After weeks and months of tinkering around, finally Benitez had stumbled across a team that could perform consistently - Gerrard just behind Torres, Kuyt and Babel on the flanks. So why feel it necessary to change it? He had home advantage against Arsenal, and putting Crouch in the starting team made no sense whatsoever. Unless, of course, Benitez was frightened.
Both men have fashioned themselves as gigantic-brained football scholars, but when it came to it, Benitez panicked, and attempted to fox Wenger with a new line-up. But it didn’t work. Not at all. For at least the first half hour, Liverpool were being torn apart, and it was only thanks to their lack of form in front of goal that Arsenal didn’t finish the game off early doors.
The key moment was surely Flamini going off. Arsenal seemed to lose momentum, and that’s when Liverpool finally began to look like contenders. Until then, they were on the ropes, Wenger had won. Even Gerrard admitted that he had an awful match - wasted on the left - and it was only once moved back into the middle that he made a difference.
Benitez can’t afford a similar mistake against Chelsea.
Or can he?
16 responses so far
1 Dave // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:37 am
The key moment was Hyypia’s goal. Before it, Liverpool were outplayed. Afterwards they were awesome and deserved to win. It had nothing to do with Flamini, who is massively overrated
2 AnfeildSingh // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:42 am
The only reason for the change, was because Crouch caused so many problems for arsenal’s defense on Saturday.
He fully deserved a start in last nights match, i think it was a great tactical move,as the defense don’t just have to worry about torres.
Against Man utd and the first match at the emirates, torres was non existent,due to the defenders just ganging up on torres.
3 jose walker // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:42 am
fuck off arse you whinging nobody .anybody else with your record would be sacked the only manager you have won less than in your years at the premier league is taggart losers the both of you in rafa we trust
4 Tone // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:43 am
What a load of guff.
Benitez brought Crouch in to try and field a changed side and throw Wenger off kilter, which at first didn’t work.
Crouch made a difference though, winning balls that would have otherwise gone onto Arsenal heads and could have led to trouble. Yes, Gerrard would have done better in the middle of the park but he had a job to do on the left, and although he’s had better games he still performed his duty.
We were attacking Arsenal before Mathieu Flamini went off and the only difference that was made in my mind was that Torres wasn’t being kicked up in the air every 5 minutes.
I’m fed up with all this talk of ‘luck’ and ‘fear’. When will people realise that our performances in Europe are the product of tactical thinking and discipline!
5 Josh Burt // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:44 am
For the record Jose, I’m a Liverpool fan
6 jose walker // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:44 am
typing error in previos mail should readmore than taggart not less than
7 Roland G // Apr 9, 2008 at 10:47 am
Rafa stumbled across a team? Excuse me?
To answer your question……..YES, Rafa did outwit Wenger. Check the score again and see who advances to the semi’s.
8 SOLMAN // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:05 am
ARSENAL NIL, LIVERPOOL 3 . It doesnt really matter to me what football fans think, liverpool havent knocked arsenal out, the referee’s have. If referee’s have to decide who goes through and who doesn’t, based on their appalling decision then this is not football this is cheating.
9 johan // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:29 am
everytime referee made a decision against arsenal they are either related to liverpool players or made wrong decision. but every time goners made a tart of themselves arsene did not see it. it is either the whole world is against goners or the whole goners team are blind as bats during matches.
10 dave // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:32 am
Flamini is a continenal robbie savage,
Adebayor is shit scored a few good goal but so has darren bent.
your manager is one crying bastard who now has the eye sight of a eagle must have been to specksavers ( ermmmmmmm i did not see the incident but the ref was right) french cunt!!!
and why the fuck does he belive arsenal should win every game just because the play nice football. wenger needs to get a grip life is not fair wake up bellend
11 goonergerry // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:48 am
Liverpool owe more to the ref for this win than Rafa. That was Never a penalty.Well what a semi final we have- a borefest if ever there was one.
12 Bridgy // Apr 9, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Spot on Dave. The key moment was Hyypia’s goal. Liverpool were the better side after that & even before Flamini was substituted.
People kept saying luck was on Liverpool’s side & got the penalty but what about Arsenal’s first goal? It looked like Flamini (I think) handled the ball on the build up to the goal. The ref could have given a free kick to Liverpool but didn’t so Arsenal did have some luck & they have enough chances to put Liverpool to the sword.
The ref knocked Arsenal out? Oh dear…
Borefest semi final? Well Arsenal are not there to provide the entertaining attacking football aren’t they?
13 Dusty // Apr 9, 2008 at 12:40 pm
who writes this crap, wenger has had years trying to win the champions league and every year he fucks it up, benitez has been there 4 years and been in 2 finals, now probably 3 as they are playing that pub side again. crouch only played cos he was good saturday, play well keep your place, not a bad way to go, unlike arsenal who continue to play that cunt senderos who makes titus bramble look like a world beater. ps the ref had a blinder
14 Khan // Apr 9, 2008 at 6:23 pm
simple as babel changed the game well actually torres scored that world class goal but when walcott made that amazing run and set up adebayor for the finish i thought it was all over i was so angry but then babel proved if one winger can cause chaos like that the other can as well he won that penalty buy outsprinting the 3 arsenal defenders and then at the end when the ball was way in fornt of him he ran left fabregas trying to pull him back and then even when he was unbalanced a beautiful finish over all liverpool deserved it and babel proved what he is worth and that he is class
15 redMist // Apr 9, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Khan - are you Alan Shearer in disguise? Well done for telling us something we all saw. Liverpool were lucky - all you scousers know it. The penalties were just the obvious reasons. You were outplayed in 4 of 6 halves over the 3 games and looked liked children in the first 30 minutes of the 2nd leg. You put away your chances so well played but even Gerrard admitted afterwards that Arsenal were the better team.
16 Uncle Bulgaria // Apr 9, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Liverpool fans… before you start gloating about your prowess in two legged matches, pray you are still in the Champions League next year because youre the longest odds to win it and Everton are still nicely positioned to take your 4th spot