Liverpool 4(5) – 2(3) Arsenal – 08/04/08 – (Champions League) 9 April, 2008

Well it’s all over then. After beating Milan many Gooners including myself were dreaming of the Moscow final but we’ve been knocked out by a bit of bad luck, a bit of concentration loss, a couple of referees and a great Fernando Torres.

We started with Hleb just behind Adebayor and then Diaby and Eboue on the wings. Walcott and van Persie started on the bench but were due to make an appearance later on. We started really well, in fact it was one of the best displays I had seen, credit to Wenger he did something this week to inspire the players and they were producing.

It was fantastic football, one-touch, accurate, quick-paced and skilful. Liverpool were completely out of the game and it looked like we were going to work an early goal.

And we did, Diaby got the first after 13 minutes. It was an incredible attack, the ball was cleared a couple of times but we just pressured and pressured like we’d been doing all game and the goal came. First Fabregas had it on the right, then he picked out Diaby on the left and he played it into Ade who chipped it into the box. The cross was cleared but Flamini got there first and played it into Diaby. He played a one-two with Hleb and smashed it inside the near post from close range.

A very skilfully worked goal, so much so none of the above will probably make any sense but we’d scored that vital goal. There was still so much time left to go though, anything could happen.

We carried on our football, we were playing like Gods, it was so good to watch and it looked like we were going to extend our lead. Confidence was high and everything we tried seemed to be going our way.

However, on the half hour mark Liverpool equalised. We gave away a needless corner and Gerrard stepped up to take it from the right. He swung it into the penalty spot where Senderos was marking Hyypia. The lanky Finn lost his marker with a simple little dummy and had a clear header, which he directed perfectly into the top right corner. It really was a perfect corner. You can’t say the home side deserved to score but from the set piece we’re always at threat.

That goal knocked our confidence a bit. We were finding it hard to get back into the flow of our game and that amazing football we were playing earlier. Liverpool were capitalising on this and were enjoying a little spell of possession.

So it looked like it was going into half time 1-1 when we suffered a massive blow. Flamini was caught on the back of the heel by Gerrard and went down. I though, na he’ll be up in a minute he’ll be fine, he’s a warrior. Then the stretcher came out…Flamini could play no further part in this game and Gilberto Silva came on to replace him just before the break.

Liverpool ended the first half on top and continued the pressure when the second half commenced. We weren’t looking comfortable at all whereas Liverpool were loving it.

We were just sort of getting back into it when Liverpool added a second goal in the 69th minute. Torres had the ball on the edge of the box with his back to goal, he made the turn but kept his head down and shot. It powered into the far top corner giving Almunia no chance. It was an incredible goal from an incredible player. That goal took some talent and he’s got it. I have to hand it to him, there no way you can defend a player like that. I wish we’d spend a bit of money on someone decent sometimes….

So we were 2-1 down now, but one goal and we’d be winning on away goals. Wenger threw on Walcott and van Persie taking off Diaby and Eboue. We had to go for it.

We nearly found the goal straight away. Hleb played a great pass through to Adebayor putting him one-on-one with the ‘keeper but he put it wide. I couldn’t believe it.

Walcott made the impact once again and with 7 minutes to go he picked his time to shine. Theo received the ball deep inside our area and broke towards the goal. He took on four or five players, skipping past tackles and challenges and made it all the way to the box. It was an incredible run and he finished it off with a perfected squared ball to Adebayor who put it inside the near post to make it 2-2. WHAT A GOAL! I was going mental! It looked like we’d done it! THEO YOU FUCKING LEGEND. But no…

Liverpool went straight down the other end of the pitch. Babel cut inside the edge of the box and Toure had to jump out of the way to avoid giving a penalty. Kolo found himself the wrong side of Babel but it looked like he somehow managed to jump out of the way but the young Dutch winger still went down and the ref pointed to the spot. WHAT?

No way was that a penalty! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, I’m sure all Arsenal fans had Hleb’s penalty appeal from the 1st led in their heads at this time and that wasn’t given. BUT THIS WAS? Absolutely crazy. This was right in front of The Kop and you have to think how influenced the referee was by the pressure that was being put on him.

There was nothing we could do about it though, and Gerrard stepped up to take Almunia looked very nervous, I just said, “Go on Manuel, make yourself a hero.” Thoughts of Lehmann vs. Villarreal came to mind. The Spaniard went the right way but Gerrard smashed it high and it was 3-2 to Liverpool. Fuck.

We had about 5 minutes to find a goal but it was desperation stuff really. We resorted to hoofing it. Five minutes was long enough to find a goal but all the pressure wasn’t letting us get the ball down and play.

We had to commit forward and that’s what cost us the 4th goal. Fabregas was the only player in our half when we won a free kick just beyond the halfway line. He booted it into the box but it was hoofed clear and Babel raced onto it. Fabregas didn’t have to power left in his legs to stop him and he went up the other end and scored. I’ve got no complaints about that goal, we had to commit, it’s just the way the game was.

I’m very disappointed about the way we got knocked out. We played so well in both legs and I firmly believe we deserved to go through to the Semis. I feel we were very hard done by with the referees; it’s just luck really, and Liverpool seem to have an incredible amount of luck in this competition.

I’ve come to terms with last night quite quickly. I wasn’t sulking at all and I’m in an alright mood today. Football’s football, these things happen. ‘There’s always next year’. It’s disappointing but why get worked up about it?

Is our season over? Well, we’ll find out on Sunday; we play Manchester United this weekend; beat them and we’re in with a shout for the tile. Lose and it’s all over, 2nd at best. Draw it and then we’ll have to carry on playing the rest of the season as best we can with the tedious inevitability that United will take the tile. So in a way, I don’t really want us to draw. I mean, if we equalise in the last minute I’m not gonna be like ‘OH FUCK’ but yeah I think you get what I’m saying.

Right, I’m off now. Thanks for reading if you managed it. Be proud Gooners, I am.