Anfield magic! Gerrard and Torres celebrate. (Photo:
Imago)
APRIL 9
Torres dreaming of Moscow
TEAMtalk
Goal machine Fernando Torres is dreaming of Moscow glory as
Liverpool march on in the Champions League.
Torres netted for the 29th time in what is a truly
remarkable debut season in English football to help secure
Tuesday night's dramatic 4-2 quarter-final second leg win
over Arsenal.
And the 24-year-old is confident Liverpool can come out on
top of yet another semi-final showdown with Chelsea later
this month.
Torres arrived at Anfield last summer having never played in
Europe for his boyhood club Atletico Madrid. Now he has
bagged five goals in Liverpool's roller-coaster ride into
the last four.
The Spaniard said: "This was the greatest night of my career
so far. My dream now is to get to the final, it is what I
have always wanted.
"And the fact that I am enjoying myself here in Liverpool
makes it even more important.
"Yes we can get to the Moscow final in May. The two league
games we have had with Chelsea this season were both draws,
very close. We know we can do it."
He added: "I came to Liverpool for nights and games like
this. It is hard to believe, the emotion, the fans, the
high-tempo, everything about this is what I wanted and
expected.
"It was a good game, I'm sure, for the people watching. And
Arsenal are a fine side and played some very nice football.
But we are in the semi-finals, which is what matters.
"We knew Arsenal would be difficult and Chelsea would be
waiting. We needed to win and win well. It was difficult but
we had worked hard all week with our preperation for the
game and everything was worthwhile in the end.
"Maybe when Arsenal made it 2-2 I felt we were out. It was
so near the end, five minutes away.
"But the magical place that Anfield is got us through. The
fans were tremendous, but we had to play with our heads, not
just our hearts.
"We had the believe, and we got two more goals in those
final minutes to prove it. Liverpool is special, a special
place, special fans, special city and a special team."
Life on Merseyside could not be better for Torres, already a
Kop folk hero in the mould of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish
and Ian Rush.
He said: "I'm so happy to be playing for Liverpool and to be
living in this city. We do this for the supporters, and we
aim to get to the final for them.
"Chelsea will be difficult, but the same as playing Arsenal,
really. It is another English league side and it will be
physical and a strong match.
"Now we have two games to get to the final. We have drawn
with them twice in the league this season, so that means it
will be very tight.
"We have two targets, to finish in the top four and to win
the Champions League. We are getting to the final a step at
a time, and we also must keep going in the league, too, to
make sure we qualify for next season.
"I do not have any more personal targets, I am just doing my
job to score goals. That is what I do.
"Everything was wonderful, all the work, the team play, the
goals, everything. And to beat a great side like Arsenal,
what a night.
"It was a very happy day for us."
APRIL 9
Fairclough hails Reds win
By Kate Burlaga - Sky Sports
Liverpool legend David Fairclough has tipped Rafa Benitez's
men to reach their third Champions League final in four
years after attributing their win over Arsenal to "great
character".
The former Reds striker hailed the 4-2 victory at Anfield
and 5-3 aggregate triumph over Arsenal, despite admitting
there were moments of magic from Arsene Wenger's side.
And he now believes Liverpool's track record in Europe makes
them favourites to overcome Chelsea in the semi-final.
"It was fantastic, the twists and turns made it so
exciting," said Fairclough.
"It takes two good teams, two great teams to make a really
great night and certainly the way the game went - one way
and then the other - I think it had everything. All the
emotions were there."
Fairclough admitted the home side were second best before
going behind to Diaby's 13-minute opener but praised the a
plucky comeback - including a stunning Fernando Torres
strike twenty minutes from time.
"I think Arsenal started much better - Liverpool were a bit
untidy, they gave the ball away and were really chasing
shadows for a while, but Arsenal never really made the most
of that possession.
"But it was an incredible turnaround. I think it shows great
character from Liverpool.
"Torres certainly chooses his moments. He hadn't seen a
great deal of the ball all night but you always knew he
would get one sight of goal and make it count. It was an
incredible strike, an unstoppable shot."
Fairclough, who scored 34 goals in 98 appearances for
Liverpool, reckons the current squad will be in the driving
when they host Avram Grant's side in the first semi-final
tie on 22 April - and is confident the Anfield faithful
could be the difference.
"Anfield becomes something different on a Champions League
night," he added.
"Anyone that goes there with a ticket in their hand knows
that they're going to have a part to play and you just sense
it from the moment that they play You'll Never Walk Alone.
"They've got the track record, they've beaten Chelsea twice,
there's no reason to think that Liverpool can't do it
again."
APRIL 9
Heroic Liverpool don't
know when they are beaten
By Tommy Smith - Liverpool Echo
This was a great European night to saviour -
a marvellous
result and an outstanding team effort
by Liverpool.
It was a magnificent cup tie, played on a knife-edge for
most of the time, but the crucial difference is the belief
the Reds have.
Most teams, having taken the lead and then seen their rivals
snatch a late equaliser that tipped the tie in the Gunners’
favour, would have just buckled.
But Rafa Benitez has this team believing anything is
possible – that incredible night in Istanbul will forever be
in their minds – and back they stormed.
Some might feel sorry for Arsenal after their performance
early on in the first half, but I don’t. They have terrific
players, but what their team lack are older players good
enough to control what the young ones are doing.
And, irrespective of Arsene Wenger’s view of the penalty, he
should be pointing fingers at his defenders for their lapses
at crucial moments – Senderos leaving Sami Hyypia a free
header, two defenders allowing Torres to turn and put the
Reds ahead in sensational style, Babel being allowed to run
past two defenders before he was brought down.
But it was not down to those errors, in particular, more the
togetherness of this Reds team who just don’t know when
they’re beaten when it comes to the Champions League.
A lot has been said about the Dirk Kuyt incident at The
Emirates. I thought that was a penalty, just as I thought it
was a penalty last night. But the Reds still got a fourth as
Babel showed a coolness in slotting home the clincher.
Where the Reds were in the first 20 minutes, I just don’t
know. Arsenal were going like the clappers, they scored a
well worked goal and really looked a good side.
But the Liverpool spirit shone through and Hyypia’s header
gave them the lift they needed. The goal brought back
memories for me of 1977 with its importance, but it was the
signal for the Reds to start to get a grip on the game they
had been chasing for much of the first period.
Second half we were right on top of them and started to
dominate. I have seen some goals in my time, but how Torres
created the space and got a tremendous shot in across
Almunia I don’t know. I could not believe how quick he was
in controlling the ball, turning and then firing in a
magnificent cross shot.
We looked set for victory at that stage, but the
introduction of Theo Walcott changed it completely. He just
ran amok (and almost the length of the field) to set up
Adebayor, and it left us staring down the gun barrel.
But in Babel, the Reds had someone themselves who could run
at the defence with pace, and his charge into the box before
being brought down left the referee with no alternative.
Steven Gerrard was not as effective in his left-sided
midfield rolewith Peter Crouch having been selected. He is
far more dangerous in that central position, but this was a
night when there was no man of the match – more a team
effort – although the back four did well despite conceding
the goals and Hyypia and Torres made telling contributions.
The Reds took the game to Arsenal and not many teams do
that. Incredibly, it’s Chelsea next up after they struggled
to dispose of Fenerbahce, and Anfield is set for another
tremendous night.
Benitez once again proved he is a master tactician when it
comes to Europe – and the fans were outstanding in their
backing of the team, even after that heartbreaking
equaliser. What a night!
APRIL 9
Crouch ready for Chelsea clash
By Al Campbell - LFC Online
Peter Crouch is eager to face Chelsea in the Champions
League semi-final.
The Reds play the rent boys in the Champions League for the
fourth successive season and the third time in four years at
the semi-final stage. After a fantastic team performance
against Arsenal last night Crouch is eager to face the
Stamford Bridge outfit.
"This is a fantastic win but, at the end of the day, it's
only the quarter-finals and there are still three more games
to go," said the striker.
"When Adebayor scored I was thinking are we going to go out
here? I was sitting on the bench and it was a killer blow
when Arsenal scored [to make it 2-2 on the night] but we
were able to bounce back and we've done it time and time
again.
"We made it difficult for ourselves but we showed great
character again. Hats off to Arsenal, they are a fantastic
side and you know they're going to put you under pressure,
but in the first 25 minutes it was difficult to get close to
them.
"I think in the second half we really started to close them
down and get about them. That's when we showed our true
form.
"We have to get over this one first but that's going to be
another massive, massive game. We've had the upper hand at
times in the semi-finals but, make no mistake, they are a
fantastic side as well.
"We don't want to sit back and say we've done well tonight.
We've got to go into a massive semi-final.
"All games are tough but those ones against Chelsea are
probably going to be even tougher. We'll have to make sure
we get ourselves into a lead, maybe in the first leg, but we
are capable of going to Chelsea and getting a result, I
think."
APRIL 9
This was the right response
from Liverpool and Rafa
Comment by Nick Smith - Liverpool Daily Post
Rafael Benitez has made no secret of the importance of his
team being able to emulate and embody the Kop on these
rousing European nights.
So with little else to cheer him during a woeful opening to
last night’s sensational second leg, he could only have been
inspired by what happened when the Arsenal supporters sought
to circulate their early superiority around a subdued
Anfield.
“Where’s your famous atmosphere?” they taunted – but they
were soon about to find out.
The Kop instantly drowned it out with “Where’s your European
Cups?” and the tone was set.
An exchange that summed up the pattern of this tie –
Liverpool were always able to come up with the right
response.
And the constant failure of Arsenal to do so on this stage
means the answer to the above query remains the same as it
was when initially made last night.
The easy option would have been to inconvenience the
under-used striker by making him lower his frame onto the
bench again.
But as so often in this competition, Benitez decided to do
it the hard way. Crouch was in alongside Fernando Torres and
Dirk Kuyt.
It was his flick-on that opened the way for Fernando Torres
to put the ball in his favourite place – not the Kop End,
but the top corner of the net that stands in front of it.
Maybe Benitez has acquired another new skill to add to his
repertoire when seeing out second legs – seeing into the
future.
As if he sensed Liverpool would need some extra firepower if
Arsenal cancelled out the away goal – something Benitez also
predicted in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s 1-1 draw.
What he couldn’t have planned for, however, was the inept
opening his team made to the game.
And that’s why it wasn’t Crouch himself that was the gamble,
it was the formation demanded by his inclusion.
And while the presence of Crouch always looked like being a
problem for Arsenal, the absence of the ball was an even
bigger one for Liverpool.
Every time they touched it they lost it during that torrid
first half-hour, and they seemed scared stiff of attempting
to win it back as the Gunners’ superior command of
possession yielded a deserved goal for Abou Diaby.
Straight after that Gerrard planted the ball straight into
Mascherano’s back and Liverpool were about as in harmony as
last night’s odd ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rendition.
But as happened a week earlier, a quick response, however
out of the blue, altered the whole tone of the tie and Sami
Hyypia’s towering header ensured it proved so again.
Wenger initially found the answers thanks to substitute Theo
Walcott’s brilliance in teeing up what looked to be the
clinching second away goal for Adebayor.
But Benitez trumped him again. If sending Crouch out
initially was inspired, hauling him off was even more so.
His replacement Ryan Babel took advantage of the exhaustion
Arsenal had taken themselves to in the quest for elusive
European glory
Considering what fellow Dutchman Kuyt got away with a week
earlier, rewarding Babel’s tumble in the box with a
spot-kick was somewhat harsh on Wenger.
But the fact remains that whatever the Frenchman came up
with, Benitez was ready for.
For some reason, you get the feeling he will be ready for
a
semi-final with Chelsea too.
APRIL 8
Anfield has edge
when it's Europe
TEAMtalk
Tuesday night's Champions League clash
between Liverpool and Arsenal was sensational and TEAMtalk
was yet again caught up in the Anfield magic.
Nobody does it better. No football team does European nights
quite like Liverpool at Anfield.
No sportsmen surely do excitement and frantic drama quite
like the footballers of the English Premier League.
That was the conclusion after Liverpool beat Arsenal 4-2 on
the night, 5-3 on aggregate, to progress to the semi-finals
of the Champions League for the third time in four seasons.
There they will meet Chelsea yet again, for the fourth time
in the competition in as many years, after the Londoners
eased through their quarter-final against Fenerbahce.
Let's not forget Arsenal. Their spirit was dogged, their
football fabulous but their season now is surely over with
manager Arsene Wenger having to make sense of two months in
which they have simply imploded.
And the big question was: How does Rafael Benitez do it? How
does he constantly struggle to make an impact in the Premier
League but consistently outwit his managerial colleagues
when his players pull on their European shirts?
One answer would be Fernando Torres. The Spaniard cost more
than £20million but the vital goal he scored in the second
half was his 29th of a season which is rapidly fast-tracking
him to the sort of legend enjoyed by Kevin Keegan, Kenny
Dalglish, Ian Rush and Michael Owen.
Another would be captain Steven Gerrard, who coolly slotted
the penalty which ostensibly won the match after Kolo Toure
was deemed to have pulled down Ryan Babel.
Modestly, Gerrard insisted: "It was one of the worst
performances I've ever put in in a Liverpool shirt." That
was nonsense but says much of the standard this Liverpool
team has set themselves in Europe.
The truth is that this victory was partly down to the
industry and sheer bloody-minded determination of men such
as Torres, Gerrard and Peter Crouch and the excellent Xabi
Alonso.
And partly down to the strategist in Benitez who juggled his
resources, switched his formation and had faith in the
spirit of his side even when Arsenal scored the second away
goal which they must have thought would take them through.
Mostly, however, it was down to the special atmosphere at
Anfield.
Much has been written about it.
From the days of Kevin Keegan and John Toshack and Emlyn
Hughes and supersub David Fairclough, the latter scoring the
winner in a 3-1 European Cup quarter final victory against
St Etienne back in 1977 which is still regarded by many as
Anfield's most memorable night.
In modern times John Terry admitted the Kop had terrified
the life out of his Chelsea side in the semi-final three
years ago.
There is no doubt that when Liverpool were down, when
Arsenal had wrested the initiative, it was that support
which again made the difference.
And yet Wenger's side could hardly have made a better start,
so much so that it is doubtful any side in the world could
have lived with them in that first half hour.
They were quicker to the ball, precise with their passing,
demonstrating the sort of crowd-pleasing football for which
they are famed. Irresistible, you might say.
And they scored too, Abou Diaby's goal after 12 minutes a
triumph for Arsenal's invention, although Liverpool
goalkeeper Jose Reina should have done better at his near
post.
Liverpool's Champions League hopes hung by the slenderest of
threads at that moment.
We wondered whether Benitez for once had got it badly wrong.
The Liverpool line-up, a 4-4-2 formation with Crouch
partnering Torres up front and Gerrard out on the left,
could not have sent out a more positive message. But it also
surrendered the compactness in midfield which had been such
a feature of their three other meetings with Arsenal this
season.
Tempo and rhythm are fragile commodities, however, and the
Arsenal majesty was torn asunder by a magnificent Sami
Hyypia header from a corner for the equaliser after half an
hour.
The sigh of relief which wafted up the Mersey was enough to
alert the shipping forecast.
That was nothing compared with what was to come. Theo
Walcott's wonderful run for Emmanuel Adebayor's goal. Then
the penalty. Then the clincher from Babel when Arsenal's
legs and lungs were all but spent.
Footballers deservedly get their fair share of bad press.
But this was a night for Liverpool and Arsenal and the
world's most popular sport to take a bow. Simply
magnificent.
APRIL 8
Wenger hurt by unjust exit
By James Dall - Sky Sports
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes
refereeing decisions went against his side in the two UEFA
Champions League quarter-final legs against Liverpool.
The Gunners were knocked out of the Champions League on
Tuesday evening as they succumbed to 4-2 loss at Anfield -
losing the tie 5-3 on aggregate.
And Wenger has hit out at referee Peter Frojdfeldt's
decision to award Liverpool an 85th minute penalty after
Kolo Toure made contact with Ryan Babel in the penalty area.
The Frenchman also pointed to last week's first leg when
referee Pieter Vink chose not to award his side a penalty
when Dirk Kuyt challenged Alexander Hleb in the box at The
Emirates.
"I believe it (the loss on Tuesday) is down to a dodgy
decision from the referee and a lack of concentration at
2-2," he said on Sky Sports News.
"It is difficult to swallow. It is a double disappointment
because all the big decisions went against us and with three
minutes to go we were qualified.
"It is very difficult for me to understand because for me it
was not a penalty. I have watched it clearly again. Last
week it was a real penalty. But we have to accept that.
"We were too naive, we lacked a bit of maturity defensively.
We had so much control.
"The mental strength of the team was fantastic tonight. It
was down to lack of experience.
"This team has plenty of talent and potential but we lacked
that little bit of extra confidence.
"Tonight we have a feeling of disappointment and injustice."
APRIL 8
Gerrard: I knew
I'd score from spot
TEAMtalk
Steven Gerrard described his performance
against Arsenal as one of his worst for Liverpool - but said
he knew he would convert his penalty.
Gerrard netted his side's crucial third goal from the spot
to earn Liverpool a third Champions League semi-final
meeting with Chelsea in the last four years.
He told ITV1: "That was possibly one of the worst
performances I've ever put in in a Liverpool shirt.
"But I still had the confidence to score the penalty."
On an epic night at Anfield, Arsenal deservedly led through
Abou Diaby before Sami Hyypia levelled.
Fernando Torres put Liverpool in front only for a superb
Theo Walcott run to set up Emmanuel Adebayor to level on the
night and put the Gunners ahead on away goals.
But substitute Ryan Babel was brought down in the box almost
immediately with Gerrard scoring and the Dutchman netted a
fourth as Liverpool won 4-2 on the night and to clinch the
quarter-final 5-3 on aggregate.
Asked how the match compared to other Anfield nights of
drama, Gerrard said: "That's up there with them.
"Arsenal are a fantastic team. A times today, they passed us
of the pitch.
"In the end we've come through.
"It was a great team performance tonight."
Asked if he thought Liverpool were worthy winners, Gerrard
was diplomatic, saying: "It's difficult to say because it
would be unfair on Arsenal.
"But over two legs we're a match for anyone."
The skipper paid tribute to the club's fans.
"If those fans perform like that, it's a big help to us and
other teams find it impossible," he said.
Those sentiments were echoed by Babel, who said: "They
pulled out another level.
"It's like you play with 12 men."
The Dutchman insisted he was fouled for the penalty, saying:
"They held me a little bit and they tried to take a chunk of
me.
"I had a feeling to create something.
"If they take that away from me then I think it's a
penalty."
APRIL 8
Rafa: Our
belief was the difference
By Paul Hassall at Anfield - LFC Official Website
Rafael Benitez hailed the belief and
character of his players after they held off the challenge
of Arsenal to book their place in the last four of the
Champions League.
Late efforts from Steven Gerrard (penalty) and substitute
Ryan Babel clinched a 4-2 win for the Reds after the Gunners
had threatened to progress via the the away goals rule.
It was a sensational turn of events that transformed the
complexion of the tie and Benitez put his side's last-ditch
rally down to their powers of recovery.
"I think the key was the belief of the players," said
Benitez.
"I think in the second half we were much better than in the
first half. In the first half we were really bad but when we
scored we had belief and began to show our quality.
"I think they had some players who played in the final two
years ago, so they had experience but we also had players
with experience. For me the difference was the belief.
"I was disappointed with the way they scored but after I was
very, very happy with the character of the players and the
way they responded."
The Reds had looked on the verge of elimination after goals
from Emmanuel Adebayor and Abou Diaby had cancelled out
efforts from Fernando Torres and Sami Hyyypia, but the tide
turned once more when Steven Gerrrard ocnverted a penalty
that also altered the manager's way of thinking.
"Sometimes the small details can make a difference and it
was a good penalty from Steven Gerrard and it was really
positive for us," said Rafa.
"I was thinking about bringing on Voronin because we needed
more power and more offensive players but then we got the
penalty so I brought on Arbeloa instead.
"Babel made a difference because we needed pace and ability
and Torres was getting tired so we used Babel's pace up
front."
The 5-3 victory on aggregate means the Reds are through to a
third Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in just
four years, but Benitez refused to look ahead to yet another
meeting with the Blues and instead chose to savour what he
felt was one of Anfield's greatest nights.
"My first idea is to enjoy today and then after we will
think about Chelsea. It will be a tough, tough tie that's
for sure," he said.
"You could see Arsenal played well in the first-half, there
were six goals and it was fantastic to win such a great
game. Everyone is really happy and I am pleased for our
fans.
"It's always important for us to play in front of our
supporters and you could hear from the start of the game,
they were amazing and massive for the players."
Benitez also revealed the reason behind his decision to pair
Peter Crouch with Fernando Torres and felt the towering
forward was a pivotal presnece in most of this side's
attacking play.
"We knew he had scored a hat-trick against Arsenal," added
Benitez.
"After the other day when he had scored and played really
well, he was a threat, so I was trying to take advantage of
the strengths of our team with Torres playing off Crouch in
the air as well as Gerrard and Kuyt.
"They are four offensive players who can score goals for
us."
APRIL 8
Reds fight
back to clinch semi spot
TEAMtalk
Liverpool marched into their third
Champions League semi-final in four years after fighting
back for a 4-2 triumph over Arsenal at Anfield.
With seven minutes left, Arsenal looked like were through as
the score stood at 2-2.
But Steven Gerrard became the first Liverpool player in
history to score in four successive home European matches to
send his side ahead again from the penalty spot, before Ryan
Babel's breakaway goal sealed a victory which sets up
another semi-final clash with Chelsea.
Arsenal scored first through Abou Diaby, before Sami Hyypia
and then Fernando Torres forced Liverpool ahead. An Emmanuel
Adebayor strike with seven minutes left looked to have
finished off the Anfield men.
But Gerrard's penalty and Babel's late break sealed another
sensational night at this emotional old stadium.
With Tom Hicks back in Dallas, his co-owner George Gillett
took the chance to be in the directors' box with son Foster,
while Hicks' son Tom junior was also in attendance. But just
for once they went unnoticed and the club's laughable
politics took second place to the real drama on the pitch.
The end of the week-long trilogy between these English
giants saw one surprise selection, with Benitez opting for
Peter Crouch.
Arsenal were without Robin van Persie from the first leg,
the Dutchman's injured knee not risked beyond the bench
initially.
The Gunners started in sensational style, displaying
blistering pace, strength in the tackle and sublime passing
skills. Liverpool were stretched every way possible.
Alexander Hleb, in a central role supporting Adebayor, was a
constant danger and they were ahead in the 13th minute.
Anfield was stunned into silence as Hleb threaded a ball
down the right for Abou Diaby to surge into the box before
crashing home a shot between Jose Reina and his near post.
The disbelief from the Kop made you wonder for a second
whether the ball had gone in. But the delayed roar from
Arsenal fans at the other end soon confirmed Arsenal's
deserved advantage.
With Gerrard deployed on the left, Arsenal were destroying
Liverpool's midfield, and flying at a frantic defence.
For 30 minutes Arsenal had been magnificent and Liverpool
mesmerised by the quality swirling around them.
Somehow they needed a foothold in the game, just to draw
breath if nothing else, such was Arsenal's superiority.
And it came from veteran Hyypia. The 34-year-old, with a
newly-signed contract this week, produced a towering header
from Gerrard's corner that crashed into the net on the
half-hour off Manuel Almunia's post.
Suddenly Liverpool were alive. Gerrard flashed a 30-yard
shot wide, Dirk Kuyt's drive was charged down and Philippe
Senderos - already booked for a foul on the Liverpool
captain - started to struggle against Crouch's height.
Then Arsenal suffered the blow of Mathieu Flamini being
carried off after looking to have fallen awkwardly on an
ankle. Gilberto came on after 40 minutes. By now Liverpool
looked a changed side; steaming forward, their confidence
restored.
England boss Fabio Capello and Manchester United chief Sir
Alex Ferguson sat side by side, enthralled, as Arsenal
steeled themselves to defend in front of the Kop after the
break.
Fabio Aurelio's shot was deflected agonisingly wide by
Crouch, Torres having provided the cross.
It was the Spain striker, quiet up to that point, who forced
Liverpool ahead. Crouch's flick-on reached the Liverpool
goal machine in the box, he turned Senderos with ease before
firing his shot into the top corner.
Anfield erupted. Benitez, tie askew, urged his men on while
Wenger replaced Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue with Van Persie and
Theo Walcott, knowing another Arsenal goal would put them
through.
Adebayor missed when clean through, the tension by now could
be cut with a knife. Babel came on for Crouch, who left the
field to a standing ovation.
Liverpool switched back to their preferred system, with
Gerrard working behind Torres while two holding players
protected the midfield.
But Liverpool were caught searching for more, and Arsenal
caught them cold on the break. Walcott embarked on an
amazing run from his own half before pulling the ball back
for Adebayor to drill in the equaliser after 83 minutes.
Hyypia collapsed in anguish, all around Liverpool players
could see the end of their dream.
But astonishingly they rallied. Straight from the restart,
some Gunners still celebrating it seemed, Babel surged into
the box and was brought down by Kolo Toure.
Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot, and
with the Kop in hushed agony, Gerrard drove the penalty high
into the net.
John Arne Riise came on for Torres, Liverpool desperate for
the end now. Another Gunners goal would again see them
through.
But with Arsenal all up in Liverpool's box for a free-kick,
the ball broke from the mass of players to be belted forward
for Babel to outpace Fabregas to gloriously drive home the
fourth.
Alvaro Arbeloa came on for a shattered Kuyt, and there was
nothing left now from Wenger's men as Anfield celebrated.
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