Another chapter in Anfield's rich European history owed much to another hand expertly played in the Champions League by Rafael Benítez. Arsenal will rue the lapse in concentration that squandered this tie for as long as it takes to lift their first European Cup or the time it takes the Liverpool manager to display a weakness that compares. The former would appear the shorter wait.
On a night when even a brilliant execution from Fernando Torres was relegated to the margins by the dramatic shift in fortunes at Anfield, it was the Liverpool manager's cold, considered use of his occasional forwards which tipped the balance towards a third semi-final appearance in four seasons.
Abandoning the formation that had revived Liverpool's season to accommodate Peter Crouch, he later abandoned the England centre-forward's tireless effort in favour of the pace of Ryan Babel. The selections and the timing of the change worked to perfection for Liverpool. Here was an unexpectedly bold starting line-up and at no point in a fluctuating tie did Benítez try to protect a slender advantage.
"We knew Crouch had scored a hat-trick against Arsenal here last season and he was really good against them the other day," he said. "He scored against them again and was always a threat. We tried to use that threat and profit from his ability in the air, the pace of Torres and the movement of Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt."
There was genuine shock at Crouch's inclusion inside the stadium when the teams were announced, and nowhere greater than in the Liverpool dressing room and inside the squad's No15 shirt. "It's pretty clear I probably won't start," said the 27-year-old after Saturday's man-of-the-match performance at the Emirates Stadium, his latest impressive display against a defence punctured five times by him in five previous starts. Though he agreed Torres had to be the choice to lead the line in Benítez's 4-2-3-1 formation, the surprise at finally earning reward from the manager must have been profound.
If there was unease at Benítez's selection before kick-off it centred on changing the system that repaired the club's campaign after the Cup defeat by Barnsley, Crouch's last start before the weekend, rather than the inclusion of the centre-forward whose frustration at starting only 18 times before last night announced itself at the weekend. "I would love to stay; it is a fantastic club and I love everything about it, but I have to be realistic," Crouch said on Saturday. "If I want to have aspirations of playing for England or furthering my career, I have to be playing and that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment."
Perhaps last night's return to the fold will influence that outlook but career decisions can wait. Crouch offered a remedy to the failings Benítez had identified in his team's first-leg display, with the Spaniard bemoaning the cheap possession given away in attack, goals conceded at set pieces and the relative comfort of William Gallas and Philippe Senderos in defence. They were never afforded that luxury here, Crouch unsettling Senderos instantly from José Reina's clearance and, though often moving into Torres's territorial domain, fashioning Liverpool's only chances until Sami Hyypia's header turned the momentum back in their favour.
Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres all nearly capitalised on Crouch's distribution before Benítez paid the £7m man his finest compliment by reverting to 4-2-3-1 and asking the Englishman, and not the Spaniard, to lead the line. A flick that gave Torres the chance for his outstanding strike returned the favour and, though his disappointment at being replaced was palpable, a standing ovation soothed it, along with the impact of his replacement.
"We needed pace and the ability to run at defenders in the final minutes because I could see that Torres was tiring," said Benítez. Again his decision was to be vindicated. Babel has shown flashes of excellence laced with erratic decision-making and distribution but he made that criticism redundant here, winning the penalty and scoring the fourth that sent Benítez onwards again.
On a night when even a brilliant execution from Fernando Torres was relegated to the margins by the dramatic shift in fortunes at Anfield, it was the Liverpool manager's cold, considered use of his occasional forwards which tipped the balance towards a third semi-final appearance in four seasons.
Abandoning the formation that had revived Liverpool's season to accommodate Peter Crouch, he later abandoned the England centre-forward's tireless effort in favour of the pace of Ryan Babel. The selections and the timing of the change worked to perfection for Liverpool. Here was an unexpectedly bold starting line-up and at no point in a fluctuating tie did Benítez try to protect a slender advantage.
"We knew Crouch had scored a hat-trick against Arsenal here last season and he was really good against them the other day," he said. "He scored against them again and was always a threat. We tried to use that threat and profit from his ability in the air, the pace of Torres and the movement of Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt."
There was genuine shock at Crouch's inclusion inside the stadium when the teams were announced, and nowhere greater than in the Liverpool dressing room and inside the squad's No15 shirt. "It's pretty clear I probably won't start," said the 27-year-old after Saturday's man-of-the-match performance at the Emirates Stadium, his latest impressive display against a defence punctured five times by him in five previous starts. Though he agreed Torres had to be the choice to lead the line in Benítez's 4-2-3-1 formation, the surprise at finally earning reward from the manager must have been profound.
If there was unease at Benítez's selection before kick-off it centred on changing the system that repaired the club's campaign after the Cup defeat by Barnsley, Crouch's last start before the weekend, rather than the inclusion of the centre-forward whose frustration at starting only 18 times before last night announced itself at the weekend. "I would love to stay; it is a fantastic club and I love everything about it, but I have to be realistic," Crouch said on Saturday. "If I want to have aspirations of playing for England or furthering my career, I have to be playing and that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment."
Perhaps last night's return to the fold will influence that outlook but career decisions can wait. Crouch offered a remedy to the failings Benítez had identified in his team's first-leg display, with the Spaniard bemoaning the cheap possession given away in attack, goals conceded at set pieces and the relative comfort of William Gallas and Philippe Senderos in defence. They were never afforded that luxury here, Crouch unsettling Senderos instantly from José Reina's clearance and, though often moving into Torres's territorial domain, fashioning Liverpool's only chances until Sami Hyypia's header turned the momentum back in their favour.
Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres all nearly capitalised on Crouch's distribution before Benítez paid the £7m man his finest compliment by reverting to 4-2-3-1 and asking the Englishman, and not the Spaniard, to lead the line. A flick that gave Torres the chance for his outstanding strike returned the favour and, though his disappointment at being replaced was palpable, a standing ovation soothed it, along with the impact of his replacement.
"We needed pace and the ability to run at defenders in the final minutes because I could see that Torres was tiring," said Benítez. Again his decision was to be vindicated. Babel has shown flashes of excellence laced with erratic decision-making and distribution but he made that criticism redundant here, winning the penalty and scoring the fourth that sent Benítez onwards again.
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