Liverpool v Arsenal CL (2nd Leg) Match Thread & Team News

Just the mention of free charlie will have all the chavski fans foamin at the mouth!!

 

We could lend them Charlie.

 

Think it's really unfair that most of the talk today in the media is about the pen decision. After the first 25 mins of the game, I think we more than a match for Arsenal and our fitness was displayed. We got a hold of our passing game and I still think bringing Babel on was a master stroke.

Shouldn't all the talk be about why Arsenal were unable to score equal or more than us?

Its the media though - that wouldn't sell.

Penalty's make headlines, and Arsenal fans will be consoled by the thought that they were wronged in some way, not that they weren't the better team.

When Arsenal were dominating they were unable to score more than once, then Adebayore missed the sitter.
Arsenal were unable to score in the last 10 minutes because the defense did its job.

Its the media though - that wouldn't sell.

Penalty's make headlines, and Arsenal fans will be consoled by the thought that they were wronged in some way, not that they weren't the better team.

When Arsenal were dominating they were unable to score more than once, then Adebayore missed the sitter.
Arsenal were unable to score in the last 10 minutes because the defense did its job.

Good point its hardly headline material

"solid defence"

But this tat is:

"Contaversial Penalty" "Arsenal Robbed"

All that matters really is 4-2 liverpool... bring on chelsea!!!

What can I say about the game that hasn't already been said.

I was already hoarse before we kicked off.  Despite Arsenal playing some sublime football for the first twenty minutes we kept it down to one goal.  We did our bit screaming encouragement and hurling abuse at the opposition.  Sami's goal was the turning point.  We scored from a set piece, a corner of all things.  We never score from corners.   You could see our confidence visibly growing and by half time we didn't want the whistle to blow because we had the upper hand.

The guy next to me said we need to continue this in the second half and we did.  Torres' goal was pure class.  We were in ecstasy.  But things are never that easy with Liverpool.  The clock wouldn't go fast enough and they go and equalise with not to much time left.  Initially we were stunned but that was short lived as the lad in front of me stood up and shouted lets get behind the team - and we did, big style.

Arsenal's tiring defence was there for the taking and Babel took them.  Got us a penalty and then killed them off.  This is not the way we do things at Liverpool.  We expect to be on the edge of a heart attack until the final whistle, knowing the opposition could undo us with one more goal.  Babel gave us the the luxury of a couple of minutes of relaxation and pure celebration.

Danced, hugged, fretted, screamed, sang, groaned, chanted and celebrated with total strangers whose only common bond is the love of Liverpool FC.  Welcome to another European night at Anfield.

Exactly liverpoologic. This is why I don't buy tabloids etc.

Anyone reckon 'that sending off' for Mascherano against the scum has had an effect on his game since? He wasn't his usual self in the first half was he. Or was that because Arsenal were too good?

Initially we were stunned but that was short lived as the lad in front of me stood up and shouted lets get behind the team - and we did, big style.

Wonder if that was MrTommo? He mentioned he did exactly that after they scored that second goal.

Knowing Anfield though, there was probably more than one person doing that after they scored.

Exactly liverpoologic. This is why I don't buy tabloids etc.

Anyone reckon 'that sending off' for Mascherano against the scum has had an effect on his game since? He wasn't his usual self in the first half was he. Or was that because Arsenal were too good?

I have no problem saying that arsenal in the first 25 mins at least, were just too good but thats only because they put everything into it and you cant win a marathon by sprinting at the start now can you

Last night we started slow almost pedestrian but we finished like lions and one guy Dirk Kuyt got stronger and stronger and as the game progressed he was a bloody inspiration to all. Nice one Dirk no wonder Raffa keeps going on about your work rate,you showed that without the grafters you'll never win anything (sound familiar)...

They can have him for free !! 

Smigger15, you're spot on. Just read that Cech is gonna be ready for the Anfield encounter. He will play with 50 stitches on his face. These stitches require 6 months to heal. This guy is glory-seeking. This may end his career. Foolhardy IMO.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=558526&in_page_id=1779&ito=newsnow

So Arsenal were dominant in the first 20mins. Their goal was well taken, Pepe was blamed for that one. Lost his near post, but when the ball is traveling at 90mph from 7 or 8 yards, there is no time to react. The defenders have to take their portion of the blame as well. "Adebayor through on goal on four occasions but was unlucky to be flagged offside." What the F**k is that all about, he was offside because the liverpool defence was marshalled brilliantly and done the job they were there to do. If he had timed his run better he wouldn't have been off side. End of. Credit where credit is due, Arsenal do look good when they get their passing going but most of it was in the middle of the park. Apart from the goals I can't think of more than one serious save Pepe had to make. So three shots on target in 90 mins ? doesn't sound dominant to me. Adebayor's miss was actualy not that easy. He was on his right foot when the ball came in and by the time he'd taken another stride onto his left foot the ball had just gone  a bit too far. When he connected the ball had just passed him so the pass was too firm or to far ahead of him. Wasn't that clear cut for me. Although I did nearly crap myself at the time. Walcot? we could do with him on our right wing next season. But not if Riise is playing for the oposition. Theo hardly had a kick when Riise came on. Looked good against tired legs though. Any Liverpool player ?  All out fought and out thought Arsenal apart from the first 20 mins and a few isolated moments in the second half. Arsene, you were well and truly beaten by the better side. You have to learn, 20 mins of class looking passing won't win you games against a team with fire in its belly for 90 mins. Bring on the chavs......

I've spoken to a fair few non-Liverpool fans about the game, and there seems to be one word that keeps popping up, lucky. A QPR fan has posted on the website that 'Liverpool’s outrageous luck in this tournament goes on and on!'. The question I asked in return is how often can something happen and still be considered lucky? Over the last few years we have seen off AC & Inter Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Chelsea twice and now Arsenal, we have set a record for the highest score in the Champions League and have also achieved comfortable victories over other decent opposition along the way. We are a proven team in Europe, the fact that we have a habit of amazing comebacks & last minute heroics has nothing to do with luck, it’s because we don’t give up & we battle to the last. A goal doesn’t become any more or less lucky depending on what time it’s scored, a good goal is a good goal regardless. All the gooners I've spoken to disagreed with the penalty but even without that goal we scored three others that were well taken (no lucky deflections or anything like that) and would have still won us the match. I personally felt that the penalty decision was correct the first time I saw it and I still think so having seen the replays, the challenge was clumsy rather than intentional but he prevented Babel from continuing his run without touching the ball at all and that is a foul in my book. I can understand Arsenal’s disappointment at not getting a penalty in the first leg, I think it was a foul too but the player made too much of a meal of it & ended up shooting himself in the foot as the ref didn’t believe him. The fact that a penalty wasn’t given in the first leg doesn’t set a precedent though, the right decision was made at Anfield.

Arsenal played some brilliant football at times but at the end of the day football is a results business & we got the result, I would have been happy with our worst performance of the season if we had somehow still got the victory. In this case though the criticism levied at our club in the press is uncalled for, all the stats show that we did take the game to Arsenal and created more chances, we had 17 shots (5 on target) to Arsenal’s 9 (3 on target). We also had 51% of the possession & had 5 corners to Arsenal’s 2. The media can dress it up any way they like but over the 90 minutes we outplayed Arsenal and the scoreline reflected that.

Exactly liverpoologic. This is why I don't buy tabloids etc.

Anyone reckon 'that sending off' for Mascherano against the scum has had an effect on his game since? He wasn't his usual self in the first half was he. Or was that because Arsenal were too good?

Nope because that wasnt his first game back. And he was his normal self in the other game.

Just a quick question, does everyone think the kuyt on hleb was not a foul and toure on babel was ?

Both were penalties IMO.

I reckon they were both penalties but still, we won on the night and that's what counts.

Nope because that wasnt his first game back. And he was his normal self in the other game.

Just a quick question, does everyone think the kuyt on hleb was not a foul and toure on babel was ?

Honestly trying to look at them without bias I really thinks ours was a pen but the Hleb one wasn't. Toure was all over Babel, tugging and pulling, running at that speed theres only going to be one outcome, you foul the other player. Lazy from Toure and probably down to tired legs.
I've looked at Hleb's a few times and I really don't think it is one. The only part of Kuyt's body that comes into contact is a flailing arm, theres absolutely no force behind it. How is that enough to not only take a full, grown man down but to also spin him around so that he can look at the ref as he is falling!?

The difference was that Babel didn't immediately appeal as he was falling, he had his eye on the goal. As soon as Hleb looks round at the ref he'll know it was at least partially a dive, which it undoubtedly was.

True i think hleb looked straight at the ref whereas babel tends not to look for decisions which i like he just plays his game.

Im not going to sugar coat it though i do think both were penalties though, i was very suprised to see us get ours as i didnt even see the contact when it happened i was expecting babel to hit a thunderous shot at almunia then saw him hit the deck. The hleb one i thought it was going to be given and i do think it was one, at first i thought it was just kuyts trailing arm but after seeing it again i dont think it was.

One thing many footballs fans forget, Even if hleb hadent looked straight to the ref and he had been given a penalty we have pepe in goal. Getting a penalty against him is not the most promising thing and is certainly no guarantee you will score. Although his penalty record in match time as opposed to shoot outs for us isnt as great as made out im always confident he will save a penalty when faced with one.

Think it's really unfair that most of the talk today in the media is about the pen decision. After the first 25 mins of the game, I think we more than a match for Arsenal and our fitness was displayed. We got a hold of our passing game and I still think bringing Babel on was a master stroke.

Shouldn't all the talk be about why Arsenal were unable to score equal or more than us?

Kenny I mentioned in a earlier post that RAFA was spot on with his timing for bringing on the subs.I thought Babel was the master stroke as he did not have a good game in the 1st leg but certainly made up for it at Anfield.

True I think hleb looked straight at the ref whereas babel tends not to look for decisions which I like he just plays his game.

Im not going to sugar coat it though I do think both were penalties though, I was very suprised to see us get ours as I didnt even see the contact when it happened I was expecting babel to hit a thunderous shot at almunia then saw him hit the deck. The hleb one I thought it was going to be given and I do think it was one, at first I thought it was just kuyts trailing arm but after seeing it again I dont think it was.

One thing many footballs fans forget, Even if hleb hadent looked straight to the ref and he had been given a penalty we have pepe in goal. Getting a penalty against him is not the most promising thing and is certainly no guarantee you will score. Although his penalty record in match time as opposed to shoot outs for us isnt as great as made out im always confident he will save a penalty when faced with one.

I think the 12th man might have swayed things very slightly too...

Now then, ive fully recovered from Tuesday Night, and well done Liverpool, Sami you are the man, you are a LEGEND. Still cant believe why no one took down Walcot, but with hindsight suppose it was better not to.
Was really good to put faces to names with a few people off here in the sandon on Tuesday night.

Well, I haven't been on here for 2 days as I've been at home. Got a computer there and was itching to get on to post my thoughts but trying to get the computer off the wife is like trying to stop Fernando Torres scoring in front of The Kop . F***ing impossible.

First off top, top post Tommo...made me feel like I was there instead of 30,000 odd miles away....and Eddie for posting on his phone whilst he's at the match...just brilliant, mate.

What can I say?...I'm ecstatic...what a night, what a win...you can say what you want about the penalty but we beat them fair and square and we're in the next round not them...so stick that in your pipe and smoke it Arsend...you whinging SOD.

Apart from the 1st 25 minutes, we bossed that game. The way we hit back after conceding that goal was just fantastic...what a header from Sammy. Then Fernando adds to his tally of truly special goals for us and again in front of the KOP. How good was that goal?

I was stunned when Adebayaor levelled, absolutely gutted and as JD and Don said before, I just wanted someone, anyone to hack down Walcott when he went on that amazing run. I don't care if it's not the LFC way. Imagine if we hadn't scored those last 2 goals. We'd be out because no one stopped that break from Walcott. Did you see how much ground Masch made up to even get to him? F***ing amazing.

One minute I was cursing Stevie G for that air shot he had on his left peg that led to the break and then when he was lining up the penalty, I was saying "Don't F**k this up Steven, make up for what you just did and what does he do? he smashes it into the top corner...no chance Aluminia, 3-2...delirium, pandemonium...we're in front. Question: who did SG run too, when he scored?...the crowd erupting covers the camera and I couldn't tell, was it Rafa?

Kuyt then hoofs the ball up and Ryan sprints on to it to poke the ball home even though he was being impeded by Cesc.

GAME OVER, CROWD ERUPTS AND WE'RE THRU TO FACE THOSE CHAV bas**rds AGAIN.

The team were fantastic, the crowd unbelievable, Rafa spot on again with his wonderful tactics. I love this club...you ALL DID THIS CLUB PROUD...WALK ON.

Well, I haven't been on here for 2 days as I've been at home. Got a computer there and was itching to get on to post my thoughts but trying to get the computer off the wife is like trying to stop Fernando Torres scoring in front of The Kop . F***ing impossible.

First off top, top post Tommo...made me feel like I was there instead of 30,000 odd miles away....and Eddie for posting on his phone whilst he's at the match...just brilliant, mate.

What can I say?...I'm ecstatic...what a night, what a win...you can say what you want about the penalty but we beat them fair and square and we're in the next round not them...so stick that in your pipe and smoke it Arsend...you whinging SOD.

Apart from the 1st 25 minutes, we bossed that game. The way we hit back after conceding that goal was just fantastic...what a header from Sammy. Then Fernando adds to his tally of truly special goals for us and again in front of the KOP. How good was that goal?

I was stunned when Adebayaor levelled, absolutely gutted and as JD and Don said before, I just wanted someone, anyone to hack down Walcott when he went on that amazing run. I don't care if it's not the LFC way. Imagine if we hadn't scored those last 2 goals. We'd be out because no one stopped that break from Walcott. Did you see how much ground Masch made up to even get to him? F***ing amazing.

One minute I was cursing Stevie G for that air shot he had on his left peg that led to the break and then when he was lining up the penalty, I was saying "Don't F**k this up Steven, make up for what you just did and what does he do? he smashes it into the top corner...no chance Aluminia, 3-2...delirium, pandemonium...we're in front. Question: who did SG run too, when he scored?...the crowd erupting covers the camera and I couldn't tell, was it Rafa?

Kuyt then hoofs the ball up and Ryan sprints on to it to poke the ball home even though he was being impeded by Cesc.

GAME OVER, CROWD ERUPTS AND WE'RE THRU TO FACE THOSE CHAV bas**rds AGAIN.

The team were fantastic, the crowd unbelievable, Rafa spot on again with his wonderful tactics. I love this club...you ALL DID THIS CLUB PROUD...WALK ON.

In answer to your question it was Riise that Gerrard ran upto and jumped on after netting his penalty.