Arsenal will face FC Twente in the Third Qualifying Round of the Champions League.
Arsène Wenger's team will travel to Holland for the start of their latest European campaign on August 12 or 13 before welcoming the Dutch side - and new manager Steve McClaren - back to Emirates Stadium for the second leg on August 26 or 27.
Arsène Wenger is well aware of the dangers posed by Arsenal's third successive foray into the Champions League qualifiers.
The Frenchman will have to prepare his squad for a two-legged tie in August after finishing third behind Manchester United and Chelsea in the title race. Dinamo Zagreb and Sparta Prague were dispatched with relative ease in the past two years but Wenger expects a tougher assignment this summer. At a Q&A with Arsenal shareholders last week, he explained why.
"Next season it is a dangerous qualifier because it is a European Championship year," said Wenger. "You need to give some rest to the players and the time to prepare for the qualifier is very short.
"As well the qualifier becomes more difficult every year because the Eastern European countries have more money to buy good players so the competition becomes harder. So it is a dangerous game.
"I don't believe it had a negative impact this season. It can do because you lose a Premier League game at the start of the season when you play your qualifier but this season we were right up front in the League, we didn't drop places."
The same was not true of 2006 when Arsenal cruised past Dinamo Zagreb to reach the Champions League group stage but stuttered in the Premier League, failing to win any of their first three fixtures. That was, of course, a World Cup year.
At first glance this summer looks less tricky with just one continent competing for a major tournament. But in reality it is not just Arsenal's European internationals who will be occupied in June.
"We are not completely sure yet but we could have 10 to 12 players at Euro 2008," said Wenger. And don't forget there are other players away too. The African players play four World Cup qualifiers. The South American players play as well and some of them are away as late as the European Championship players.
"The last African qualifier is June 21. They say always that they cannot organise the Africa Cup of Nations during the summer but they play all their qualifiers in the summer!"
Arsenal deserved more from their Champions League campaign according to Gael Clichy.
Setantasports.com asked the Frenchman if Arsenal had been eliminated from the Champions League because of bad luck, referees’ controversial decisions or because of a lack of experience.
The defender claims the 4-2 defeat at Anfield was the consequence of several events that did not help The Gunners eliminate Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool in the quarter-final, second leg.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” Clichy told setantasports.com.
“When you go to Liverpool, you know it’s going to be difficult and we know that with the players we have we can win on every pitch.
“We scored first, they came back and took the lead. Then we equalised and we thought we were through.
“With six minutes to go the game really started.
“You can say it’s back luck because it wasn’t a foul, you can say it’s a lack of concentration, focus, because you cannot concede a penalty 30 seconds after scoring the goal that puts you through to the semi-final.
“So it’s a little bit of everything and if you think it’s because of the lack of experience it’s up to you, if I think that’s about bad luck then it’s up to me, but I think we deserved more than that from both games.
“It’s a big shame and a big blow for the club and for the fans because we played well, against a good team of course, but we played well and we deserve a bit more than not being qualified.”
Kolo Toure is fearful Arsenal could be knocked out of the Champions League at the preliminary round stage if The Gunners do not finish second in The Premier League.
Claiming second behind Manchester United would bring automatic entry to the group stages of the Champions League and Ivory Coast defender Toure is desperate to continue the fight.
“To finish second and not have to play games before the season in order to qualify for the champions League is what we want,” Toure told Setanta Sports News.
“We know there are some good teams who can take us out if we finish third or fourth.
“We want to finish second so we can go straight through.”
This week's Champions League Semi-Finals will make uncomfortable viewing for Arsène Wenger.
The Arsenal manager will take in Liverpool v Chelsea this evening and Barcelona v Manchester United on Wednesday but he'll be racked with regret.
Wenger's side were edged out in the Quarter-Final second leg at Anfield a fortnight ago in controversial and dramatic circumstances. That was followed a few days later by defeat at Manchester United and the end of their title ambitions.
"Yes, I'll watch the matches," said the Arsenal manager. "It will be extremely painful because it's our biggest disappointment since I have been here. We should be through despite all that happened. And we have never moved out of a Champions League stage having produced two outstanding games like we did.
"If you are played off the park and the team is better than you, then you accept it but when you produce the two performances we produced and lose the games, it is much more difficult to take. I feel we had the potential to win the Champions League and the title this year."
Certainly it was a disappointing end to Arsenal's ambitions but was it really worse than losing the 2006 Champions League Final in last 14 minutes?
"Yes," protested Wenger, "because against Barca we played with 10 men for 70 minutes. It was the first time we were in the Final and it can happen that you lose a Final like that. But to go out to Liverpool in the two games we played was very, very disappointing."
The Togolese striker had just scored for Arsenal to level the scores at 2-2 on the night, 3-3 on aggregate, with only seven minutes remaining at Anfield.
"That penalty for Liverpool, to be honest, for me it was like I was watching a video or a game on a PlayStation," he said. "Why? Because I just couldn't believe it."
"We were trying to do something, to equalise and it was not easy and then six minutes from the end of the game we did it, we came back to 2-2. As a player you think, 'We came back to 2-2, we had a good chance and we lost'. You must know what I mean. We were in the Champions League semi-final and you can imagine how excited we must have been.
“If I remember, [Fernando] Torres passed the ball to somebody – maybe [Dirk] Kuyt? – and when they passed the ball to Babel I was praying and watching. Then I saw the penalty had been given and I was like 'oooofff'."
"To be five minutes. Away. From a semi-final. We didn't take that chance and to be honest that is very difficult to accept. At 2-1 you can understand [if you lose] but when you get it back to 2-2 and you are going through and all you need is to hang on for six minutes – I think that is even more painful."
The Gunners looked in prime position to secure the Premiership going into February, sporting a six-point lead at one stage. But a series of disappointing results has derailed their campaign to bring the Premier League crown back to North London, and Adebayor has pointed the finger squarely at their failure to beat supposedly beatable teams such as Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Wigan.
"You can feel that those are the games that, no matter what happens, you have to win," he said. "When you see Birmingham or Aston Villa you see the team and inside you think, 'We can win 1-0, minimum'. You know what I mean? We had the penalty against Birmingham [which allowed James McFadden to equalise in the last minute], then there was Wigan. But at the end of the day those are the most difficult games you can play in England.
"You play against Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, it's a different game, they are all big stars and they want to play football. Playing against them, most of the time it is easier playing against Manchester than Wigan because [against United] everyone is in position; they know what to do when they get the ball. When I get the ball [against United] I have a chance to get one against one because they play attacking football as well. You match up and you have a lot of chances to score. It can be 2-2, 4-2.
"When you play against Wigan or Everton, I'm sorry, I respect them a lot but the first thing is they work hard defensively and then offensively it is like, 'We will see what we can do'. It is always complicated, it is always difficult.
“These are the games that are going to be most difficult as a player. To be a champion, no matter what happens, you have to win against Middlesbrough and Wigan and Everton. They are the teams that you have to beat. It's no good if you beat Manchester, Liverpool, Chelsea if you've have lost against Middlesbrough and Villa.
“In our heads we think games like Wigan are going to be easy and when we step on the pitch it is not as easy as we think. It means that in our heads we are not ready."
Arsène Wenger has backed Philippe Senderos after the centre back was criticised for his performance against Liverpool in midweek.
The Swiss defender was marking both Sami Hyypia and Fernando Torres when they scored at Anfield in the Champions League Quarter-Final second leg and his manager accepts he had a "bad game". However, at the same time, Wenger has faith in the 23-year-old and argues it is wrong to pin the blame for any defeat on one individual.
“He is good enough," said Wenger. "He had a bad game but he played well against Milan earlier on. Also we lost four goals at Liverpool last year with Kolo Toure and William Gallas in defence. We win and lose as a team.
"And anyway despite all that we could have won the game at Anfield. We are an intelligent team and that’s what we want to take out of the game."
Mathieu Flamini’s exit during the Champions League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal was the turning point of the game, according to Javier Mascherano.
"When Flamini got injured, maybe the game changed a bit because he was playing really well," the Argentinian told the club’s official website. "But we knew Arsenal are a good team and very dangerous.
"You could see from their second goal how dangerous they are on the counter-attack. But luckily for us we managed to go down the other end and get a goal with our next attack.
"We are very happy getting to the semi-final, and we need to enjoy this moment. We know reaching the last four in the Champions League is a difficult thing to do, so we are happy. We've had two very difficult matches against Arsenal.
"In the first 20 minutes we didn't play well, we played badly, but the game changed on Sami Hyypia's goal, it was good for us.
"I don't know if it was our best match for us in this season's Champions League, but we did well after the first half hour."
Watching them crash out of the UEFA Champions League against Liverpool on Tuesday night, the combative defender asserts that the method of his former club's exit was particularly cruel.
'I think it's going to be very difficult for the fans to get over because of the penalty decision,' he says. 'If you look at the one that wasn't given at the Emirates, and the one last night - it's a soft penalty. I think if Arsenal had got their penalty in the first leg, then it wouldn't be an issue.
'As a neutral though, the game was a real spectacle, a great advert for the Premier League. It had everything. Both legs were highly competitive with great skill and entertainment and it was a quality game.'
'If you're an Arsenal supporter you'll be disappointed and worried that it looks like another season without a trophy,' he says.
'Defensively frailty cost them in both legs. Lack of concentration was key and, to concede a goal a minute after scoring the equaliser, it's just not possible to recover from that at this level.
'Everyone always talks about the beautiful football that the team play, but you are always judged on what you win. This team needs to win a trophy and they might have to change the squad around in the summer to do so. They've picked up a number of important injuries this season and they just haven't got as big a squad as Manchester United or Chelsea in terms of international players.
'Defensively they haven't looked as solid as they did at the start of the season and there are one or two calls to bring in more experienced internationals - although that's not really Arsene's philosophy. He hasn't really done it throughout his career so it may be that he continues to try and blood young players instead.'
Part of a famous English back five which included David Seaman, Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, Winterburn admits that things have changed at the club since Wenger's arrival, but that the boss should be trusted in the transfer window.
'You have to try and respect what Arsene is doing at the club,' he asserts. 'He gets infuriated with the price tags of young English players and I remember him telling me you could go and spend £4-5million on an international foreign player with maybe 20-30 caps or £7million on an English Championship player who has never played in the top flight.
'Those figures just don't add up for him. He'd love a Gerrard or a Rooney, but I don't think he'll change his views on the valuation of English players. One thing English youngsters have to work on is their technical skills, as there is no doubt that youngsters abroad are much further ahead in their technical abilities.'
'It's been a couple of years since the last trophy and next season they really have to push on. When you're not winning anything, the club and the supporters get worried and people always want success at a club like Arsenal. The manager has done a fantastic job with the type of football the team plays, but the problem is that the team have to win their next trophy and do it as quickly as possible.'
Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has hit out his team-mates for failing to see off Liverpool in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final. The Gunners looked to be on the verge of the semi-finals on away goals courtesy of Emmanuel Adebayor's equaliser to make it 2-2 six minutes from time. Clichy was left fuming by the decisive penalty after Kolo Toure was adjudged to have upended Babel in the box. The French defender was furious his side could not hold on to their overall lead after Adebayor had given them the advantage. "We did well to score the first goal and to come back and get the game to 2-2. And at that point we were through. But what happened after that was really disappointing," Clichy told the London Evening Standard. "To concede a goal like this, whether it is a penalty or not a penalty, may be disappointing but it is not unlucky. "It is unreal to have had a chance like this, to score the equaliser and get to 2-2 and then to concede a goal only a few seconds after kick off. "I can't find the words for it. It is just ridiculous."
Emmanuel Adebayor admits that he has already turned his focus to Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester United. The Arsenal striker was part of the Gunners side which crashed out of the UEFA Champions League against Liverpool on Tuesday night. European glory had appeared to represent Arsenal's best opportunity of picking up some silverware this season, but victory at Old Trafford this weekend could keep their push for domestic success on track. "Of course we can still win the league," the Togo international said on Uefa's official website. "Sunday is our season now, it determines whether we still have something to play for or whether we can go on holiday. "If we win in Manchester we can still hope to win the league so we have to get our focus back, stay strong and make sure we do that. "Right now we're all disappointed but we will be back in the Champions League next season and the boss knows the answers. He knows what to do and what's needed to win it." Adebayor was understandably downbeat after slipping out of the competition in such a frustrating manner, but is determined to help the club bounce back as soon as possible. "Of course we're all disappointed but it's happened now and we have to respond," he said. "We were in a position to get through twice and that's the worst thing. We had chances to win and we didn't take them. "Perhaps we weren't sure how to take our opportunities but that's football and we have to accept it." Much of the post-match reaction to the quarter-final contest on Merseyside has focused around the contentious penalty awarded to Liverpool in the dying minutes of the game following Kolo Toure's challenge on Ryan Babel. Adebayor admits that the decision left him baffled, and is adamant that the Gunners were dealt a raw deal by the match officials throughout their recent trilogy of matches against the Reds. "There's a lot of things I don't understand in football and I couldn't say if it was a penalty or not tonight," he said. "We had the chance of a penalty in both the last two games against Liverpool and the referee didn't see it like that, but tonight he gave them a penalty. "That happens in football and we have to be big enough to take it."
Kolo Toure described Liverpool's late penalty at Anfield on Tuesday night as "really hard to accept".
Arsenal had just scored to put themselves in line to qualify for the Champions League Semi-Final when, in the 85th minute, substitute Ryan Babel burst into the area in front of the Kop with Toure and Cesc Fabregas in pursuit.
The Dutchman tumbled and referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot. It was a debatable decision and one which Toure reflected on when he spoke afterwards.
"It was a really tight game and we were playing well," he said. "We came back into it and then Liverpool got a penalty which was really hard to accept.
"The referee gave the foul against me, but I just moved away from him and I think Cesc caught his hand maybe, which was outside the area anyway. But that is the game and the referee has given the penalty. What can you do?
"We are all really disappointed. We just need to think about the Premier League now and see how far we can go in that."
Gilberto expects he will not watch the Champions League Semi-Finals because it will be "too painful".
The Brazilian came on just before half-time in the Quarter-Final second leg at Anfield on Tuesday night and thought his side had sealed a famous victory in the tie when Emmanuel Adebayor struck with six minutes to go. However Steven Gerrard's contentious penalty put Liverpool back in front almost immediately and an injury-time effort from Ryan Babel ensured Rafa Benitez' side would progress.
As ever, the experienced 31-year-old took the frustration on the chin.
"Everyone is very disappointed with the result especially because of the way we played," he said. "We were unlucky. The big decisions went against us this time.
"We did very well to equalise, it is very hard especially when you play away from home and are behind. To score is not that easy but maybe we missed our concentration in the final minutes.
"I don't know if I will be watching the Semi-Final games now. It will be very painful.
"Sometimes you learn more in defeat than you do when you win but, of course, no one at this Club enjoys it when you lose the game, especially an opportunity to get into a Champions League Semi-Final. We will learn from the result but I would prefer to learn when we achieve good things."
There is still an outside chance of that in the Premier League but, even Arsène Wenger accepts his third-place side must win at leaders Manchester United on Sunday for that to happen.
"It is a very big game," said Gilberto. "Anything can happen, you never know. The important thing is to start to think about the next game now and try to forget what happened in this game with Liverpool.
"It is important to win the next five games," he concluded. "If we do that, then why not?"
Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal
Arsenal
Diaby 13' view / download
Adebayor 84' View / Downlaod
Liverpool
Hyypia 30' view/download
Torres 69' View / Downlaod
Gerrad 86' Penalty View / Downlaod
Babel 92' View / Downlaod
Full Match
First half or here (Torrents)
Second half (Torrents)
Highlights
Long highlights of both the legs here
Post Match here
ITV Highlights
Part1
Part2
Extras
Amazing play for arsenal but the goal keeper save it
Diaby misses a great chance
Amazing chance missed by adebayor
First 30 minutes we bossed the play. Arsenal went ahead through a much deserved goal from diaby. It was a splendid shot from the a player who is not a regular goal scorer. Then Alminia gave away a throw-in near our penalty box. From the resulting corner, we conceeded the goal.It all came back to square one.Flamini's injury is a real concern now.
In the second half, nothing interesting to write home about,at least till Liverpool scored.Reina pumped the ball upfield, crouch got a touch, and then boom torres scores out of the blue. It was a nice finish.
We dint give up, held our heads high and pushed forward in search of the all important 2nd away goal. We did get our goal through an amazing run by Theo.
Theo went past 4 Liverpool players, beating them for pace and then squared a ball to adebayor to score, which he did.
Arsenal fans emotions couldn't be controlled at that moment of time. It was unbelievable. We had one step in the semis.
Then disaster struck. Liverpool were given a dubious penalty for, which looked like a coming together from toure on babel.Surely it wasn't a penalty by any stretch of imagination. Arsenal fans who were over the moon,after adebayor scored the goal, were brought down to earth from a very controversial penalty decision from the ref. Gerrard stepped in, and converted the penalty.
In the dying minutes, we still pushed for equiliser and pushed all over defenders forward.The ball borke and fell to babel.He started a counter attack on his own, liverpool scored and made the tie safe. It was rubbing salt on the wound.
I think Arsenal played really well to take the lead, then come back from 2-1 down to make it 2-2.
We lost the tie because of the elements, which were not in our hands, went against us and favored Liverpool. This is a devastating blow to the young Arsenal players, after fighting so hard to reach the quarter finals, beating the mighty Milan on the way,then getting undone by the referee is too hard to take.
But we need to pick ourselves up quickly as we have a very important match next weekend, against Man U, which can put our title aspirations back on track.
Let us be proud for the mental character shown by the very young Arsenal team tonight, which is a very good sign for the future.
Match report here
Player ratings here
Wengers post match comments here
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has claimed that the "whole of England" wants Liverpool to win tonight's Champions League quarter-final at Anfield
"I detect something very significant and curious going on at the moment because every time Arsenal lose there are many, many people who are delighted," he said.
"I must say it's really strange. It's as if they specifically don't want good football to triumph. But we won't change. In the first leg it never even occurred to any of us to revert to the long ball game in an attempt to win.
"Football has become ever more about power and physicality but I think our philosophy is the one which makes our sport a real spectacle."
But the 20-year-old, however, insisted he was not implying a criticism of the opposition at Anfield tonight. "I don't mean that I've got a lack of respect for Liverpool, however. They defend well and that's fundamental in the Champions League.
"They've put themselves in a good position to go through but if we can carry the form of the second half from last week into this match then we'll have chances to win."
GOAL: Let us start with your thoughts about your team's performance during the first leg? What emotions did it evoke?
Alex Davenport (Liverpool): I personally get very nervous during these big games and find it hard to enjoy it as such. If someone had offered me a 1-1 draw before hand I would have taken it, as the away goal so often proves vital and European nights at Anfield always bring out the best in us.
I thought we matched Arsenal for most of the game but had to withstand the pressure in the second half. Kuyt ran himself ragged as usual and Stevie Gerrard produced a moment of pure quality to create the equaliser. At the end of the game I was in positive mood and pleased with the result.
Jamie Fletcher (Arsenal): My emotions ran the gamut from expectation to elation (when Adebayor scored) to deflation (three minutes later, when Liverpool equalised) to indignation (when we were denied a cast-iron penalty) to frustration (when Bendtner inadvertently blocked Fabregas's goal-bound if not exactly powerful effort) to resignation that it would end in a draw and finally a little trepidation about the prospects for the second-leg.
Jose Reina insists he is hoping he is not called upon to become Liverpool’s penalty hero in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter final clash with Arsenal.
Reina was hoisted on his team-mates' shoulders after Liverpool’s last all-English European showdown, having saved two of Chelsea’s three penalties to send The Reds to the final.
“The important thing in football is to make goals and to win,” said the Spain number two.
"Torres or Gerrard can be the heroes, but I do not want to arrive at a situation like before against West Ham or Chelsea last year.
“I’m not always going to stop three penalties. I do not to think about it ".
As both teams prepare for the Champions League quarter final showdown at Anfield, every Liverpool and Arsenal supporter will have their own version of what will happen.
European knockout ties at Anfield seem to invariably end up with Liverpool going through. However, after the magical scenes in the San Siro, Arsenal will be confident of causing a minor upset.
So instead of making a prediction (their last three encounters have ended 1-1), let us have a look at what we know and which stats both sets of supporters will be looking to for positive signs.
We’ll kick off with the hosts:
- In 30 games at Anfield in the Champions League, the visiting team have scored more than one goal only three times – the last team were Galatasaray back in September 2006
- 21 of Fernando Torres’ 28 goals this season have come at Anfield.
- Arsenal have failed to score in four of their last seven Champions League away games.
- Dirk Kuyt has scored three goals in his last four cup games for Liverpool (Champions League & FA Cup)
- The only team to score more than one goal in the first half this season against Liverpool are Havant & Waterlooville in the fourth round of the FA Cup back in January
- Peter Crouch has scored five goals in five league starts against The Gunners.
However, Arsenal’s stats indicate Liverpool will have reasons to be worried:
- Arsenal have never failed to score against Liverpool in their last eight encounters in all competitions
- In 52 games this season, Arsenal have only failed to score five times, including twice in the Champions League (at Slavia Prague and at Emirates v Milan)
- Arsenal have kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 away games in the Champions League
- The Gunners have scored six of their last seven goals from set-pieces while Liverpool have conceded seven of the last 10 goals from dead-ball situations
- Arsenal won at Anfield in both domestic cup competitions last season, scoring nine goals in the process.
The man in black is Peter Fröjdfeldt and Arsene Wenger will be pleased. The Swedish referee has overseen three Arsenal games in the Champions League in the last three seasons.
The verdict? Three wins, including the 2-0 defeat of Juventus at the quarter final stage back in the 2005/06 season when The Gunners made it to the final.
He also sent off three non-Arsenal players in the process – Juventus’ Jonathan Zebina and Mauro Camoranesi and Hamburg’s Sascha Kirchstein in Arsenal’s 2-1 win there last season.
Now let battle commence.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes the momentum is with his team as they go into their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal at Anfield tonight.
The two teams meet for the third time in seven days this evening, having shared 1-1 draws in European competition last week and in the Premier League on Saturday.
However, Liverpool tonight have the advantage courtesy of Dirk Kuyt's away goal at the Emirates last Wednesday and a clean sheet would be enough to see them advance into the semi-finals.
But with Arsenal having only failed to score in four of their last 26 away games this season, Benitez has said will not be aiming for a goalless draw.
Benitez said: "Arsenal know we are on a good run now, we are playing well. But clearly you can see the mood between the players, the mood and the atmosphere and the confidence. It's a good moment.
"But also I have told them be careful, Arsenal are a good team and usually score away goals so when people have been talking about us being favourites, I don't think that is the case.
"We need to win. I'm not thinking '0-0, fantastic'. At the end, I might say 'fantastic', but we need to score and win.
"The only advantage we have is that we are playing at Anfield with our supporters. We have confidence we can win. You could feel the atmosphere against Chelsea in the semi-final last season, and I expect that to be the same this time. Our fans can also hold the key.
"It is easy to say that you do not have any problems with big crowds in away games of this importance. But when you have to face our fans for 90 minutes, then it is not easy for the majority of players.
"Arsenal have been here before. But the difference is the Champions League, it's knock-out now and that is the difference."
Andy Gray'c Comments on tonights match. The Arsenal-Liverpool Champions League quarter-final first leg was a good advertisement for English football although it was quite different from a Premier League encounter: it was a proper game of football, but played in very much a European style. Rafa Benitez was his usual cautious self, there was very little offensively from Liverpool. After Dirk Kuyt had cancelled out Emmanuel Adebayor's opening goal it was a case of getting men behind the ball and the defence asked Arsenal if they were good enough to break them down, which they couldn't, but Liverpool rode their luck. That has been a feature of Benitez in the Champions League, as luck has hauled them along the way and he has needed that luck. Kuyt pulled down Alexander Hleb which is a penalty every day of the week and how many times would Nicklas Bendtner stop a team-mate's shot on the line? It was incredible! They had two huge pieces of good fortune on the night and going into the second leg they have a slight advantage, with Kuyt's away goal. But I don't think Liverpool will make the mistake of thinking the job is done as Arsenal will be motivated enough - and good enough - to score at Anfield as they know they have to. This match reminds me of the title decider at Anfield in 1989 when Liverpool knew they could afford to lose by one goal and still win the league, and George Graham's Arsenal knew they had to win by two clear goals to take the title. I just wonder if Arsene will remind his players that Arsenal have been to Anfield in a game that they had to win and did so. This will be tough to call as Liverpool hold the advantage, but Benitez will find it difficult because he is a naturally cautious manager. And with an away goal, knowing that Arsenal have to score, he will set his side out similar to the way he did at the Emirates. The problem is, he will have 40,000 Liverpool fans willing the team on and demanding a performance of tempo and positivity, plus he will be worried about getting picked off at the back. So Rafa will have a tactical dilemma as this is far from over.
Often when you know that you have to go for it, you can go into a game in a better frame of mind.
Anfield '89
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