Steve Gerrard scored the penalty which broke Arsenal’s hearts in a Champions League thriller at Anfield.
The Gunners, trailing 2-1 after a second-half strike from Fernando Torres, thought they had snatched a semi-final place when they equalised.
Theo Walcott ran past four defenders in a scintillating burst from his own area before squaring the ball for Emmanuel Adebayor to make it 2-2 after 84 minutes.
But a minute later Kolo Toure was ruled to have brought down Ryan Babel and skipper Gerrard confidently planted home the penalty to book a semi-final with Chelsea.
Babel then finished off Arsenal as they chased an equaliser when he broke clear with Cesc Fabregas trailing in his wake to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.
Abou Diaby and Sami Hyypia had kept the game on a knife-edge with goals in the first half as Liverpool and Arsenal slugged out this European battle of the Premier League.
But after 69 minutes Torres broke the deadlock with a right-foot strike after turning Philippe Senderos. That was just the start of a gripping finale.
Arsene Wenger had talked about this being Arsenal’s ‘moment of truth’.
The Gunners manager faced the biggest challenge of his career with this third of three games against Liverpool, followed by a Premier League match against Manchester United on Sunday.
But after two 1-1 draws in a row against Liverpool, he had gone into this game knowing the Gunners’ season was on the verge of collapse.
Wenger’s response was to claim boldly that his team were still on course for an incredible League and European Cup double, despite the fact they had only won two out of their last 11 games.
Injury has recently hit the Arsenal team with Eduardo and Tomasz Rosicky ruled out for the season.
Robin van Persie was only on the bench after failing to recover fully from his thigh injury.
It meant Alexander Hleb started just behind Adebayor, who scored the opening goal in the first leg last week.
Wenger decided to keep Toure at right-back with Senderos alongside William Gallas.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was adamant before kick-off that Arsenal were going to score.
It is the only thing that can explain why he took the bold decision to hand Peter Crouch his first start in the Champions League since November when Liverpool beat Besiktas 8-0.
Crouch played well against Arsenal at the weekend in the League game and Benitez obviously wanted him to repeat his performance last night alongside Torres.
It was only the fifth time this season that the pair had started together.
Given that Crouch talked after the game at the weekend about having to quit the club for more regular football, last night’s team selection was ironic.
Mind you, Gerrard would not have been happy. In his programme notes he talked about the team needing to get more out of whoever was on the left.
He would never have imagined that was where he would be starting the biggest game of Liverpool’s season.
For the past two months he has been operating just behind Torres, creating a partnership which has led to Liverpool running riot.
Benitez’s assumption that Arsenal were going to score seemed negative given that in two semi-finals against Chelsea at Anfield his side had not conceded a goal. But he was spot on as his side fell behind in the 13th minute.
The Gunners came flying out of the traps, perhaps spurred on by the wonderful Anfield atmosphere.
Wenger’s team swarmed all over Liverpool and it paid off immediately.
Adebayor stormed down the left and angled a ball back for Fabregas. Before he could take aim, the ball was poked away by fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso.
It only came out to Mathieu Flamini, who chested it down and played on despite the Kop screaming handball.
Liverpool seemed to lose their concentration for a split second as the ball came out to Diaby on the right and he smashed his shot past Pepe Reina at the near post.
It was a great strike but the ball went in off Reina and there was no way Liverpool’s keeper should have been beaten so easily.
Arsenal had control and could have grabbed a second if Reina had not finally come to his senses Diaby crossed from the left for Adebayor and as the Togo ace looked ready to pounce, the keeper managed to punch the ball away.
Liverpool were struggling to get into the game with their altered set-up. Fabio Aurelio saw Liverpool’s first shot fly over the bar in the 24th minute but from the Reds’ next attack the full-back forced a corner.
Alonso swung the ball in and Hyypia rose to arc his header into the top right-hand corner of Almunia’s goal.
Senderos was at fault as he lost the veteran defender at the flag-kick and Fabregas, on the line, could not prevent the ball going in.
It was dreadful defending by the Swiss centre-half, but it was exactly what Liverpool needed as they were being passed to death in midfield.
Hyypia has now scored in three separate European Cup quarter-finals, having got on the scoresheet against Juventus and PSV Eindhoven. It was also a perfect way to celebrate signing a new one-year contract.
Wenger’s side suffered another blow as Flamini turned an ankle in a challenge with Gerrard and had to be carried off with three minutes of the first half left, to be replaced by Gilberto.
The Gunners, trailing 2-1 after a second-half strike from Fernando Torres, thought they had snatched a semi-final place when they equalised.
Theo Walcott ran past four defenders in a scintillating burst from his own area before squaring the ball for Emmanuel Adebayor to make it 2-2 after 84 minutes.
But a minute later Kolo Toure was ruled to have brought down Ryan Babel and skipper Gerrard confidently planted home the penalty to book a semi-final with Chelsea.
Babel then finished off Arsenal as they chased an equaliser when he broke clear with Cesc Fabregas trailing in his wake to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.
Abou Diaby and Sami Hyypia had kept the game on a knife-edge with goals in the first half as Liverpool and Arsenal slugged out this European battle of the Premier League.
But after 69 minutes Torres broke the deadlock with a right-foot strike after turning Philippe Senderos. That was just the start of a gripping finale.
Arsene Wenger had talked about this being Arsenal’s ‘moment of truth’.
The Gunners manager faced the biggest challenge of his career with this third of three games against Liverpool, followed by a Premier League match against Manchester United on Sunday.
But after two 1-1 draws in a row against Liverpool, he had gone into this game knowing the Gunners’ season was on the verge of collapse.
Wenger’s response was to claim boldly that his team were still on course for an incredible League and European Cup double, despite the fact they had only won two out of their last 11 games.
Injury has recently hit the Arsenal team with Eduardo and Tomasz Rosicky ruled out for the season.
Robin van Persie was only on the bench after failing to recover fully from his thigh injury.
It meant Alexander Hleb started just behind Adebayor, who scored the opening goal in the first leg last week.
Wenger decided to keep Toure at right-back with Senderos alongside William Gallas.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was adamant before kick-off that Arsenal were going to score.
It is the only thing that can explain why he took the bold decision to hand Peter Crouch his first start in the Champions League since November when Liverpool beat Besiktas 8-0.
Crouch played well against Arsenal at the weekend in the League game and Benitez obviously wanted him to repeat his performance last night alongside Torres.
It was only the fifth time this season that the pair had started together.
Given that Crouch talked after the game at the weekend about having to quit the club for more regular football, last night’s team selection was ironic.
Mind you, Gerrard would not have been happy. In his programme notes he talked about the team needing to get more out of whoever was on the left.
He would never have imagined that was where he would be starting the biggest game of Liverpool’s season.
For the past two months he has been operating just behind Torres, creating a partnership which has led to Liverpool running riot.
Benitez’s assumption that Arsenal were going to score seemed negative given that in two semi-finals against Chelsea at Anfield his side had not conceded a goal. But he was spot on as his side fell behind in the 13th minute.
The Gunners came flying out of the traps, perhaps spurred on by the wonderful Anfield atmosphere.
Wenger’s team swarmed all over Liverpool and it paid off immediately.
Adebayor stormed down the left and angled a ball back for Fabregas. Before he could take aim, the ball was poked away by fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso.
It only came out to Mathieu Flamini, who chested it down and played on despite the Kop screaming handball.
Liverpool seemed to lose their concentration for a split second as the ball came out to Diaby on the right and he smashed his shot past Pepe Reina at the near post.
It was a great strike but the ball went in off Reina and there was no way Liverpool’s keeper should have been beaten so easily.
Arsenal had control and could have grabbed a second if Reina had not finally come to his senses Diaby crossed from the left for Adebayor and as the Togo ace looked ready to pounce, the keeper managed to punch the ball away.
Liverpool were struggling to get into the game with their altered set-up. Fabio Aurelio saw Liverpool’s first shot fly over the bar in the 24th minute but from the Reds’ next attack the full-back forced a corner.
Alonso swung the ball in and Hyypia rose to arc his header into the top right-hand corner of Almunia’s goal.
Senderos was at fault as he lost the veteran defender at the flag-kick and Fabregas, on the line, could not prevent the ball going in.
It was dreadful defending by the Swiss centre-half, but it was exactly what Liverpool needed as they were being passed to death in midfield.
Hyypia has now scored in three separate European Cup quarter-finals, having got on the scoresheet against Juventus and PSV Eindhoven. It was also a perfect way to celebrate signing a new one-year contract.
Wenger’s side suffered another blow as Flamini turned an ankle in a challenge with Gerrard and had to be carried off with three minutes of the first half left, to be replaced by Gilberto.
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