Sorry so late on posting about the match, but I think I'm finally drunk enough to write something or at least Photoshop a work of art. If you don't get it or aren't caught up on the episodes of Jose on Setanta, well then you just suck. Erase your suckiness by going on youtube and searching for "jose, setanta." You shall be rewarded.
The Reds meet Arsenal at 1:45 CST at the Emirates for part I of III of their clashes this week. There's a league game sandwiched in on Saturday before the Gunners come back to Anfield on Tuesday for the second leg of the Champions League tie.
I was going to write something earlier today and was rifling through press junkets about facts and figures. There's all sorts of vaguely interesting things about how Arsenal has only met an English club in a European contest once before and lost to Chelsea on that occasion. There's also info about who's available, who's carrying yellows, the records of Wenger and Benitez when going head to head but really, who cares?
This is uncharted territory. Arsenal, who started the season off like a rocket up the league table, are now watching their title slip away as Man Yoo and Chelsea climb above them. Liverpool, who started slow, partly I believe because of Rafa's wonderful rotation policy, are now in good (not perfect) form and tend to do well in Europe. They especially do well when Gerrard and Torres decide to put their foot to the ball.
I'm a fan of Cesc Fabregas, but I do not believe he and the rest of the Arsenal squad have the maturity to rise above adversity and win championships. I also firmly believe that their 10 man comeback against Bolton was a fluke. Why? Well, because it's Bolton. If that had happened against anyone in the top half of the table, it'd be impressive, but not against a team fighting to stay in the league.
At the end of the season, the top 4 will probably look pretty much the way they do now. Arsenal will be out of the Champions League and it will be Liverpool and Man Yoo in the final. So sayeth the Crystal Beer Bottle.