Rafa - Rotation Paying Off

Rafa Benitez believes Liverpool are hitting their peak at the right time because he rested players earlier in the season.

Benitez has been criticised for his rotation policy but he feels it is unfair for him to be singled out.

"I have always said that when Sir Alex Ferguson rests players at Manchester United he is changing his team, yet when I do it I am rotating," he reasoned.

Liverpool have established a six-point lead over Everton in the race for fourth place in the Premier League, while they are also well placed to advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after a 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Benitez insists the secret behind his side's good form is that his key players are all still fresh.

He said: "I explained earlier in the season that if a team wants to win trophies then it is important for a manager to use all his squad. I wanted us to be alive in all the competitions.

"We can only win the Champions League now, but we have a good chance because the players have all had a rest.

"I have used the same group of players now and our form has been good.

"There is some tiredness but physically we can manage.

"When we played Arsenal in the Champions League we got the result because the players were able to work at their peak until the last minute."

Benitez is confident that Liverpool will finish the job against Arsenal at Anfield on Tuesday, but is wary of the threat posed by Arsene Wenger's men.

"I think the hard part has been done, but also we know we have a lot of respect because Arsenal are a very good team and will be dangerous on the counter-attack.

"They showed in the last round, when they drew at home against Milan and won 2-0 at the San Siro, that they can win at difficult places."

Benitez also urged the Liverpool fans to play their part, adding: "It is natural for them to want us to attack because we are at home, but we will also have to be careful because of the way Arsenal play.

"We need the fans to make it a great atmosphere but we also need them to be patient.

"I have confidence in our supporters because they understand the game."

Jose Reina Targeted As Liverpool's Weakest Link

Following the first two evenly contested encounters in their series of three meetings, both the Arsenal and Liverpool managers will be thinking about making minor adjustments to give themselves the advantage in the second leg of their Champions League tie on Tuesday night.

The first leg gave us a far better indication of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides than the starting line-ups in yesterday's Premier League match. Wenger would have been encouraged to see that Liverpool's defensive line lacked cohesion. With Jamie Carragher playing at right-back, the centre-back partnership of Martin Skrtel and Sami Hyypia (who, at 34, has just agreed a contract extension until 2009) failed to gel. Too many times the distance between them, in width or depth, became too big. Although they got away with it, they would have been punished if Arsenal's passing been more precise.

Skrtel, in particular, was dragged into midfield areas, leaving Hyypia exposed. With neither having great pace, the space between them must be kept to a minimum. Whereas Carragher and Hyypia know exactly what each other is doing, Wednesday's partnership didn't have the same communication or telepathic understanding. Yesterday's pairing of Skrtel and Carragher looked better balanced with Steve Finnan at right-back.

Wenger had obviously seen something before these games that suggested that Liverpool were vulnerable to inswinging set-plays. In the first game, he deployed three players to stand on the goal-line to stop Jose Reina coming for the ball and then got them to move out towards the six-yard box as the ball was delivered with pace. While Liverpool's zonal marking should be able to deal with this, their inability to attack the ball has resulted in Emmanuel Adebayor scoring unchallenged in the first game and Nicklas Bendtner doing likewise yesterday. Reina's refusal to come for crosses leaves Liverpool very vulnerable.

Wenger, for his part, will need to decide how to deal with Steven Gerrard's threat. In the first leg, he made little effort to defend as Arsenal built up play but jogged into space so that he could be found as soon as Liverpool regained possession. His role allowed Arsenal's midfield to control the game, but it made him dangerous on the counter-attack as it did when he was sent on yesterday. At Anfield I believe he will move into wider areas so that Mathieu Flamini will not be able to stifle him.

Rafa Benitez will be hoping that Wenger continues to play Philippe Senderos and William Gallas as his centre-halves. Although they coped well with Fernando Torres in the first leg, the Spaniard was isolated for much of the game and will be a different proposition at Anfield. Neither Senderos nor Gallas is quick and, should Gerrard get time on the ball, his understanding with Torres is such that any positional indiscretion will be exploited.

I believe the pace of Kolo Toure will be invaluable to Arsenal and should be used in the centre of defence rather than at right-back. By playing him at full-back, it suggests Wenger has little faith in two of his other players. Emmanuel Eboue was considered a full-back until this season and, with Bacary Sagna injured, he should be the natural replacement - but not in Wenger's mind. Or does he not have faith in Theo Walcott starting important games in the position that Eboue would vacate if he returned to right-back? Neither player impressed yesterday.

Regardless of the 1-1 scoreline in the Champions League tie, I believe both sides will continue to play their natural games. Arsenal will attempt to control possession with their movement and passing ability while Liverpool will remain compact and hope that the quartet of Torres, Gerrard, Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt are capable of creating chances with their pace and desire.

Kewell Free To Join Juventus

It’s reported Claudio Ranieri has zeroed in on a summer bargain for Juventus – Harry Kewell could leave Liverpool on a free transfer.

His five-year contract with the Reds expires on June 30 and there are no plans to extend.

The Australian could follow in the footsteps of Hasan Salihamidzic, who was snapped up out of contract from Bayern Munich and has become a key player.

Kewell has made only a handful of appearances at Anfield this season and is struggling to overcome a series of injuries, although he is still only 29.

Confirmation of the Bianconeri’s attraction to Kewell comes from fellow Aussie and current Torino midfielder Vincenzo Grella.

"It hasn't been talked about that much but when I was at Parma with Ranieri he asked for a lot of information about Harry,” Grella told the Herald Sun newspaper in Australia.

"At that stage he didn't talk about a Kewell move to Juventus because he didn't know he was going to become the manager of Juventus.

"He was one of maybe three or four Aussies Ranieri asked me about.

"But he does know of the Aussie players and loves the mentality. He thinks that we're very underestimated as players. It could be an advantage for him."

Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport suggests that Kewell would be a tactically astute signing, as he can play wide left as an alternative to Pavel Nedved or further upfront when needed.

Carragher At Right Back Temporary - Rafinha’s Coming

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has insisted that Jamie Carragher’s recent conversion to a right-back is only a temporary measure, vowing that he will be bringing in a full back in the summer - believed to be Schalke’s Rafinha.

Carragher was employed by Benitez at right back lat week during Liverpool’s Champions League draw with Arsenal at the Emirates and is set to play there again on Tuesday in the crucial second leg.

The consummate professional Carragher continues to do a fine job at full back even though he has made no secret of his preference to play in the centre.

The move, however, is just a short-term one, promises Rafa Benitez as with Steve Finnan injured and Alvaro Arbeloa out of form.

"I wasn't nervous about asking Carra to play in the position, he knows my idea and also he knows that he needs to work for the team," said Benitez.

"In some games he needs to do this job and I think it is OK. We know that he likes, he prefers to play as a centre-back. But he knows that it is important now for the team his position as right full-back.

"He is the vice-captain so he knows he must be an example for the rest of the players. I was talking with him and he knows my idea about the future, so it is not a problem.

"His future is not as a right back. Finnan was injured and we were using Arbeloa, so I don't have any problem in this position. The only thing is the qualities and conditions of Carra are different to Arbeloa or Finnan.

"I was trying to use Carra because defensively he is more aggressive. That was the idea," Benitez added.

Rafinha could be the replacement, although he has recently penned a deal extension at Schalke. Still, with one immediate first-teamer set to join the fray at Anfield, his name has been mentioned more than once.

Premier League Preview: Arsenal vs. LiverpooL

Part one of the Arsenal-Liverpool trilogy finished all-square in the Champions League and now the focus shifts to the domestic stage and the quest for Premier League points. Unlike in Wednesday's game at the Emirates, the two sides will have rather different targets come Saturday lunchtime.

Liverpool are now favourites to secure fourth place in the Premier League after winning last weekend’s Merseyside derby 1-0. Another draw in North London would probably be seen as a good result for them. Arsenal, though, have to win on Saturday. Anything less and their title challenge may finally run out of steam, given that they are now six points behind Manchester United - whom they meet at Old Trafford next weekend - and one behind Chelsea.

Liverpool appear to be congratulating themselves for having achieved a 'near-perfect' outcome at the Emirates on Wednesday. Comments from Anfield have suggested that that the 1-1 draw was exactly what they were looking for, the feeling being that getting the away goal will have a huge influence on how the Reds approach the second leg in front of their own fans.

However, the Gunners were outstanding throughout the second half of the first leg of the European tie, pinning Liverpool back in their own half. It took a combination of resolute defending, some over-hasty finishing and a couple of large slices of luck to prevent an Arsenal victory.

Given that Liverpool set out to defend and showed limited attacking ambition, the fact that Arsenal created numerous chances should give the Gunners heart ahead of the next two matches between the sides.

Apart from the goals - within three minutes of each other - the main talking point from Wednesday's match was Arsenal's penalty appeal when Dirk Kuyt hauled down Alexander Hleb in the area. While Kuyt himself somewhat sheepishly sought to play down the incident, and former Liverpool striker David Fairclough accused Hleb of going down too easily, Tony Barrett of the Liverpool Echo offered a more realistic assessment.

"It was a penalty," he said. "As soon as I saw it, I watched Hleb come across Kuyt and his arm does come out and he catches Hleb. There is a tug there but the referee missed it. It is one of those you can say that Liverpool got away with it and I wouldn’t begin to contest that one."

Liverpool will be wary of Emmanuel Adebayor's aerial ability after the Togo striker put Arsenal briefly in front with a powerful header that asked questions of Liverpool's zonal marking system, and in particular of Sami Hyypia, who was caught flat-footed by Adebayor's movement. But equally, the way Steven Gerrard's driving run to set up Kuyt's equaliser left Arsenal defenders trailing in his wake was a lesson that Arsene Wenger will hope his players have quickly absorbed - though some would argue that not even the best-laid plans can stop Gerrard when he is in full flight.

Asked whether Benitez got his tactics spot-on, Barrett replied: "The result says he did. If you go to Arsenal at any time and get a draw you have done well. If you go there in Europe and get a draw and an away goal it sets us up perfectly, so I would say it was right. You will have to ride your luck because you won’t go to Arsenal and have it all your own way. I think he will be looking to do the same in the home leg because Liverpool don’t need to score now."

Regarding Saturday's game, though, another draw would be a decent result for Liverpool, given that Arsenal are still going for the title and can be expected to fight all the way again. Some of the Gunners looked a little leg-weary towards h end of Wednesday's clash, but Wenger will have less scope, if equal temptation, to rotate his squad than Benitez, because he has to go for the three points and to weaken his starting eleven could undermine that.

Liverpool's need is less acute, having put five points between themselves and fifth-placed Everton, so Benitez, who likes to rotate anyway, will probably do so with the aim of bringing back some of his big guns rested and refreshed for Tuesday's European decider.

Under the circumstances, the Champions League clash seems certain to take precedence in Benitez's thinking, although he will not want to cede Wenger a psychological advantage ahead of the return leg. On the other hand, Liverpool have previously sacrificed a domestic League match immediately prior to producing a top performance in Europe. As Barrett recalled: "One time against Crystal Palace, who were fighting relegation, Liverpool lost and came back strong to reach the European Final. There is a whole list of occasions when Liverpool have let themselves down in the League and them three or four days later they have proved people wrong. I don’t know how they do it because if you’re short of form you shouldn’t be able to pick yourselves up as easily as they do."

On the question of form, each club's results since both were eliminated from the FA Cup on 16th February - Arsenal at Manchester United and Liverpool by Barnsley at Anfield - offer a stark contrast. It has been Liverpool's most productive run of the season, their new-found consistency of selection being matched by improved results that have seen them win eight, lose one (to United at Old Trafford) and draw one (at the Emirates on Wednesday). Arsenal, though, have endured their worst spell of the season over the same period. The Gunners, who have played nine to Liverpool's ten in that time, have managed just two wins (away to AC Milan and Bolton), losing once (at Chelsea) and drawing six.

It is ironic that the thing which undermined Liverpool's Premier League challenge this season - too may drawn games - seems now to have sabotaged the Gunners title bid, after they'd led the table for so long. Ironically too, if Liverpool beat Arsenal on Saturday it would hand an advantage to the team Reds' fans would least like to see profit - their hated rivals Manchester United. But from a purely Liverpool perspective, three points at the Emirates would go a long way towards guaranteeing another Champions League adventure next season, irrespective of whether can progress past Arsenal in the current European campaign.

But although there is little doubt about who is in the better form going into Saturday's match, Arsenal were the better side on Wednesday, something Wenger will no doubt have stressed to his players.

Both sides did well to bounce back from defeats on 'Grand Slam Sunday' by securing morale-boosting wins in the Premier League last weekend. While Arsenal staged a remarkable comeback at Bolton, overturning a two-goal and one-man deficit in the second-half at The Reebok to win 3-2, Liverpool won the Merseyside derby 1-0 the following day.

Liverpool go back to London for what is only their second ever League visit to the Emirates. Their first trip to Arsenal's new home ended in a comfortable 3-0 win for the Gunners last season. Liverpool's last win on Arsenal turf was on 13th February 2000 at Highbury, when Gerard Houllier's side ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a Titi Camara goal. Three of the winning side that day are still at Anfield - Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Steven Gerrard. Since then Arsenal have won five and drawn two of their home League games against the Reds.

The Gunners have also enjoyed some success at Anfield, notably last season when, in the space of four days, they knocked Liverpool out of both domestic cup competitions, winning 3-1 on Merseyside in the FA Cup before thrashing the Reds 6-3 in the Carling Cup at Anfield. However, Benitez's side won 4-1 at Anfield in the League last season.

Earlier this season, on 28th October, the Gunners travelled to Merseyside having just thrashed Slavia Prague 7-0 in the Champions League. Liverpool had gone down 2-1 to Besiktas in Istanbul, but they took the lead against the Gunners after seven minutes through a superbly struck free-kick from Steven Gerrard. Arsenal took that set-back in their stride and continued to play their fluent passing game, threatening the Liverpool goal several times before finally being rewarded when Cesc Fabregas latched onto an Alexander Hleb through-ball to equalise ten minutes from time.

That was seen as a point gained by Liverpool and two dropped by Arsenal at the time: although both teams were unbeaten in the Premier League, Liverpool were struggling a little at Anfield while Arsenal went into the game on the back of 12 straight wins.

Since Benitez took over at Liverpool, Arsenal have had the better of the contests between the two clubs in all competitions, though there is not a great deal in it. At the Gunners' patch Arsenal have won three, drawn one and lost none. At Anfield, they've won two, drawn one, lost three. Remarkably, Liverpool have not beaten a fellow 'Big Four' club away from home under Benitez.

On the other hand, the Gunners have been beaten more times (14) by Liverpool in the Premier League than by any other club.

Overall, Saturday's will be the 201st meeting between the two teams in a major competition. So far, Arsenal have won 70, Liverpool have won 80, and 50 have been drawn, including last Wednesday's. In League games only, Liverpool have 68 wins to Arsenal's 58 wins, with 41 draws. At Arsenal, the record is Arsenal 37 wins, Liverpool 20 wins, and 26 draws.


FORM GUIDE

Arsenal

02 Apr (Champions League) v Liverpool (H) DREW 1-1
29 Mar (Premier League) v Bolton (A) WON 3-2
23 Mar (Premier League) v Chelsea (A) LOST 1-2
16 Mar (Premier League) v Middlesbrough (H) DREW 1-1
09 Mar (Premier League) v Wigan (A) DREW 0-0
04 Mar (Champions League) v AC Milan (A) WON 2-0

Liverpool

02 Apr (Champions League) v Arsenal (A) DREW 1-1
30 Mar (Premier League) v Everton (H) WON 1-0
23 Mar (Premier League) v Man Utd (A) LOST 0-3
15 Mar (Premier League) v Reading (H) WON 2-1
11 Mar (Champions League) v Inter Milan (A) WON 1-0
08 Mar (Premier League) v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0


TEAM NEWS

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has injury concerns over his two main strikers ahead of Saturday's clash. Robin van Persie is a major doubt with a thigh problem, while Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to feature despite carrying an ankle injury.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon, Wenger gave van Persie only a 20 per cent chance of playing because of the thigh injury that forced him off at half time on Wednesday.

"If you ask for my gut feeling right now I would say no, Robin won't play," said Wenger. "At the moment it is 80 per cent no and 20 per cent yes. But he has a scan this afternoon and he is better today than he was last night. That is positive for a muscle problem. But we'll know much more about it on Friday morning."

"We also have Adebayor who has a little ankle problem. We'll see how he is tomorrow. I hope he'll be OK. But the time is so short between the games it is very difficult to make a decision the morning after a game. You don't know if it is a bruise or a little twist and the first 24 hours doesn't tell you a lot about that."

Bacary Sagna (ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are ruled out of Saturday's game as well as the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Anfield. But Wenger is optimistic about Sagna's chances of returning next weekend at Old Trafford.

"They will not be back for the Liverpool games," said Wenger. "But Sagna is making good progress. Manchester United is the earliest for him. We are trying everything we can to get him back for that game. But we'll know more when he starts to run outside and he has not begun that."

Meanwhile, midfielder Abou Diaby is suspended.

Last Starting XI (v Liverpool): Almunia, Toure, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Eboue (Bendtner 67), Flamini, Fabregas, Hleb, Van Persie (Walcott 46), Adebayor. Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Diaby, Song Billong, Silva, Justin Hoyte.

Squad: Almunia, Toure, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Eboue, Flamini, Fabregas, Hleb, van Persie, Adebayor, Lehmann, Walcott, Song, Gilberto, J Hoyte, Bendtner, Denilson.


Liverpool

Rafa Benitez could make changes for this second of three clashes between the sides within the space of a week. Javier Mascherano is definitely out suspended, but Benitez, keen to guard against tiredness and with Tuesday in mind, may decide to rest one or more of the likes of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

Fabio Aurelio took a knock towards the end of Wednesday's match and Torres went off in that game, but probably as a precautionary measure. It is possible Benitez will field a fairly different Liverpool side from the one that played in midweek, with Peter Crouch in line for a rare start, possibly partnered by Andriy Voronin, who needs to get some playing time under his belt following his recent lay-off through injury. The Reds, still aiming to keep things tight and hit Arsenal on the counter, could set up with a 4-4-2 formation.

Last Starting XI (v Arsenal): Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Hyypia, Aurelio, Mascherano, Alonso (Lucas 76), Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel (Benayoun 57), Torres (Voronin 85). Subs Not Used: Itandje, Riise, Crouch, Arbeloa.

Squad: Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Aurelio, Benayoun, Lucas, Alonso, Riise, Voronin, Crouch, Pennant, Babel, Hyypia, Gerrard, Torres, Carragher, Kuyt, Itandje.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal

Emmanuel Adebayor troubled the Liverpool defence on Wednesday both in the air, where he headed home the Gunners' goal, and with his left-wing raids in the second-half that saw him cut in dangerously along the by-line several times to fizz dangerous low crosses into the middle. Alexander Hleb could also pose problems with his excellent close control, particularly if Wenger pushes him inside to the more central role the Belarussian seems to prefer. Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas, who scored earlier this season at Anfield, will look to run the show in midfield, and may have more licence to do so given Mascherano's suspension.

Liverpool

Steven Gerrard showed again in midweek how important he is to the Liverpool set-up. If Benitez plays him, either from the start or subsequently from the bench, he will look to hurt Arsenal as he did on Wednesday with his superb driving run and cross on 26 minutes that set up Dirk Kuyt with the chance to equalise Adebayor's opener within three minutes.

Benitez said afterwards: "When you have top class players, they make the difference. Sometimes it is Torres, this time it was Gerrard. He is a player who can change a game on his own. And he certainly did that with his run into the box to create our goal. He changed the game. That goal we scored was the real difference for us, that one piece of quality, world class, which changed everything. Stevie can do such things. It was a run they could not stop. It could change the whole tie." Arsenal know what to expect, and it will be interesting to see how they attempt to counter it.

Hicks Seeks To Buy Out Gillett

Tom Hicks has sought the advice of American investment bank Merrill Lynch as he prepares to bid for full control of Liverpool Football Club by buying out his alienated co-owner George Gillett.

Hicks and Gillett seized joint ownership of Liverpool in February 2007 in a daring ₤218.9 million venture designed to lift the Merseyside club back to the pinnacle of English football.

However, things have not gone totally to plan, as Hicks has since strayed woefully offside of manager Rafael Benitez and the majority of the immense Liverpool fanbase.

Recently there have been reports of a strain in the relationship between the two American owners, and it has surfaced that over the past two days Hicks has been meeting with senior bankers from Merrill Lynch, among other institutions, to discuss options regarding the financing of a bid that would see Gillett ushered out of the club.

Such options include:

· An additional loan on top of Hicks’ recent ₤350 million refinancing with the Royal Bank of Scotland, which would allow him to buy out Gillett’s 50 per cent stake in the club

· Persuading a number of new private investors to collectively buy out Gillett’s share

· Engaging in another refinancing deal that would raise the ₤300 million required for Liverpool’s new stadium at Stanley Park

However, reports from the United States indicate that Gillett will not sell his stake to Hicks, regardless of whether he is able to raise the required funds.

Speaking with a Toronto radio station last week, Gillett outlined the hostility that has between him and Hicks, saying that his partner’s less than favourable standing with the Liverpool supporters has rendered the option of selling out to him an “untenable alternative”.

And it is believed that Gillett has already agreed to relinquish his stake to Dubai Investment Capital, the company which initially competed for Liverpool ownership over a year ago and has been constantly linked with a renewed takeover bid in recent months.

But Hicks cancelled discussions with DIC last month, vowing to block any potential deal between them and Gillett.

Benítez Ready To Rest Torres But Will Go Easy On Reds' Rotation

Rafael Benítez has insisted he will curb his squad rotation at Arsenal today because of a lingering threat to Liverpool's Champions League qualification prospects from their Merseyside rivals Everton.

Fernando Torres is among the high-profile talents expected to be rested when Liverpool return to the Emirates Stadium three days after holding Arsenal 1-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Unlike Arsène Wenger, who still has an outside chance of taking the title from Manchester United, the Liverpool manager can afford to utilise his squad, with Tuesday's second leg at Anfield in mind. Victory over Everton last week has given Benítez's team a five-point lead with six games remaining but the Spaniard denies that the fight for fourth has ended.

Despite his protestations Benítez will make changes from the side that started on Wednesday. Torres's likely absence could give Peter Crouch or Andriy Voronin a rare start, and Steve Finnan and Jermaine Pennant are also in contention for a return. The veteran defender Sami Hyypia is another to be rested.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will appeal against the extra two-match ban handed to Javier Mascherano, who has served one game for his two yellow cards at Old Trafford and admitted a charge of improper conduct for his refusal to leave the field. "We have requested that the penalty not be set aside pending the outcome," the club said. "Consequently, Javier is suspended for Saturday’s game at Arsenal."

Forgotten Star Crouch Set For Recall

Peter Crouch is poised for a Liverpool recall at Arsenal today.

But it seems certain to be just a temporary measure by Anfield boss Rafa Benitez as he shuffles his pack ahead of Tuesday’s third meeting between the teams.

“When you are playing three games in seven days against a team as good as Arsenal, and with the high tempo the games will be played at, you know you are going to have to change players,” said the Liverpool manager.

“It’s impossible to use the same players for all three games.

“We’ll need to see the players in the training sessions to see which ones are ready for the challenge. But it could be a chance for the likes of Peter Crouch.”

The fact he is only being considered for a recall because Benitez is reverting back to his favoured policy of rotation shows just how far the 27-year-old England man has fallen out of favour at Anfield.

He has been offered a new deal, with a little over a year on the contract he signed when he moved from Southampton for £7m three years ago, but he seems unlikely to sign if the current regime stays in place.

After hitting 18 goals last season, Crouch has so far managed eight this term, with the switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation limiting his opportunities.

The embarrassing defeat to FA Cup semi-finalists Barnsley in February was the last time he started under the Spaniard, and he has played almost as long for his country as his club since then, 54 minutes in the red of Liverpool compared with 45 minutes during England’s defeat to France last week.

But an impressive display today would do little for his case, with Liverpool’s first-choice team now set in stone, although if Benitez chooses to ring the changes Crouch could find himself without the sort of support Fernando Torres usually gets.

Despite boasting a five-point advantage over Everton, Liverpool cannot take fourth place for granted.

Everton face relegated Derby tomorrow and could close the gap again, but even so Benitez seems unlikely to risk Torres, with skipper Steven Gerrard a possible absentee as well.

Benitez said: “It was important for us to beat Everton last week, but we know it’s important to win every game that we play.

“I don’t think the fact we have a five-point lead over Everton can give us any leeway over team selection against Arsenal.

“Everton are playing Derby and normally you would expect them to win that.

“So it’s important we get a win at Arsenal, or at least don’t get beaten.

“Arsenal will try to go on the attack as always, and we will try and do the same job as Wednesday by looking to control them and play on the counter-attack.

“I don’t think Arsenal will approach the game any differently either. They are in the race for the title and they know they need to win.”

Benitez Hints At Crouch Exit From Liverpool

Peter Crouch's Liverpool future was looking bleaker than ever yesterday after a clear sign that he has become an afterthought in Rafa Benitez's Anfield strategy.

The striker can expect a recall to the starting line-up at the Emirates today but only after a broad hint from Benitez that top scorer Fernando Torres will be rested ahead of Tuesday's Champions League return with Arsenal.

Torres looks certain to be withdrawn from the firing line after 10 successive appearances and Benitez inadvertently highlighted how Crouch has become a peripheral figure as he assessed the alternatives and said: 'Maybe this could turn out to be an opportunity for the likes of Peter.'

Crouch, 27, has been confined to the bench since Liverpool's FA Cup humiliation at the hands of Barnsley in February and will be on his way in the summer if Benitez is given the go-ahead to continue next season.

Though it suits the Liverpool manager to have an established England striker as cover, he will reluctantly grant Crouch's wish to leave, if only to prevent him going for nothing when his contract expires in just over a year.

The mounting uncertainty has alerted a number of clubs at home and abroad, with Manchester City, Portsmouth and Newcastle likely to lead the chase.

City manager Sven Goran Eriksson is in the market for more firepower, Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp admires the giant striker and Kevin Keegan is planning a massive transfer turnover in the summer.

As Benitez considered his options for the second of three games with Arsenal, he made it clear there would be changes and admitted Dirk Kuyt is now in front of Crouch.

'When you play three high tempo games in seven days against a side as good as Arsenal, you know you're going to have to change players,' he said.

'We have a few players with knocks, and Torres was tired after Wednesday. We will have to look at fitness levels and decide who has fresh legs to give us the quality we need on Saturday, but this could be a chance for the likes of Crouch.

'We still have something to play for in the Premier League because we want to qualify for the Champions League again next season, and we go into the game with confidence after Kuyt's equaliser the other night.

'He is the kind of player any manager would want in his team. He is amazing. He has a high work-rate, can score goals and does a fantastic job for the team.'

Liverpool have appealed against Javier Mascherano's additional two-match ban for dissent towards referee Steve Bennett and hope to have it reduced to one game.

With Arsenal trailing Manchester United by six points in the Premier League, and with a trip to Old Trafford to come on Sunday week, manager Arsene Wenger admitted defeat by Liverpool would end his side's hopes of the title.

He said: 'We are now in the final sprint which will define and decide our season. I will pick a team who can win the game against Liverpool. I feel we have a good chance in the championship and do not want to miss that.

'Some people say it is over but I do believe United will drop points — they play four times away from home. We have to win all our games. Five wins is a minimum and a draw, but that means we would have to win at Old Trafford. Six wins would be better.'

Liverpool Boss Rafa Plays Up Hicks Talks But Gillett's Plane Frustrated

One showdown that failed to materialise at Emirates Stadium last night was that involving Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Hicks saw his first game in three months but Gillett failed to make it to north London after his plane was delayed by heavy snow in Colorado.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insisted he had held positive talks Hicks after the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

"I've seen him [Hicks] and he said, 'Congratulations, well done, good job' — but then I had to come and see you," Benitez told reporters.

The match had threatened to be overshadowed by a visit by the club's pair of feuding American owners after Gillett said they could no longer work together.

Hicks, who has been threatening to block Gillett from selling his stake to a Dubai consortium, watched from the directors' box, where he wore a Liverpool/Arsenal scarf.

Hyypia Taking Nothing For Granted

Veteran defender Sami Hyypia has warned that the race for fourth spot in the Barclays Premier League is far from over despite last weekend's Merseyside derby success for Liverpool.

With the Reds' next top-flight clash back at Arsenal on Saturday, it underlines the fact that there is no room for complacency as they try to protect the five-point lead they have built up over Everton.

Hyypia was a key figure in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw at Emirates Stadium, and he knows that Liverpool need to continue to pick up points if they are to hold off their neighbours and claim fourth spot.

Any slip-up at the Emirates - a more than difficult place to go at the best of times - will give Everton heart ahead of their home game with relegated Derby on Sunday, when Liverpool's lead could be cut to just two points.

Hyypia insists that Champions League qualification via the league is far from in the bag.

He said: "It's not over until May 11 (when Liverpool complete their league campaign with a trip to Tottenham).

"We need to make sure we get enough points to be in that fourth spot then."

Of that derby-day success, which leaves Liverpool five points ahead of Everton going into this weekend's games, Hyypia added: "Of course it was sweet. I know what it means to all the fans, so now they are all happy.

"It was a fair result. We had the game under control. It's a pity we didn't score more than one goal but one goal is enough."

The victory over Everton helped wipe away the bitter memories of the previous weekend's defeat by Manchester United.

Hyypia said: "That defeat by United brought us down a little bit. But we knew how important it was to take a five-point lead over Everton, and we had great confidence.

"Now we have Arsenal again next. They are a brilliant team at keeping the ball and passing it. They have great movement and are very dangerous, but I think we have enough quality in our team to be confident of containing them again."

Manager Rafael Benitez is likely to make changes for the second of three games against Arsenal, particularly after the effort his squad put in to claim Wednesday's draw.

It is possible he will rest Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres, and it is likely that Hyypia will also have a day on the bench.

The likes of Yossi Benayoun, Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin, John Arne Riise and Alvaro Arbeloa could also figure. Javier Mascherano must sit out the first match of an additional two-game ban he has been handed by the Football Association following his sending off at Old Trafford.

Dirk Kuyt: I DID Know Champions League Referee

Dirk Kuyt has ridiculed suggestions he was given preferential treatment during the Champions League showdown with Arsenal - even though he admits he does know the referee.

The Liverpool striker comes from the next village to where Dutch match official Pieter Vink lives, and grew up just two miles away.

Eyebrows were raised when Kuyt got away with what seemed like a blatant foul on Gunners forward Alex Hleb in the penalty area, which only the official seemed to think was not a spot-kick.

But Kuyt laughed off as ridiculous any thoughts that the ref acted favourably towards him. He said: "The penalty decision was right. It was close, sure, but I don't think it was a penalty, and it is definitely wrong to say that the referee did me a favour because I know him. That's ridiculous. He knows Robin Van Persie as well as he knows me. It was a fair decision."

Vink is from Noordwijkerhout, a village five kilometres from Katwijk, the home of Kuyt.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was fuming at the official's decision, insisting that the ref was just five yards away from the incident.

Kuyt added: "We both come from the same area. He comes from Leiden and that where I grew up also.

"I did touch Hleb, but I didn't pull his shirt or hold him.

"I played in Holland a lot of times when he was the referee, and he gave me some good decisions and some bad ones. So I don't think he favours me."

Liverpool Star Mascherano Says Sorry After Old Trafford Outburst

Javier Mascherano has publicly apologised for the furious reaction to his sending-off at Manchester United which saw him handed an additional two-game ban.

The Liverpool midfielder, who has already served a mandatory one-match suspension for his red card at Old Trafford almost two weeks ago, admitted a Football Association charge of improper conduct levied for his angry refusal to leave the field.

Following a personal hearing before a disciplinary panel yesterday, the 23-year-old Argentina international saw his ban extended and was fined £15,000.

Liverpool are pondering an appeal against the severity of the punishment and have until midday to lodge it with the FA.

Mascherano himself was full of remorse for his behaviour, telling the Daily Mail: 'I apologise to everyone. I made a mistake and I regret this mistake. It was my fault.

'I am not a dirty player, I do not make a habit of showing disrespect towards referees.

'I don't like this and I can only think the high intensity of the fixture, against Manchester United, affected my behaviour that day. It was out of character but I do not use that as an excuse.'

The red card was a first in English football for Mascherano.

Having already been cautioned by Steve Bennett, he was shown a second yellow card in the 44th minute after running 20 metres to question the booking of striker Fernando Torres.

The midfielder added: 'Looking back at that game, I was wrong to approach the referee. I approached him to talk to him but I understand this was not a good idea.

'I reacted badly to the red card because I could not believe what was happening to me.

'I must learn my lesson but move on from this and forget what has happened. I hope people know that I try to be fair and that I have no intention to be aggressive.

'Off the field, it has been a difficult time for me. My disciplinary record has been good until now but I have to show that again. I always try to respect decisions by the referee and this is important.'

Any Liverpool appeal would focus on Mascherano being made a scapegoat for some high-profile displays of petulance towards referees.

A club spokesman said yesterday: 'Although we received a fair hearing, we must now decide whether to appeal on the basis of inconsistency of sentencing for Javier based on past precedents.'

Those precedents could include the cases of Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who staged a long protest after being sent off in last season's Carling Cup final, and that of Watford's John Eustace, who showed a reluctance to leave the field after being dismissed last month.

Both players had their automatic bans extended by only one match.

Dirk Kuyt: New Role Has Saved My Season At Liverpool

Dirk Kuyt believes the new role handed to him by Rafael Benitez has helped salvage his season.

The Holland international has been operating on the right wing of the 4-2-3-1 formation preferred by the Liverpool manager in recent weeks.

And it has coincided with an improvement in form for Kuyt, whose man- of-the-match performance in the Champions League game with Arsenal on Wednesday was described as “unbelievable” and “amazing” by Benitez.

The 27-year-old netted a precious away goal as Liverpool exited the Emirates with a hugely creditable 1-1 draw to take into next Tuesday’s return leg at Anfield.

Kuyt came in for fierce criticism during the first half of the season as, hampered by a loss of form and mourning the loss of his father to cancer, he went 13 games without a goal.

But the forward has enjoyed a renaissance since being asked to mine the right flank

“I have had a difficult season and I have had to show character,” admits Kuyt. “I had a few problems in the early part of the season and everyone knows what it was.

“I just tried to come through it and in the second half of the season I have played in a different position and I have just tried to give everything I can. It has gone well. I have given assists and I have scored some goals.

“The manager didn’t need to persuade me over the position on the right. I have played in that position for years for Holland and when I started my career at Utrecht it was there also.

“I am not an out and out right-winger, I do it in my own way and that has helped me to continue scoring goals.”

Kuyt has become something of a talisman for Liverpool in the Champions League this season, with Wednesday’s goal his sixth in the competition.

However, the forward Kuyt has netted only four times in domestic football, and he added: “Last year I scored 13 goals in the league and only one in Europe. This season I have scored three in the league, one in the cup and six in Europe.

“I don’t really know why that is, but I cannot be happy with that. I just hope that I can go on and be involved in good moments with Liverpool.”

Kuyt was also involved in the game’s main talking point midway through the second half when he tussled with Aleksandr Hleb inside the area.

After Arsenal’s strong penalty claims were waved away by referee Pieter Vink, conspiracy theorists revelled in the fact both Kuyt and Vink hail from the same Rijnland region in the west of Holland in towns separated by a distance of five miles.

The Liverpool man, however, dismissed any suggestions of favouritism and claims the referee was correct not to award the spot-kick.

“I think the penalty decision was right,” says Kuyt.

“I touched Hleb but I never pulled his shirt, so I don’t think he deserved to get a penalty. It was close, to be fair, but not a penalty.

“I know the referee because I played in Holland a lot against him. When we played against Feyenoord in pre-season he was the referee as well. So I know him.

“He comes from close to where I grew up.

“It’s wrong to say that he did me a favour because I know him.

“I had him a few times in Holland against me.

“He made a good decision and to be fair he knows Robin van Persie too.”

Hyypia - Reds Didn't Panic

Sami Hyypia felt it was important Liverpool did not panic after falling behind to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

Emmanuel Adebayor headed the Gunners into a 23rd-minute lead in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday evening.

But Liverpool were level just minutes later when Dirk Kuyt turned home a low cross from Reds captain Steven Gerrard.

The away goal makes last season's runners-up favourites to progress to the semi-finals ahead of next week's return meeting at Anfield.

Hyypia was happy with Liverpool's response to conceding a goal and admits the priority was grabbing an away goal, even if it arrived on the final whistle.

"We always knew that we shouldn't panic, even if they scored," Hyypia told Sky Sports News.

"If we scored the goal in the 90th minute or something, that's still the away goal.

"It was important not to panic."

Rafa Benitez Refuses To Label Liverpool Champions League Favourites

Rafael Benitez refused to label his side as favourites for the Champions League semi-finals following last night’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Liverpool manager saw his team take the ascendancy in their quarter-final meeting by coming away from the Emirates Stadium with a 1-1 draw.

Dirk Kuyt scored the away goal that could prove crucial for Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield, shortly after Emmanuel Adebayor gave the Gunners the lead.

In their run to last season’s final, Liverpool closed out second legs at home against Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven, plus in the semi-final with Chelsea when they didn’t have an away goal to fall back on.

But even with the odds now heavily stacked in favour of Benitez leading Liverpool to a third last-four spot in his four seasons in charge, the Spaniard is remaining wary of Arsenal’s threat.

He said: “I don’t think it’s in our favour. When you play against Arsenal you know they can score in any stadium.

“Yes, we are playing at Anfield and our own supporters make a massive difference but we are playing against a very good team.

“You could see their quality tonight, they had plenty of possession so we needed to play on the counter-attack and work really hard in defence.”

But after puzzlingly leaving Adebayor free to head home Robin van Persie’s 23rd-minute corner, Benitez was delighted that it took only three minutes for Kuyt to come up with his response when he poked home Steven Gerrard’s cross.

“When you play Arsenal and concede a goal it’s really difficult if you don’t equalise soon after because they keep attacking,” he said.

“And if you make a mistake it’s 2-0. So it was really important for us to score fast.

“An away goal is always important and Anfield will be an advantage for us. We know if we can score it will be more difficult for them so it’s a good situation for us.

“A difficult situation, but better than before we scored.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was adamant his side should have had a penalty in the second half.

Dirk Kuyt appeared to hold back Aleksandr Hleb by tugging on his arm but Dutch referee Pieter Vink only awarded a corner after the challenge.

Benitez agreed with the decision, saying: “It’s not very clear so in England that’s no penalty. There wasn’t a lot in it.”

But Wenger said: “It was blatant and it was under the referee’s nose.

“It’s a few times this has happened and it’s difficult to accept.

“It’s not as if the referee was in a bad position, he was only five yards away from Kuyt but didn’t give a penalty.”

Overall, Arsenal had 13 shots to Liverpool’s four, leaving Wenger perplexed by his side’s inability to convert their possession into a first-leg lead.

But he did salute the contribution of Steven Gerrard, whose brilliant run led to Kuyt’s sixth goal in this season’s Champions League.

“To have the amount of possession we did and only to come away drawing 1-1 is frightening,” added Wenger.

“I can’t fault the players because we tried very, very hard and Liverpool created very little.

“But credit to Steven Gerrard for the goal.

“It was a touch of class and he pulled back a ball we found very difficult to defend.”

Liverpool go to the Emirates Stadium again to take on Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday before Tuesday’s quarter-final second leg at Anfield.

What The Papers Say........

The Fourth Estate believe that Liverpool have a critical advantage...

'While Liverpool, with their away goal, have the edge, Arsenal would surely have won had the substitute Nicklas Bendtner, in an offside position, not been in the way of a net-bound effort from Cesc Fábregas.

'Arsenal are exasperated, too, that, with the score at 1-1, the Dutch referee, Pieter Vink, failed to see the tug at the left arm of Alexander Hleb by Dirk Kuyt that should have brought a penalty in the 66th minute. On broader reflection, Arsène Wenger should be happy about spells, after the interval, when his side had an expansiveness unseen since they held that five-point lead in the Premier League not so long ago.

'Nonetheless, Arsenal probably need to reach the sort of peak at Anfield that they attained to beat Milan 2-0 at San Siro in the previous round. The overall situation will gladden Rafael Benítez at a time when this competition offers the sole hope, as it probably does for Arsenal, of plucking triumph from a muddled season' - Kevin McCarra, The Guardian.

'That goal has given Liverpool plenty upon which to cling in the second leg, although it was an oversight by the referee, another Dutchman, at the other end which ensured this contest remains tantalisingly on edge. Kuyt clearly hooked Alexander Hleb's left arm back as the Arsenal player glided into the area 66 minutes in, the Belarusian tumbling to the turf and wondering why he was not awarded the penalty the foul merited. Kuyt played the innocent but there was a puff of the cheeks which betrayed his relief as he retreated to defend the resultant corner.

'The anguished mood that had gripped the home dugout simmered on in the aftermath. Arsène Wenger spoke of a "blatant penalty right under the eyes of the referee". It is perhaps just as well that the Frenchman was unaware that Pieter Vink, a policeman from Noordwijkerhout, comes from a place some 5km from Kuyt's own home town of Katwijk' - Dominic Fifield, The Guardian.

'Advantage Liverpool. Showing all their European experience, Rafa Benitez's side absorbed everything that Arsenal threw at them here last night, and will believe they can reach the semi-finals at an impassioned Anfield next Tuesday.

'Billed as a very English affair, this first leg was shaped by goals from a Togo international, Emmanuel Adebayor, and a Dutchman, Dirk Kuyt, who equalised. Arguably the most impressive performer was the Argentinian, Javier Mascherano, who delivered a determined 90-minute shift of ball-winning and simple distribution' - Henry Winter, The Daily Telegraph.

'There are close calls - the Democratic nomination, London's mayoral election, Brown versus Cameron at the polls next time, perhaps - and then there is this match. Pick a winner if you dare. Try to put a cigarette paper between them. Advantage Liverpool? Not against the team who defeated AC Milan at the San Siro, surely. The clever money on Arsenal? Not if you have studied Liverpool's form in Europe since Rafael Benítez took over.

'Those who were expecting a first-leg stalemate were only half wrong. Both goals came in a three-minute spell and, for the remaining 87, two English teams playing Champions League football cancelled each other out. Sound familiar? The pleasant surprise was that this was no Liverpool-Chelsea snooze-fest, no exercise in tactical tedium and the crashing together of immovable objects. This match was open, enjoy- able and bodes well for the spectacle at Anfield next Tuesday. Liverpool had the best of the first half, Arsenal the best of the second. Honours even, then, and credit all round' - Martin Samuel, The Times.

'For Wenger, it must have been so painful to watch. First there was the ease with which Steven Gerrard left Mathieu Flamini in his wake before surging past Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure.

'Then came Gael Clichy's failure to stop Kuyt from meeting the Liverpool captain's cross with a close-range finish.

'Clichy had allowed the Dutchman to cut inside him. Advantage Liverpool.

It is the kind of advantage that Rafa Benitez and his players have proved the masters of protecting in the Champions League, that they have protected at the expense of teams like AC Milan and Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea.

Even if Arsenal can reflect on a fine record at Anfield and a season that has seen them score with impressive consistency on their travels, staying off that list of illustrious Liverpool scalps is not going to be easy' - Matt Lawton, The Daily Mail.

'Advantage Rafael Benitez - another classic from the old master of the Champions League smash and grab. Last night his team made the dark art of European football look bliss-fully simple as they took Arsène Wenger's season to the brink of extinction.

'Arsenal will remember the penalty that was never given to Alexander Hleb and they will regret the moment that they allowed Dirk Kuyt in to poach the equaliser, three minutes after Emmanuel Adebayor gave them the lead. But most of all they will consider the trip to Anfield on Tuesday with bleak foreboding: nowhere in Europe, not even San Siro, has quite the same reputation as the fortress in Stanley Park' - Sam Wallace, The Independent

Home Sweet Home Beckons For Rafael Benitez

Long before the Champions League was even a concept and long, long before companies such as Vodafone were around to sponsor it, Liverpool learnt a supreme lesson from this kind of fixture - you do not stake everything on the first leg.

Thirty years ago, the first round of the European Cup saw the champions of England drawn against the champions of Europe in a straight knockout. It was the kind of fixture that Silvio Berlusconi, sometime prime minister of Italy, full-time president of AC Milan, would cite when forcing through the Champions League. It was painful seeing the big beasts of the game culled so early.

The champions of England versus the champions of Europe. It sounds impossibly glamorous now but in September 1978 it meant Nottingham Forest lining up against Liverpool at the City Ground.

In 1978, Liverpool conceded early, as they did at Arsenal last night and against Chelsea in last year's semi-final. Unlike in the two more recent matches, however, Liverpool panicked; they threw more and more bodies forward to retrieve a game that, with a second leg to come at Anfield, did not really need rescuing. Then Garry Birtles scored again and a manageable 1-0 defeat had become the most invariably fatal of first-leg results, a 2-0 defeat.

Kenny Dalglish will tell you that Liverpool lost because they approached the match as if it were a normal domestic fixture. This is a mistake that Rafael Benitez has never made. Even when Liverpool are playing Derby, you feel there is one corner of his mind forever straying towards Europe.

When the two semi-finals with Chelsea are recalled, it is always for Anfield's wall of sound, louder even than the noises that greeted the triumphs of Paisley or Shankly, which appeared fatally to unnerve Chelsea. However, had Jose Mourinho arrived on Merseyside on the back of a significant victory - and last year his instinctive caution ensured Chelsea squandered an opportunity to knock Liverpool out cold at Stamford Bridge - it would not have mattered what noises the crowd made.

It says everything about Benitez that despite losing on all his three previous visits to Arsenal, Liverpool reserved their best performance here for when the European Cup was at stake, rather than mere league points.

His midfield, sturdily anchored by Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, drove Cesc Fabregas, the hero of Milan, deeper and deeper into his own half, where he appeared to be enveloped by frustration.

So, too, did Benitez. When Steven Gerrard misplaced a simple free-kick, Benitez turned his back and unleashed a stream of wholly untypical invective. Liverpool co-owner George Gillett may have been trapped on the far side of the Atlantic by heavy snow but Benitez seemed to know how much of his reputation was staked on this fixture. When Dirk Kuyt slid in the precious away goal, Benitez sat impassively before leaping up to issue more instructions; his essential coldness revealed.

His counterpart, Arsene Wenger, ended the evening watching on his haunches, also deep in thought. Just as victory in the San Siro was not beyond him, it will not be on Merseyside either.

All around the Emirates Stadium are written the years commemorating seasons in which Arsenal have won silverware. Wenger might have glanced at 1989, when the Arsenal of Smith and Thomas, Adams and Dixon came to Anfield and won the title with a 2-0 victory. Maybe it is time to invoke the spirit of George Graham.

Arsenal 1 - 1 LiverpooL

Arsenal were left frustrated as Liverpool held on for what could to be a crucial 1-1 draw from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners, who have seen their Barclays Premier League title hopes fade following a run of just one win in six, had taken an early lead through Emmanuel Adebayor.

However, the Reds, last season's beaten finalists, hit back quickly through Dirk Kuyt's close-range effort after a fine run from captain Steven Gerrard.

Arsenal dominated the second half and Should have had a penalty when Alexander Hleb was clearly tugged back by Kuyt.

However, Arsene Wenger's men could not find a way past Liverpool who will now fancy their chances of securing another European Cup semi-final appearance when the two sides meet again at Anfield next Tuesday night.

Despite the electric atmosphere, it was a cagey opening for what was the 200th meeting of the sides, who will face off once more in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

After seven minutes, Adebayor raced onto a long through-ball as Jose Reina dashed out of his goal.

The Liverpool goalkeeper missed his attempted clearance, but was alert enough to recover ground and then block the follow-up cross from the Togo frontman.

At the other end, Cesc Fabregas had to do some defending in his own six-yard box to deny Sami Hyypia after he had stayed up front following a corner.

On 21 minutes, the Liverpool defence was split by a fine chipped pass from Mathieu Flamini.

Robin van Persie got ahead of the two centre-backs and into the penalty area, but as the ball dropped, the Dutchman could only fire a left-footed volley over the crossbar.

Reina then had to get down quickly to deny the Arsenal striker, who sent in a low shot from the edge of the box.

From the resulting corner, after 22 minutes, the Gunners took the lead.

Van Persie knocked the ball short to Fabregas before he whipped it into the area, where Adebayor leapt highest to nod his first goal since scoring in the defeat of AC Milan at the San Siro.

However, Arsenal's lead was short-lived as the visitors grabbed what could yet prove to be a crucial away goal in the 26th minute.

Gerrard powered into the left side of the penalty box, charging past three defenders.

The Liverpool skipper kept his feet to send over a low cross, which Kuyt bundled in ahead of full-back Gael Clichy.

The visitors were clearly lifted by their goal and enjoyed a decent spell of possession as the half-hour mark passed.

However, despite plenty of action around both penalty areas, neither side was able to find a penetrating pass.

Liverpool had a chance just after the restart, and Manuel Almunia needed to get down quickly to smother Kuyt's snapshot.

Arsenal introduced England squad man Theo Walcott, to replace van Persie, for the second half and the teenager looked lively down the left as Hleb was given more freedom in an advanced role.

Walcott picked up the ball and let fly from 25 yards, but his shot was always going wide of Reina's right-hand post.

Again both teams were not scared of going forwards, however once more they lacked a decisive pass in the final third.

On 65 minutes, there was a double let-off for Liverpool when Martin Skrtel blocked Emmanuel Eboue's effort before Arsenal had what looked a certain penalty turned down by the Dutch referee.

Hleb weaved into the box, before he clearly had his shirt tugged back by Kuyt. However, referee Pieter Vink was unconvinced and signalled instead only for a corner.

Wenger sent on Nicklas Bendtner for the final 24 minutes, replacing Eboue as Walcott moved out to the right and Hleb to the left.

The Danish striker was soon in the thick of the action, somehow managing to keep out Fabregas' goalbound effort while on the line - although he was flagged offside.

Arsenal continued to press in the closing stages, and in stoppage time Fabregas dived in to meet Adebayor's cross, but his header lacked power and Reina comfortably collected.

Liverpool - with 10 men behind the ball for long spells - held firm and take the upper hand into next week's second leg at Anfield.

Champions League Preview: Arsenal vs. LiverpooL

It's Act One of a Three-Act Play with Arsenal hosting Liverpool at the Emirates in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final that sandwiches a Premier League clash between the teams on Saturday lunchtime. Before the quarter-final draw was made it seemed mathematically inevitable that at least two of England's four representatives would be paired together in the last eight, and so it proved, with the teams who between them have contested the last three Champions League finals coming out of the pots together to set up the first quarter-final.

Arsenal, having lost this year to Manchester United in the FA Cup (on 16th February) and Chelsea in the Premier League 10 days ago, may feel happier facing Liverpool than either of their other domestic rivals, except that the Reds have by far the best pedigree of any English club in Europe's top competition, and in Rafael Benitez have a manager whose tactical acumen seems particularly well suited to two-legged European cat-and-mouse affairs.

The fact that Liverpool have struggled against Chelsea in the Premier League under Benitez, but twice defeated the Blues in the semi-finals of the Champions League in the last three years, underlines the point. So Arsenal's relatively good record against Benitez's Liverpool in domestic competition (played three, won three at home; played six, won two, drawn one, lost three at Anfield) may not be all that significant.

And although the Gunners thrashed Liverpool twice in four days at Anfield last season (3-1 in the FA Cup, 6-3 in the Carling Cup), that again is unlikely to have much bearing on Wednesday's fixture - or indeed the trilogy of matches over the coming week. For one thing, it is unlikely that any of Arsenal's scorers of those nine goals in January 2007 will be involved in these matches: Tomas Rosicky (2) is injured, Alexandre Song (1) has featured only rarely in the first team this season, and Julio Baptista (4), Jeremie Aliadiere (1) and Thierry Henry (1) have all left the club.

Morale-Boosting Wins

More relevant could be this season's meeting between the sides at Anfield - and each team's recent form. On 28th October, the Gunners travelled to Merseyside having just thrashed Slavia Prague 7-0 in the Champions League. Liverpool had gone down 2-1 to Besiktas in Istanbul, but they took the lead against the Gunners after seven minutes through a superbly struck free-kick from Steven Gerrard. However, Arsenal took that set-back in their stride and continued to play their fluent passing game, threatening the Liverpool goal several times before finally being rewarded when Cesc Fabregas latched onto an Alex Hleb through-ball to equalise ten minutes from time. It was seen as a point gained by Liverpool and two dropped by Arsenal at the time. Both teams were unbeaten in the Premier League but Liverpool were struggling a little at Anfield while Arsenal went into the game on the back of 12 straight wins.

Fast-forward to mid-February, with the resumption of Champions League fare on the horizon. FA Cup fifth round weekend was a disaster for both sides, Arsenal being summarily dismissed by Manchester United, who administered a 4-0 thrashing that could have been even more emphatic, and Liverpool succumbing 2-1 at home to Championship side Barnsley despite having taken the lead. Since then, Arsenal have played eight in all competitions, winning just two, drawing five and losing one, scoring just 10 and conceding eight. Liverpool, in contrast, have played nine, won eight and lost one, racking up 19 goals while shipping seven.

Little doubt, then, about who is in the better shape going into these three clashes. But both sides bounced back from defeats on 'Grand Slam Sunday' by securing morale-boosting wins at the weekend.

Liverpool defeated neighbours Everton 1-0 in the Merseyside derby on Sunday, after Arsenal had staged a remarkable comeback at Bolton 24 hours earlier. The Gunners were two goals and one man down at half-time at The Reebok, but dug deeper than they had all season to conjure three second-half goals and keep alive their flickering hopes of reclaiming the Premier League title they last won in 2003-04.

A Question Of Targets

The fact that Arsenal thus remain involved in the Premiership title race is seen as another key factor in assessing the likely outcome of this Champions League quarter-final. To the frustration of their fans, Liverpool's prospects of breaking their 18-year domestic league drought were effectively snuffed out some time ago, on the back of too many dropped points at Anfield. Elimination from the domestic cups also meant that winning the Champions League for a sixth time became their priority. The victory over Everton at the weekend tightened their grip on fourth place in the Premiership - the Reds' insurance policy for next season's European adventure - so they go into Wednesday's clash and next Tuesday's second leg focused solely on reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the third time in four years.

Arsenal still have twin targets, and must beat Liverpool on Saturday as well as in this quarter-final if they are to retain any chance of thwarting Manchester United and Chelsea in the title race. That could influence both managers' team selections over these three matches, and would appear to favour Benitez on the face of it - something he has already acknowledged himself. The Liverpool boss also believes that taking the Gunners back to Merseyside for the second leg will be to the Reds' advantage. He confirmed: "Playing the second game at home could be very positive for us, because whenever we play at Anfield, it is an inspiration to us."

European Records & The Current Campaign

When it comes to Europe, Liverpool are the undisputed masters among English clubs. The Reds have won the Champions Cup/Champions League five times (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005), and also won the Uefa Cup in 1973, 1976 and 2001. They have been Champions Cup/Champions League runners-up twice, in 1985 and again last year when they were beaten 2-1 by AC Milan.

Arsenal's European record is modest by comparison. Their best performance in the Champions League was when finishing as runners-up to Barcelona in 2006. They won the Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994, and were runners-up in the Uefa Cup in 2000, and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1980 and 1995.

However, the Gunners are currently unbeaten in 20 European home matches, 18 of them in the Champions League, which is the fourth longest unbeaten streak in Champions League history. It is just two short of the English record held by Manchester United, but 11 short of the all-time record set by Bayern Munich.

As for Liverpool, they have won their last five Champions League matches, two of which were away from Anfield. Their winning streak is the joint seventh longest in the competition's history; ironically Arsenal hold the English record with six successive victories, though Barcelona hold the competition record with nine.

Last season, Liverpool finished third in the Premier League and Arsenal fourth, so both had to get through the third qualifying round in August in order to take their places in the Group Stage.

Both progressed smoothly over that preliminary hurdle, Liverpool disposing of Toulouse 5-0 on aggregate and Arsenal beating Sparta Prague by the same aggregate score.

Once in the Group Stage, though, the two clubs took contrasting paths. The Gunners cruised through their first three matches without conceding a goal, defeating much-fancied Sevilla 3-0, Steaua Bucharest 1-0 away and Slavia Prague 7-0 at home. That equalled the record victory in the competition, though Liverpool would soon eclipse it. However, the Reds had got off to a less than auspicious start in their Group matches. A 1-1 draw at Porto was followed by a 1-0 home defeat by Marseille and a 2-1 reverse in Istanbul at the hands of Besiktas, leaving their survival hopes precariously poised.

So the reverse fixtures began with Arsenal looking comfortable and Liverpool anything but. The Reds though got down to business, hammering Besiktas 8-0, Porto 4-1 and Marseille 4-0 in an impressive display of strength and purpose.

As for the Gunners, they were held to a goalless draw in Prague, then lost 3-1 to Sevilla on November 27th - their first defeat of the season in any competition. But they rallied to beat Steaua 2-1, though like Liverpool, their earlier stumbles left them as runners-up in their respective Groups (Arsenal behind Sevilla, Liverpool behind Porto).

San Siro Successes

That meant both would face Group winners in the first knockout round, and the draw looked tough when Arsenal came out of the pot with holders AC Milan (Liverpool's conquerors in last season's final) and the Reds were paired with the Rossoneri's city rivals Internazionale, reigning Italian champions and current Serie A leaders.

However, the Premiership clubs did themselves and their League proud, Arsenal defeating Milan 2-0 on aggregate and Liverpool humbling Inter 3-0 over two legs. Both won their away legs at the San Siro in impressive style. And so to this quarter-final meeting against each other. Both squads (and their fans) would probably have preferred continental opposition, if only because that is what European football is all about. But they may need to get used to Premier League opponents if they are to win the tournament.

That is because whoever prevails in this quarter-final may well meet Chelsea in the semis, assuming the Blues can get past Fenerbahce. And whoever wins that semi could find themselves facing Manchester United in the Moscow final - although Roma and Barcelona/Schalke will have something to say about that.

Head-To-Head

This is the 200th meeting between Arsenal and Liverpool in a major competition. So far, Arsenal have won 70, Liverpool have won 80, and 49 have been drawn. They played each other four times last season, the League fixtures producing emphatic home wins (3-0 at he Emirates, 4-1 at Anfield), while Arsenal knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup (1-3) and Carling Cup (3-6), both at Anfield.

Arsene Wenger leads Rafa Benitez in the head-to-heads with five wins to Rafa's three; the only draw was the 1-1 earlier this season at Anfield.

The two clubs have never met before in European competition. Arsenal have played one other English club at home in a European match, and that was four years ago, when they lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea at this same stage of the Champions League, going out on aggregate after having drawn at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool have played another English club on six previous occasions away from home in European competition - and are yet to win.

Discipline

Gael Clichy, Denilson, Emmanuel Adebayor, Alexander Hleb and Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal) and Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool) will miss the second leg of this tie if they are shown a yellow card at the Emirates.

Expert View

Former Liverpool legend Alan Hansen, now a BBC pundit, expects his old club to go through after two very tight games, citing momentum and confidence as huge factors in football, and saying Liverpool have more of it in this competition than Arsenal.

Hansen said on the BBC Sport website: "Arsenal have been struggling and have been in freefall, despite a great result against AC Milan in the San Siro in the last 16, but they came back from real adversity at the weekend and it would be foolish to discount them."

He described their comeback at Bolton as "a performance that showed real reserves of character, given their recent form."

But he said Liverpool are a team "built for the Champions League," saying they "proved it again against Inter Milan in the last round. They were very solid, good on the counter-attack and will fancy their chances against Arsenal.

"Arsenal have huge ability and they will hope their big players demonstrate it against Liverpool, but Emmanuel Adebayor has gone off the boil recently and even Cesc Fabregas has not been playing as well as he was.

"They have struggled defensively and opponents will note how they cracked under pressure against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after holding the lead going into the last 20 minutes.

"Arsenal will take great heart from what happened at The Reebok on Saturday - but Liverpool will be a different proposition to Bolton. Liverpool are my favourites to go through because the Champions League really seems to suit them. It is a more cautious, tactical approach and they have a cautious manager in Rafael Benitez.

"This is not in any way a negative comment about Benitez. He simply has a way of playing that suits the Champions League, as Liverpool's recent record in the competition proves, and that is good management.

"Liverpool will get men behind the ball at Arsenal and they will be delighted the second leg is at Anfield, where the crowd will be such a factor. I expect this to be a very tight affair, more of a slog than pretty football. The away goal is more important now than when I played, in fact, it is hugely important, but make no mistake, if you offered Benitez 0-0 now he would bite your hand off."

Meanwhile, in the build-up to the match, players on both sides have been asked to comment and predictably their responses to the journalists have been blown up into banner headlines that suggest arrogant over-confidence when in fact a circumspect, honest opinion was offered.

Thus "Toure Says Liverpool Are Scared Of Arsenal" and "Gerrard Says Arsenal Should Fear Us" have made good copy but generated more heat than light. The fact is that both these teams, the managers and even the supporters, have huge respect for one another. There is little of the hostility or bitterness that flavours matches between either of them and Manchester United or Chelsea, but that does not mean this trilogy of matches will not be very keenly contested, with no quarter asked or given.


FORM GUIDE

Last Six Matches - All Competitions

Arsenal

29 Mar (Premier League) v Bolton (A) WON 3-2
23 Mar (Premier League) v Chelsea (A) LOST 1-2
16 Mar (Premier League) v Middlesbrough (H) DREW 1-1
09 Mar (Premier League) v Wigan (A) DREW 0-0
04 Mar (Champions League) v AC Milan (A) WON 2-0
01 Mar (Premier League) v Aston Villa (H) DREW 1-1


Liverpool

30 Mar (Premier League) v Everton (H) WON 1-0
23 Mar (Premier League) v Man Utd (A) LOST 0-3
15 Mar (Premier League) v Reading (H) WON 2-1
11 Mar (Champions League) v Inter Milan (A) WON 1-0
08 Mar (Premier League) v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0
05 Mar (Premier League) v West Ham (H) WON 4-0


Champions League 2007-08

Arsenal

Third Qualifying Round : 1 v Sparta Prague (A) WON 2-0
Third Qualifying Round : 2 v Sparta Prague (H) WON 3-0
Group H Matchday 1 v Sevilla (H) WON 3-0
Group H Matchday 2 v Steaua (A) WON 1-0
Group H Matchday 3 v Slavia Prague (H) WON 7-0
Group H Matchday 4 v Slavia Prague (A) DREW 0-0
Group H Matchday 5 v Sevilla (A) LOST 1-3
Group H Matchday 6 v Steaua (H) WON 2-1
First Knockout Round : 1 v AC Milan (H) DREW 0-0
First Knockout Round : 2 v AC Milan (A) WON 2-0


Liverpool

Third Qualifying Round : 1 v Toulouse (A) WON 1-0
Third Qualifying Round : 2 v Toulouse (H) WON 4-0
Group A Matchday 1 v Porto (A) DREW 1-1
Group A Matchday 2 v Marseille (H) LOST 0-1
Group A Matchday 3 v Besiktas (A) LOST 1-2
Group A Matchday 4 v Besiktas (H) WON 8-0
Group A Matchday 5 v Porto (H) WON 4-1
Group A Matchday 6 v Marseille (A) WON 4-0
First Knockout Round : 1 v Inter Milan (H) WON 2-0
First Knockout Round : 2 v Inter Milan (A) WON 1-0


TEAM NEWS

Arsenal

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor is set to start after being rested for Saturday's game at Bolton. Midfielder Abou Diaby is available because his suspension after being sent off in that match does not apply to European football.

Last Starting XI (v Bolton): Arsenal: Almunia, Toure, Senderos (Walcott 59), Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Flamini, Fabregas, Diaby, Bendtner (Adebayor 60), Van Persie (Justin Hoyte 90). Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Eboue.

Squad: Arsenal (from): Almunia, Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Flamini, Fabregas, Walcott, van Persie, Adebayor, Lehmann, Diaby, Bendtner, Hoyte, Senderos, Gilberto, Denilson.


Liverpool

Midfielder Javier Mascherano is likely to return to the side after serving a one-game suspension. Defenders Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio are also back in the squad after recovering from injuries.

Last Starting XI (v Everton): Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Riise, Lucas, Gerrard (Crouch 90), Alonso, Babel (Benayoun 82), Torres (Pennant 89), Kuyt. Subs Not Used: Itandje, Finnan.

Squad: Reina, Arbeloa, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Riise, Aurelio, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt, Voronin, Crouch, Torres, Pennant, Lucas, Itandje.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal

While Cesc Fabregas will provide the Gunners' main creative impetus, and his midfield battle with Javier Mascherano will probably be pivotal, it will be goals that decide the tie, and Arsenal will be looking to Dutchman Robin van Persie, a player with the big game temperament, to deliver after returning to full fitness from the knee injury sustained while on international duty with Holland last October. Van Persie has scored eight goals despite restricted appearances, and now has 42 in his Arsenal career. Emmanuel Adebayor, likely to partner him in attack against Liverpool, has 39 to his credit - 23 of them scored this season.


Liverpool

It has to be Fernando Torres at the moment, the striker who is in electric form and whose partnership with midfielder Steven Gerrard has proved dazzlingly productive in recent weeks. Torres now has 28 goals to his account this season, and Gerrard 19, with the pair of them scoring nine times in Europe. Torres has been praised from all quarters this week, deservedly so, and is flourishing as the main striker in Benitez's more settled side. His pace could trouble the Arsenal defence, and the Spaniard will undoubtedly provide the main goal threat to the Gunners.

Torres Enjoying Easy Life At Anfield

Fernando Torres insists it is "easy" to play well alongside Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.

The Spanish striker, with 28 goals already this season, is aiming his shooting boots at Arsenal on Wednesday night in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at the Emirates.

Ahead of the clash with the Gunners, Torres said: "I am pleased with the way I have settled in English football, it is important that I have good team-mates and a manager who can help me. Stevie has been a great help, he is one of the best players in the world and my understanding with him is easy."

He added: "It has been a new season, new team-mates, and it is important that everyone has been able to help me.

"Everyone wants to play alongside the best players and I am doing that with Stevie and scoring a lot of goals.

"My target is to continue doing that, I do not have a number to aim at but I want to do my best for the team to win trophies.

"It is the job of strikers to score goals, and I am doing my job. It is my first season, though, and I am surprised with how well it has gone.

"I need to be playing in the best competition so it is important that I can continue to play in the Champions League. That is my aim after this Arsenal tie.

"I have enjoyed winning in the San Siro, and I will look forward to playing at the Emirates. I am improving, but the most important thing for me is that I win trophies and get to the final.

"I have scored a lot of goals this season but I am more motivated by winning trophies for the team. My aim is for the team to have success, personal goals are secondary to team success."

Reina - Rafa Is A Genius

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina is confident manager Rafa Benitez will again demonstrate his European touch of genius to help the Reds past Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.

The Reds travel to Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday in a match which can be seen live on Sky Sports 2.

Liverpool have not defeated Arsenal away since 2000, but Reina believes Benitez - who has guided the Reds to two Champions League finals in the last three years - will again work his magic to earn a first leg advantage.

"Rafa's record in Europe gives the team extra belief we will go through," Reina told The Sun.

"He's a genius when it comes to tactics and a true specialist in preparing teams for two-legged cup ties.

"His attention to detail and past record of success gives us so much confidence.

"I don't know why we play better in the Champions League.

"In the league we have struggled with the endurance of competing with the big teams over nine months but the knock-out format suits us better.

"If this team continues growing by getting to the final in Moscow the Liverpool legend in Europe will be even more special."

Rafa Benitez Outlines His Vision For Liverpool

As Rafael Benitez glances beyond the dug-out at the Emirates Stadium this evening, he could be forgiven an envious look towards his opposite number.

Arsene Wenger has enjoyed immense success at Arsenal and his achievements in the Premier League will always command the respect and admiration of the Liverpool manager.

Yet Benitez believes that Wenger has had what he so far has not had at Anfield - the patient backing and indulgence of his paymasters as they buy completely into his vision for the club.

The Arsenal manager's vision is well documented. He spends less than the other big three in English football, but invests still significant amounts of money wisely in young talent that is the lifeblood - and the future - of the club.

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Benitez believes such a model must be the way forward for Liverpool. But privately he will argue that he has never enjoyed complete faith in his own similar vision, and has come under pressure to deliver when the odds are stacked against him.

The Liverpool manager has spent big money in his four years on Merseyside, but still nowhere near as much as either Chelsea or Manchester United, and only a little more than Arsenal.

Yet he has delivered two regal processions into the Champions League Final, winning the trophy in 2005, and he has also won the FA Cup. Add to that qualification every year so far for the Champions League and the Spanish coach has cause to believe he is doing his job.

Yet the pressure is there to do better, particularly in the league. Indeed, this season he seemed odds on to be sacked by the end of the campaign.

Another impressive European run has diverted that threat for the moment but yesterday Benitez expressed his vision for Liverpool and quietly warned his bosses that if there is ever going to be success at the club, then it is time to back his blueprint implicitly... just as Arsenal's do Wenger.

"You need a long-term vision if you want style and a winning team, and you have to be patient and back that vision if you are ever going to achieve success," he explained. "If you look at Arsenal, then they are clear in what they want to achieve and the vision has been set out for a very long time.

"Arsene Wenger has done a fabulous job, he is fantastic and I have great respect for him and his style.

"But he has been allowed to develop that style over a long period of time, and that is the key. If you want to progress you have to identify a vision and then back it. You have to be patient and believe in the long-term success of that vision."

The four years that Benitez has spent at Anfield has been a curious period for the Spaniard, with pressure almost a constant factor. Yet he believes that with the financial dominance of Chelsea and Manchester United in English football, the key to success for a less wealthy club like his own must lie in long-term planning, and faith in the right man at the helm to eventually deliver.

"In the Premier League there are three ways of winning things, which depend on the amount of money you have available," explained Benitez.

"You can go the Chelsea route and spend a massive amount of money in a short space of time, which gives you an edge. Or do what Manchester United do, which is spend a lot of money over time, and if that doesn't work, go again and spend more.

"Then there is the Arsenal way, which is to spend money, yes, but invest in the future. To have a vision and to clearly support that vision, even if it doesn't deliver success immediately.

"At this time, Arsenal's model is the best idea for us. We can not compete with the other two, so we have to progress slowly, and we have to put in place with the youth teams and reserves the right things for the future.

"I respect what Wenger has done, and his style is clearer than ours because he has had more time. But there were times - are times - when he cannot win, and then you need faith. That is what we need too.

"When I came we had won nothing for two years and were struggling to qualify for the Champions League. We had to change things and we had to start from a low position.

"We have spent money but the others have spent more. And yet we have closed the gap. We have also got to the Champions League Final and won it after 21 years without winning it.

"People don't say anything about that though, they just say it is 18 years since we won the league. But our idea is to ignore that pressure, that criticism, stay calm and keep going forward."

You need a long-term vision if you want style and a winning team, and be patient to achieve success.

Manchester United have spent a lot of money over time, and if that doesn't work they spend more.

Our idea is to ignore pressure and criticism, stay calm and keep going forward.

Wenger has been allowed to develop his style over a long period and that is the key.

David Bentley Plots Move To Champions League Club

David Bentley’s ambitions to be England’s first-choice right-winger at the 2010 World Cup will probably lead to his exit from Blackburn. Bentley has begun discussing a new contract with Blackburn but says his top priority is playing regularly in Europe, something that is not guaranteed with Blackburn next season.

In the one England game I’ve seen him play (the one against Switzerland), Bentley improved as the game went on and finished on a high note, with his runs and passing adding a new creative dimension to the England setup.

His downfall might be that he’s engineered to be the all-rounder - not as fast as Shaun Wright-Phillips or Aaron Lennon and not as good a crosser or passer as David Beckham, but good enough in both areas to start for England.

I also doubt that moving to a big club will give him a better chance at an England call-up, although the added European exposure would certainly help. With Arsenal having rejected him and Manchester United and Chelsea not reported to be interested (although if he moves to Manchester United he’ll be a good backup for Ronaldo), Liverpool and Everton (or even Tottenham) may be his best options when it comes to regular European adventures.

And even then, a man of Bentley’s ambitions would not be content with just playing in the Uefa Cup - if he wants to be considered good enough to start for England, he will probably need to prove himself in the Champions League first.

And speaking of hard decisions - he might just make the leap abroad to a Champions League club in Spain or Italy where the pace may suit him better.

So where do you think David Bentley would move to - one of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United or abroad?

Cesc Praises Torres Ahead Of Triple Header

Ahead of his side's hattrick of meetings with Liverpool - with each leg of their Champions League quarterfinal contested either side of a league encounter - Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has aired his views on compatriot Fernando Torres.

While Arsenal have no doubt outdone Liverpool in terms of silverware and consistency over the last decade, European glory has gone quite the other way.

The Gunners went close when making the final in 2006, but Liverpool can say the same of the more recent final in 2007, and added to that have the glorious if not somewhat miraculous success of 2005 to boast about, as well as the UEFA Cup won in 2001.

The two sides lock horns this week with Arsenal having only ever won a single Champions League quarterfinal - that of course in 2006 - of the four they have participated in. Liverpool meanwhile have an absolutely marvellous conversion rate, having made the quarters 11 times and progressed to the semi-finals on all but three occasions.

When considering general form this season, Arsenal started like a house on fire - something even the most devout optimists would not have foreseen in the club's first season in almost a decade without club icon and all-time leading scorer Thierry Henry.

Liverpool flattered to deceive as they have in recent years; falling away in the league, putting up little resistence in the Carling Cup and being embarrased by Barnsley in the FA Cup. However, since then, the Champions League has once more galvanised Benitez's side who, behind league leaders Manchester United, are without doubt the form team in England.

Wenger's Arsenal, meanwhile, conspired to lose a five point lead at the top of the table as they now trail by six, behind Chelsea in second but, thankfully for them, a comfortable eight ahead of Liverpool in fourth.

The two clubs now face each other three times in a week, with these games no doubt playing a monumental part in determining their respective fates this season.

“In these three games we will know the outcome of our season,” declared Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas. “The Champions League is of great importance. Liverpool have made it to the final twice in the last three years and know very well how to play these type of matches.”

Fabregas shared words with countryman Fernando Torres when the two met up for a friendly against Italy last week, a game neither impressed in. That said, both have been the respective stars for their club this season. Cesc revealed that Torres told him he would score, while the Arsenal man prefers to do his talking on the pitch.

From there on, though, he had only words of praise for the star striker and his magnificent first season in England.

“He said that he will score a goal, but I preferred to remain quiet, wait and speak later on the pitch,” remarked Fàbregas. “When a player comes to England, one can doubt whether he will settle, but Torres is doing fantastically well.

"English football suits him just fine: He is a strong player, hard to defend, he is clinical when facing goal and overall, he creates space, something which is paramount in England.”

Fàbregas opined that the 23-year-old's success hinges on him no longer dealing with all the pressure that was on his shoulders as Atletico Madrid's apparent saviour during a somewhat dark period in los Rojiblancos' history.

“He had all the plaudits, but when things went wrong, all the criticism as well,” explained Fàbregas. “It was as if Atlético was just made up of Torres. That is not very beneficial, especially Atlético was not going through the best of times and he got the worst of the criticism.

“These are things that when you are young can make you overanalyse things and go through a negative spell. Here, he feels he is more free, surrounded by quality players and he is going through a great spell.”