SOCCER/Arsenal 3 Liverpool 1: The delirious grin of last Tuesday night had twisted into a dejected grimace; Steven Gerrard was not enjoying himself. Arsenal had opened a two-goal lead with all the ease of opening a bottle of wine, and the champagne-soaked joy of Liverpool's Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea seemed a distant memory.
Liverpool's captain, as ever, did his utmost to drag his team through this match, scoring the goal that briefly reawakened the prospect of a top-four finish.
But once more, Gerrard's best efforts were futile. He must be haunted that that could be the case again in the Champions League final; even if Liverpool win it, their place in next season's competition could be in the hands of the lawyers.
"We have to win the cup, then maybe someone will say to Liverpool okay," said Rafael Benitez in reference to his side's Champions League uncertainty.
Yet, Liverpool are in danger of slipping to seventh place for the season's end - can that possibly satisfy Gerrard, who Chelsea remain so keen to recruit?
The talk is that lifting a European Cup would prove ample recompense for spending next season in the Uefa Cup, but much must improve if Liverpool are to have any hope of challenging for the domestic title next season, which is Gerrard's desire. "We haven't played well away," said Benitez. "Last season we were drawing games and this season we have lost them."
There is another rub. Here, for the 12th time in 14 attempts this season, Liverpool failed to record a win after a European night. "The statistics are there for analysing," conceded Benitez.
For Arsenal, the analysis would focus on a six-match period between October and December in which 12 points were dropped. Overall, though, their self-assessment would be positive, since a point against Everton or Birmingham would secure them second place in the Premiership and automatic Champions League qualification.
"After first place, second is the most important," quipped Arsene Wenger. "This is something very positive. Ashley Cole is still young, Kolo Toure is 23, Phillippe Senderos is 20, Cesc Fabregas 18 - they are all young boys."
Whether all will be with Wenger next season is unclear. A Premier League hearing will only take place four months after Chelsea surreptitiously met Cole in a London hotel. "International war is quicker to sort out," said Wenger about the drawn-out disciplinary process. "We have a contract with Ashley until 2007, talks can go on until 2007 if we need them to. But we need to talk to Ashley's agent and he is preparing his case."
Wenger's own case for convincing Cole to stay at Arsenal was persuasively stated on the pitch. Patrick Vieira was looking a particular threat and one driving run, pivoted by Fabregas's wall pass, saw him advance to the edge of Liverpool's box.
Dietmar Hamann was not prepared to let him pass and he scythed Vieira down 20 yards out. Robert Pires stepped up to what would have been Thierry Henry's plate and, with all the aplomb of his injured team-mate, curled his shot into the net.
Soon it was two. Fabregas released Jose Antonio Reyes who was fortunate to see Jamie Carragher slip over, clearing his path. It was all the space the Spaniard needed and he burst into the box, trailing three Liverpool shirts behind him, before slotting his shot between Jerzy Dudek's legs.
Liverpool owed their goal to a free-kick that should never have been, Xabi Alonso collapsing under the weakest of contact from Reyes. Hamann played it short to Gerrard and his firmly-struck effort ricocheted off the onrushing Fabregas's foot and beyond Jens Lehmann.
Benitez urged his side onwards and Sami Hyypia, Gerrard and Luis Garcia all came close. But the last word belonged to Fabregas. Lauren's ball was slipped to him via Dennis Bergkamp's delicate touch and he thumped his finish home to ensure Arsenal would finish the day 22 points clear of Liverpool. The gulf between Liverpool and Chelsea is 36. Benitez must hope that Gerrard does not analyse those statistics.
Ups And Downs
English Premiership
Champions: Chelsea
Champions League: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton.
Uefa Cup: Liverpool, Bolton plus either Tottenham, Manchester City or Middlesbrough.
Relegated: Three from Norwich, West Brom, Crystal Palace & Southampton.
Championship
Champions: Sunderland
Promoted: Wigan.
Play-offs: Ipswich, Derby, Preston, West Ham.
Relegated: Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, Rotherham.
League One
Champions: Luton
Promoted: Hull
Play-offs: Tranmere, Brentford, Sheffield Wed, Hartlepool.
Relegated: Torquay, Wrexham, Peterborough, Stockport.
League Two
Champions: Yeovil
Promoted: Scunthorpe, Swansea.
Play-offs: Southend, Macclesfield, Lincoln, Northampton.
Relegated: Kidderminster, Cambridge.
