Liverpool 4, Arsenal 2 - Champions League Post Match Analysis

Apr 9 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

HERE we go again. Another memorable Anfield night, another famous European scalp and another Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.

Rafael Benitez’s appetite for the competition remains undiminished after his Liverpool side twice hauled themselves off the canvas before despatching Arsenal in truly extraordinary fashion last night.

For all the Gunners jabs and fancy footwork, it was the Anfield outfit who deservedly landed the knockout blow.

Goals, incident, drama, controversy – and that was just the final six minutes.

While Arsene Wenger’s side can claim domestic supremacy, Europe remains emphatically the domain of Benitez and Liverpool.

And how. The Anfield outfit’s European Cup history has been littered with comebacks, most famously against AC Milan three years ago, and this was almost an insane and unbelievable as that night in Istanbul.

An 84th-minute goal from Emmanuel Adebayor appeared to have settled the tie by levelling the scores on the night at 2-2 with the Gunners going through on the away goals rule.

Yet less than 120 seconds later, a forceful run from substitute Ryan Babel was ended by Kolo Toure in the penalty area and referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot.

Arsenal might claim the challenge was not dissimilar to Dirk Kuyt’s tangle with Aleksandr Hleb in the first leg that went unpunished, but while their supporters scrambled to find the birthplace of the match officials, Gerrard showed nerves of steel to fire beyond Gunners goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Babel’s well-taken strike in injury time confirmed another crack at Chelsea after the Londoners’ defeat of Fenerbahce. For Arsenal, however, the campaign is now effectively over.

Of course, it was three goals in six minutes that helped Liverpool win the trophy in 2005.

And following the elimination of Inter Milan with this fantastic effort, the momentum is building towards a third Champions League final in four years.

The game had been billed as a clash of cultures, the pure football of Arsenal against the power and passion of Benitez’s side.

And there was only one side in it during the opening half-hour. The Gunners passed a nervous Liverpool into submission, wiping out Kuyt’s away goal at the Emirates seven days ago with Abou Diaby’s 13th-minute opener.

But once Sami Hyypia celebrated signing a new contract by heading in an equaliser on the half-hour – his third goal in a Champions League quarter-final after previously scoring against Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus – Benitez’s side grew in stature and confidence as Arsenal began to lose poise, lose their way and ultimately lose the match.

While Gerrard and Fernando Torres both netted – the Spaniard’s a tremendous right-footed drive into the top corner to put Liverpool 2-1 ahead midway through the second half – the Anfield side were not wholly reliant on the duo.

Save his moment of magic, Torres was otherwise quiet and Gerrard, nominally employed on the left flank in a change of tack from Benitez but eventually roaming free across midfield, professed his performance to being one of his worst for the club.

Instead, the plaudits lay elsewhere. Javier Mascherano snapped into every tackle, Kuyt ran himself daft and Fabio Aurelio shone in defence.

But all were surpassed by Martin Skrtel, the Slovakia international coming of age in a Liverpool shirt with an outstanding performance at the heart of defence.

So the trilogy is complete with Liverpool having avoided defeat against Arsenal over the past week.

Peter Crouch had caused enough problems to the Gunners defence during Saturday’s Premier League meeting at the Emirates for Benitez to retain the striker up front and partner Torres for only the fifth time this season.

It was a risky strategy to alter the 4-2-3-1 formation that had served Liverpool so well in losing just one of their previous 11 games, and Arsenal’s blistering start meant Benitez’s side had no time to readjust to the tactics.

The Gunners were ahead on 13 minutes. With the ball airborne after Pepe Reina had smothered a shot from Adebayor, Xabi Alonso’s attempted clearance only reached Mathieu Flamini 35 yards out.

Possession swiftly moved from the French midfielder to Aleksandr Hleb toward Diaby, whose powerful early shot caught Reina unawares at the near post and flew in off the goalkeeper’s knee.

Reina safely fielded an Emmanuel Eboue shot but was then fortunate his punch clear struck Adebayor and floated to safety after more good work from Diaby released Gael Clichy to cross from the left.

However, slowly but surely, Liverpool found their feet and were galvanised by an equaliser on the half-hour.

Manuel Almunia clawed away from underneath his own crossbar after Fabio Aurelio’s cross deflected off Toure, with Clichy then turning the ball behind. From Gerrard’s left-wing corner, an arcing run from Hyypia – at fault for Arsenal’s goal in the first leg – lost the attentions of Philippe Senderos and headed in from 15 yards via the far post.

The goal, along with the departure of Arsenal midfield linchpin Flamini shortly before half-time, changed the dynamic of the game with Liverpool the team to probe, the passes finally finding their mark.

They ended the half the stronger and continued in the same vein after the break, taking the lead on 69 minutes for the first time in the tie with a goal reminiscent of their Saturday strike at the Emirates and underlining the value of Crouch’s starting role.

A long punt forward by Reina was flicked on by the England international into the path of Torres, who controlled the ball, turned away from Senderos and smashed into the top corner from 15 yards.

Arsenal, though, should have levelled three minutes later. A brilliant diagonal pass from Hleb on the left put Adebayor clear with only Reina to beat, but the Togolese snatched at the opening and sliced his side-footed effort wide.

He made amends six minutes from time to put Arsenal ahead in the tie once more. Gilberto fed substitute Theo Walcott to sprint forward away from Javier Mascherano, float past Hyypia and cut the ball back to Adebayor to score.

With so little time remaining, that appeared to be that. But, two minutes later, Toure upended substitute Babel inside the area and Gerrard restored Liverpool’s lead from the spot.

A shattered Arsenal threw everything forward and in injury time a long Liverpool clearance was pounced on by Babel ahead of an exhausted Cesc Fabregas, and the Dutch substitute closed down on a backtracking Alumnia before converting.

It’s now two weeks before Liverpool entertain Chelsea once again in the semi-final. Anyone in attendance last night might need until then to recover.