Champions League - Liverpool dump Arsenal in thriller

Eurosport - Wed, 09 Apr 00:22:00 2008

Liverpool reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Arsenal at Anfield to go through 5-3 on aggregate.

A contentious penalty decision allowed Steven Gerrard to put Liverpool on course with four minutes remaining only three after Emmanuel Adebayor's goal seemed set to send the Gunners through on away goals.

Ryan Babel made it four in injury-time on the break as Arsenal attacked. However the away side's fluid midfield had initially taken the game to Liverpool and they were rewarded on 13 minutes when Abou Diaby fired inside the near post.

The faltering home team earned a lifeline after half an hour when Sami Hyypia headed home a Gerrard corner from the penalty spot in-off the post and Fernando Torres dipped a stunning shot into the far-post top corner in the second period to put them ahead.

Substitute Theo Walcott's thrilling run from deep to the by-line and pull-back for Togo striker Adebayor could have settled the match, had Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt opted not to point to the spot when Kolo Toure chased down another sub Ryan Babel at the other end moments later.

The match was frenetic from the start, Arsenal the more likely as Adebayor strayed offside on a couple of occasions.

They had the breakthrough when Cesc Fabregas found the lanky striker. His effort from close by the post came back past the Spaniard yet Alexander Hleb was behind him to lay on Diaby, and the wide man finished clinically past Jose Reina.

Reina just got to a near-post Gael Clichy> cross as Adebayor lurked, denying Arsenal a two-goal cushion and they were pegged back when Gerrard's swinging set-piece was thumped towards goal by long-serving defender Hyypia. Fabregas lunged on the line to deflect clear with his own head, but was inches from contact with the ball.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was forced to bring on Gilberto Silva when Mathieu Flamini picked up a knock in an innocuous collision with Gerrard before the half. Anfield waited to see whether penalty kicks would be the order of the day once more in Europe after their triumph last season against Chelsea.

Crouch, again starting a rare match after his goal at The Emirates in the league at the weekend, was unfortunate when a Dennis Bergkamp-esque flick ran just past the post yet his lethal strike partner Torres put paid to expectations that at least extra-time would be required.

As the game settled into a nervous rhythm largely devoid of chances, the hit-man fed off a Crouch flick-on in the area, turned Philippe Senderos and stuck the ball into the far top corner with aplomb.

Robin van Persie and Walcott appeared as Arsenal went in search of the goal that would put them through on away goals. 10 minutes after their introduction for Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue, Walcott led a counter-attack to lodge Liverpool hearts in mouths.

Skipping past challenges from several Reds players on his way from one end of the pitch to the other, he pulled back to the waiting Adebayor - and the ball was promptly dispatched into the net to give Arsenal a sight of the semis.

However a cruel twist snatched it away from them, Babel - himself recently on as a sub for Crouch - bursting into the penalty area and bundled down under a minimal challenge from the chasing Kolo Toure.

In the first leg in London Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt had seemingly gotten away with a far more obvious tug on the shirt of Hleb, yet Wenger's men were not afforded the same leniency and paid for it with their place in the competition.

Gerrard smashed the kick into the top corner and Babel made it four in the final seconds, fighting off Fabregas shoulder to shoulder before scoring inside the near post to set Anfield dreaming of another famous European triumph.