Liverpool 4, Arsenal 1 (D,Post)

Apr 2 2007 by Ian Doyle at Anfield

AS his new acquisition sauntered through the closing stages of this emphatic victory, Liverpool co-owner George Gillett sidled across the front row of the directors box to bend the ear of Arsenal chief executive David Dein.

You imagine it wasn’t just to gloat about the 4-1 win for Rafael Benitez’s side, nor the Peter Crouch hat-trick that ensured the first game since Gillett and Tom Hicks assumed unconditional control of the club ended on a suitable celebratory note.

But while there’s good value in picking the brains of an opponent, it was yesterday’s meeting between Liverpool’s new American owners and Benitez himself to map out the future that will have been the most significant discussion over the weekend.

Thrashing nearest rivals Arsenal to regain third place in the table was an ideal way to start another important week at Anfield.

Yet that Liverpool’s only realistic Premiership prospect with still seven league games to play is merely scrapping for the leftovers at the top of the table will have been a point Benitez was sure to remind Gillett and Hicks as he sought backing for his masterplan.

After all, while Arsenal’s long-term strategy may be something to aspire to, it’s Manchester United and Chelsea who currently set the barometer for league success.

And it was why for Liverpool, although keen to avenge those painful pair of domestic cup exits to the Gunners in January, Saturday’s fixture was secondary to tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against PSV Eindhoven in Holland.

The Dutch outfit weren’t just playing on home minds. PSV eliminated Arsenal in the previous round to end the Gunners hopes of silverware and at Anfield Arsene Wenger’s side bore the hallmark of a team who had accepted their season was realistically over.

Of course, a place in the Champions League must yet be mathematically secured by either team and, while very much second best at the weekend, Arsenal can leapfrog back into third place by winning their game in hand.

But the portents from their performance and the fact both Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie are sidelined for the remainder of their campaign suggest Liverpool must now be favourites to match last season’s Premiership finish.

Nevertheless, Benitez’s team selection on Saturday suggested it isn’t his highest priority, with Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise and Dirk Kuyt, all likely starters in Eindhoven, either benched or rested.