Arsenal will be facing Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the upcoming Champions League 2008. This will certainly be an exciting match and both managers will be deciding what strategies to use so as to chase both the English Premier League as well as the Champions League titles. The interesting thing is that Liverpool and Arsenal will play each other three times in succession at the start of April, with the quarter-final matches straddling a Premier League encounter at Highbury on April 5.
Arsenal and Liverpool have never before faced each other in European competition, but the platform has been set for a familiar all-England semi-final. Should Liverpool and Chelsea make it through to the last four, they will face each other at that stage of the tournament for the third time in four years, with Rafael Benitez's side having won the past two meetings.
All eyes will be on Arsenal and Liverpool. I think this draw favors Arsenal more because both games will be played in England; therefore Benitez's Champions League experience and knowledge won't matter as much as it would have against a European side. If Arsenal can bottle up Torres, Liverpool will definitely be out.
Although Arsenal may be above Liverpool in the Premier League standings but domestic form has counted for nothing in recent all-English duels. When Chelsea beat Arsenal in 2004 and Liverpool bettered Chelsea in 2005 and 2007, it was the losing side that finished higher in the Premier League.
Benítez got the better of Arsenal in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League second group stage when in charge of Valencia. The teams drew 0-0 at Highbury in December 2002 and met again in their final group match at Mestalla in March 2003, when a 2-1 Valencia victory secured first place in the section for the Spanish side and relegated Arsenal to third.
Liverpool and Arsenal last met in a two-leg tie in the English League Cup semi-final in February 1978. Liverpool won the first leg at Anfield 2-1 and held out for a goalless draw in north London in the return.
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