Sentimentality amongst the visiting support was prevalent prior to kick-off as certain pockets of Arsenal fans sported their yellow jerseys in homage to the same fixture a score of years ago where the Gunners required a two goal victory in order to secure a league title, on the last day of the season, at Anfield. Twenty-years on and there was not as much at stake for Arsenal, but Liverpool were still aiming to gun down Premier League leaders Manchester United, and could have temporarily gone top of the charts with a win this evening. A feast of attacking football and a spectacular 90 minutes ensued that would have had neutrals everywhere salivating over countless twists, turns, and talking points. Liverpool began the game with great intent and were clearly the side on a mission as early efforts from Fernando Torres, Albert Riera, and Yossi Benayoun inside the first ten minutes could have provided the home side with an early lead. Lukasz Fabianski, though, who had such a howling day at the office deputizing for Manuel Almunia in between the sticks at Wembley versus Chelsea, was hell-bent on proving his worth in front of Arsene Wenger and got hands to all three shots. Despite the onslaught to Arsenal's goal, it was Liverpool who ended up conceding first, as Andrey Arshavin found the net - with the aid of the bar - after some good link-up play between Samir Nasri and Francesc Fabregas inside the area. The Spaniard squared the ball to the winter window Russian recruit and Arshavin made no mistake in beating a flapping Pepe Reina. Rafael Benitez made a tactical re-shift after the break and asked hard-working Dirk Kuyt to move to more of a flanking area on the right hand side, and the switch bore instant results as Liverpool scored twice within ten minutes of the re-start. Some poor defending by Bacary Sagna, who failed to clear the ball in a dangerous area, found it's way to Kuyt on the right hand side and the Dutchman looped in a pinpoint cross that Torres finished off neatly - and strongly - into the corner of the net with his head. Benayoun granted the Reds a temporary lead in the 55th minute with a scrappy goal after some poor defensive work again, this time from Fabianski. Arshavin restored parity - against the run of play - eleven minutes later with a goal from nowhere, as he curled in a powerful effort from outside the box. Three minutes later and the diminutive, finely-balanced Russian international slotted a neat shot under the reaches of Reina. It took just two minutes for Liverpool to equalise again, when Spanish winger Riera found his fellow national Torres in the box and the silky striker's footwork foiled Mikael Silvestre and, even though Fabianski got a hand to the ball, he could not stop it bulging into his net. At three-a-piece the game was not over, and Arsenal thought they had the game won when Arshavin again, for the fourth time in the evening, popped up to score and sneak the Gunners in front when Theo Walcott found a break and both he and Arshavin stormed forward. The former with a cross-field on-the-floor assist, and the latter with the goal that sent the away section into raptures. Liverpool, though, in a finish befitting the spectacle of the evening, restored parity as Arsenal failed to again clear the ball sufficiently, and Benayoun ensured that the Reds - for the second time in the space of a week - battled out an epic 4-4 draw. It was indeed an extraordinary to-and-fro eight goal thriller took place this evening, in a game that will no doubt be taped and replayed to purists for years to come.
On 50 minutes, Hiddink’s men finally responded as they pulled one back. Anelka drilled in a low cross from the right and Drogba nicked in just ahead of Martin Skrtel to get to slightest of touches to divert it past Reina, but the Spaniard had to be held accountable as he spilled the ball into this own net at his near post. Five minutes later, the Stamford Bridge faithful were up on their feet again when they thought Drobga had the ball in the back of the net. The Ivory Coast hitman curled in a freekick from 20 yards out but it only rippled the side netting. Sixty seconds after that, however, it was 2-2. And it was off a free kick from an almost identical range and distance, except, it was Alex who pummeled in an unstoppable pile driver with the outside of his right boot as the ball swerved away from the outstretched hands of Reina into the top of the goal.
It was indeed game over 15 minutes from time when Lampard stabbed home Drogba’s low cross from close range. Or so one thought. With 10 minutes left on the clock, Benitez’s men sensationally clawed their way back into the game. First, Lucas made it 3-3 on the night when his speculative effort outside the box took a wicked deflection off Essien and wrong-footed Cech. And merely two minutes later, Kuyt set up a tense finale when he easily out jumped a static Carvalho to meet Albert Riera’s cross and nodded a bullet header past the Czech goalkeeper. On 88 minutes, however, it really would be curtains this time when Anelka’s pull back found Lampard, and the stand-in captain smacked in a first time shot across goal past Reina and the ball pinged into the back of the net off the inside of the post.
After 90 minutes of play, the referee blew the final whistle and the Blues marched their way to the semi-final of the Champion League 7-5 on aggregate where they will meet Barcelona. It was a disappointment because one might think Liverpool had their chances to beat Chelsea when they first lead by 2-0 and later on in second half by 4-3. But, it was luck in Chelsea side and Liverpool should never be ashamed of their defeat. It was a dramatic moment though.
