Liverpool/ Arsenal III: The really important one

This week's top prize for loony marketing initiatives goes to the organisers of the Olympic Games, for parading the Olympic torch behind a phalanx of a dozen shell-suited Chinese goons, countless local police (some on roller skates) and who knows how many plain clothes spotters with a keen eye for a trouble maker. Play with fire, and you get burnt. Play with symbols, however, and you get your head kicked in, and not very symbolically. What a confusing advert for an international athletics jamboree. While these weirdos march up and down with their "sacred flame", however, Arsenal and Liverpool have a very real issue to settle. The Champions League feels like the kind of organisation that would quite like a sacred flame of its own, but fortunately matches such as tonight's provide enough old-fashioned winner-goes-through, loser-goes-home drama that no amount of roller-skating cops could add to the sense of occasion. Some people will be happy, others will be sad, and the tears will be genuine. Watch and learn, Olympics – keep it simple, and ditch the stupid symbols.

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Liverpool
Last six: DDWLWW
Last six Champions League games: DWWWWW
Last six Champions League home games: WWWLWW
Injuries: Agger (ankle/foot, June), Pennant (hamstring, unknown)
Suspensions: None

Arsenal
Last six: DDWLDD
Last six Champions League games: DWDWLD
Last six Champions League away games: WLDWWL
Injuries: Sagna (ankle, April 13), Rosicky (hamstring, April 13), van Persie (thigh, April 19), Eduardo (broken leg, unknown)
Suspensions: None

Headline Trends

» Arsenal have scored eleven times in their last four trips to Anfield.

» Arsenal have recorded at least one victory over Liverpool in each of the past seven seasons.

 

 

» The last time two English sides met in the quarters, Chelsea drew the first-leg at home to Arsenal, only to win away on the return leg.

» Two sides drew their first-legs away in last year's quarter-finals, and both went out - Valencia, Bayern Munich.

» Only one of the last four Champions League quarter-finalists to draw their first leg 1-1 at home has gone out - Lyon, 2005.

Arsenal

» The Gunners have only failed to score in four of their twenty-six away fixtures this season.

» They have failed to win away against any of the other Big Four teams this season.

Liverpool

» Liverpool haven't won a single Big Four game this season.

» But they are unbeaten in their five home games against London clubs - winning two and drawing three.

» In each of the previous four seasons that Rafa Benitez has clashed with Arsenal he has beaten them at home - once with Valencia and three times with Liverpool.

» When the two sides met four times last season, it was Liverpool that had the last laugh, winning the final match 4-1 at Anfield.

» chickendinner superfact: Liverpool have only lost one of their previous six European home games against another English club.

Any other business

» Fernando Torres has scored seven goals in his last five games at Anfield.

» Arsenal have won just two of their last eleven games - both of those were away wins.

» Arsenal have scored 24 goals in the last 15 minutes of games this season.