YOU have to feel sorry for Liverpool — unless, of course, you are a Manchester United fan.
The Reds have taken part in two of the greatest games ever in successive outings.
They didn’t lose either, scored eight goals and yet managed to blow their chances in two competitions in the process.
Sometimes football just is not fair.
Last week’s incredible 4-4 draw in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was hailed as one of the epic encounters but Liverpool went out on aggregate.
This one was up there with it. However, Rafa Benitez’s men had to win to keep the pressure on United at the top of the table — a point just wasn’t good enough.
United boss Alex Ferguson must have had as big a smile on his face as Andrey Arshavin, who scored all four Gunners goals.
The £12million Russian only had four shots on goal and every one went in.
It has to be said, some of Liverpool’s defending was quite dreadful. But their powers of recovery were unbelievable as they came back from 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 down.
There was a theory that Arsenal were not bothered about this one with their Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford looming on the horizon.
Star strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie were left out because of minor injuries and Theo Walcott was only on the bench.
And it took the brilliance of under-fire Lukasz Fabianski to keep them in it as they were pummelled in the first half.
Fabianski endured a nightmare in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea on Saturday but manager Arsene Wenger insisted he would prove to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
He went a long way to confirming that view last night.
First he slid out to deny Yossi Benayoun and Alvaro Arbeloa, flew to his left to tip over a screamer of a half-volley from Fernando Torres which was destined for the top corner, saved another from the Spanish ace and then stretched to keep out Benayoun’s effort.
Arsenal had only one attempt on target in 45 minutes but it was the one that mattered and came about after the first of Liverpool’s defensive errors.
The normally-reliable Javier Mascherano dithered on the edge of his own area, was robbed by Cesc Fabregas, and then lost out to Samir Nasri as he tried to retrieve the situation.
Nasri picked out Fabregas making a run and the skipper was just onside before cutting it back to Arshavin, who shot in off the underside of the bar.
It was ridiculous that Liverpool were behind and Benitez could have done no more than tell his team to keep going at half-time and that their rewards would come.
They did and, by the 56th minute, they were in front.
Bacary Sagna caught the defensive jitters by volleying across his own area and though the irrepressible Dirk Kuyt’s initial cross was blocked, the second was on the money and Torres headed into the corner.
Then the Gunners got in a right old tangle as Liverpool pressed. Kieran Gibbs’ hasty clearance was collected by Kuyt and Benayoun bravely headed over the line before Fabianski could claw it out.
Benayoun was doing a fine job filling in for Steven Gerrard and kept driving Liverpool on. But Arsenal had an uncanny knack of sticking their few chances away and profiting from the home side’s defensive frailties.
On 67 minutes Jamie Carragher headed forwards and Arbeloa, caught with his back to goal, was dispossessed by Arshavin, who took a couple of strides forward and smacked a 25-yard shot beyond the despairing Pepe Reina.
Arshavin again reaped the benefits of a defensive howler as Fabio Aurelio presented the ball to him on a plate and he made no mistake.
Arsenal were 3-2 up but the way the game was going there was no way the score was going to stay like that.
Torres turned Mikael Silvestre, made a yard of space, and bang in it went off the outstretched hand of Fabianski.
There were 18 minutes left and Liverpool piled forward looking for the winner. Xabi Alonso’s corner was met by the head of Torres and Gibbs was perfectly positioned to clear off the line.
There was nobody in defence for the home side any more except Reina and, as the clock ticked round to 90 minutes, Fabianski punched clear and substitute Theo Walcott broke away down the right.
Arshavin was steaming through the middle, Walcott’s pass was perfectly into his stride and the Russian’s left boot sent the ball flying into the net.
Astonishingly, Arsenal were back in front but it still was not over and five minutes added time signalled by the fourth official encouraged Liverpool to keep on going.
Mascherano’s header across goal cause confusion on the edge of the six-yard box, Ryan Babel climbed highest and the ball dropped to Benayoun for the Israeli to finish it off.
Sadly the final whistle had to come sometime and Howard Webb brought the curtain down on a quite extraordinary night.
Wenger doing his old rival Fergie a favour. Who would have thought it?
