Friday, January 05, 2007

Eboue ready to return for FA Cup trip to Liverpool

Liverpool v Arsenal
Anfield
Sat, Jan 6, 2007, 5.15pm


Slowly but surely, Arsenal's injury problems are clearing up.


LIVERPOOL begin their defence of the FA Cup against Arsenal, in front of live BBC television Match of the Day cameras in a teatime encounter at Anfield, which could turn out to be a classic. Both clubs are seemingly out of the running for the Premiership title and chasing consolation Champions League spots at third and fourth in the table. Their best chance of domestic silverware will therefore lie in the two Cup competitions. Should one or other get knocked out here, the pair meet again on the same ground on Tuesday in the rearranged League Cup quarter-final.

The Merseysiders are one point superior to the Gunners in the League, but will want to complete the job here, as they were thrashed 0-3 at the Emirates Stadium in November. Rafael Benitez' side have lost their last two clashes with the Gunners in north London, but won the last two on home turf.

Arsene Wenger's men prevailed in their most recent FA Cup meeting (1-0 in the fourth round at Highbury on 27 January 2002). Prior to that, the Merseysiders turned the tables in no uncertain terms in the first final to be staged at the Millennium Stadium in 2001. They were trailing 1-0 and seemingly down and out, when two goals in the last seven minutes from Michael Owen ensured the Cup headed north to Merseyside.

ARSENAL and Liverpool have won the oldest, and arguably the greatest knock-out competition in world club football on 17 occasions (10 for Arsenal, seven for Liverpool). The last two were the first to be decided on penalties. Arsenal beat Manchester United 5-4 on spot kicks after a goalless 120 minutes in 2005. West Ham were just seconds away from lifting the trophy in May, when Steven Gerrard fired home a first-time drive from 35 yards to take the match into extra time, at 3-3. A massively exciting final was decided in favour of the Reds by three spot kicks to one in the shoot-out.

The Gunners travel north on a run of five wins in eight games, including Tuesday's 4-0 crushing of Charlton, when Thierry Henry made a surprise return and opened the scoring with a 30th minute penalty.

An Arsenal player has lifted the FA Cup in three of the last five years, and on four occasions in the tenure of Wenger. They've reached the final in four of their last six attempts, and the semi-final on one of the other two occasions. Last season the Gunners were knocked out by Bolton in the fourth round. They will not want to fall even earlier this time around, or become the 15th club in 17 League and Cup matches this season to lose at Anfield. They would be delighted if they could be the first to win on the Reds' hallowed turf since Benfica in the Champions League on 8 March last year.

[ Source form : news.bbc.co.uk ]

No comments: