Monk aiming for win at Anfield

Garry Monk insists his side will go to Anfield aiming for a win when the Swans play Liverpool on Sunday (1.30pm, Feb 23).

Monk's side travel to the red half of Merseyside on Sunday on the back of a superb performance in the Europa League against Napoli just three days previous.

The first leg of their last 32 tie saw the Swans dominate proceedings without managing to find the net, meaning they were forced to settle for a draw ahead of Thursday's second leg in Naples.

With the focus now switching to Sunday's fixture against Brendan Rodgers' side, Monk is hoping to prove doubters wrong once again and take all three points at Anfield.

"It will be a very difficult game, but we will have a go," explained Monk. "I said all along that the best bit is when people doubt you.

"Outside of Swansea, I think most people would have doubted we could get a result against Napoli. 

"They played their strongest side and I can guarantee a lot of people would have thought they would wipe the floor with us, but we have proven people wrong.

"We could have put in ten performances like that but people would still doubt we could get a result against Liverpool.

"For a club like us, we have to continually try and prove ourselves. I said to the players that they are top players, who deserve to compete at this level on a regular basis. I have never doubted them and they shouldn't doubt themselves. 

"Don't get me wrong, it will be an extremely tough task to go from here to Liverpool, back to Napoli and then to Crystal Palace, but all we can do is do our best.

"We've done so well up to this point, we don't want to slip up now. We will go there to win, we always do. That has to be the mentality."

Last time out at Anfield, the Swans were comfortably beaten 5-0 - a game that lives fresh in the memory of Monk, who is aiming to avoid a repeat of that result this time round.

"They tore us apart last time," he added. "Mentally we weren't right. We had a lot of changes with the cup final happening the following week, but there's no excuse.

"It hurts bad when you perform like that. We were lucky we had the cup final the week later, which basically covered up the cracks of that performance.

"But as players, you don't forget games like those. I lost there 7-1 once, when I was 19-years-old. I haven't forgotten about that.

"We are an honest group and I am 100 per cent sure the effort will be there.

"Against a very strong side, we have to have a game plan that will help the players. We will go there to win."