he misplaced a pass directly into the path of Moses, who went on to score to put Liverpool on top.
Wilfried Bony was unlucky not to hit the equalizer two minutes later. Michu had a shot stopped by Simon Mignolet, but it dribbled away slowly, in front of the net, ready to be tapped in for a goal. Bony made the right run and looked set to score, but Skrtel made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to save a goal.
The second half was a fairly even affair until Shelvey and Michu combined for the equalizer, with the former Liverpool midfielder fully redeeming himself for his earlier errors. On a long ball over the top of the defense, Shelvey headed backwards into the path of Michu, who placed a low shot past Mignolet to register his first Premier League goal of the season.
Swansea were the much more assertive of the two sides late and looked the more likely to find a winner, but Liverpool managed to hang on for a point.
Swansea: Vorm, Davies, Chico, Williams, Rangel, Britton, Shelvey, Dyer (De Guzman 45’), Michu, Routledge, Bony (Pozuelo 66’)
Goals: Shelvey (2’), Michu (64’)
Liverpool: Mignolet; Enrique, Sahko, Skrtel, Wisdom (Toure 69’), Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho (Aspas 55’), Sturridge, Moses (Sterling 81’)
Goals: Sturridge (4’), Moses (36’)
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