Liverpool 4
Hyypia 30 Torres 69 Gerrard 86(pen) Babel 90
Arsenal 2
Diaby 13 Adebayor 84
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 2 (5-3 agg) April 08 2008
Liverpool effectively ended Arsenal's season with a 4-2 victory at Anfield to set up a meeting with Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
The Gunners looked to have won the tie when Theo Walcott ripped the Reds defence apart to set up Emmanuel Adebayor, who levelled the score at 2-2 with six minutes to go.
But it was not to be as moments later Kolo Toure brought down Ryan Babel in the penalty area and Steven Gerrard converted from the spot to seal the tie for the Merseysiders before Babel added a fourth for the home side with a breakaway effort in the dying moments.
Arsenal scored first through Abou Diaby before Sami Hyypia and then Fernando Torres forced Liverpool ahead. Adebayor's strike with seven minutes left looked to have finished off the Anfield men.
But Gerrard's penalty and Babel's late break provided yet another magical European result for the home fans.
The end of the week-long trilogy between these English giants saw one surprise selection, with Benitez opting for Peter Crouch right from the outset.
The Gunners started in sensational style, displaying blistering pace, strength in the tackle and sublime passing skills. Liverpool looked to be thoroughly on the ropes for the first 20 minutes.
Alexander Hleb, in a central role supporting Adebayor, was a constant danger and they were ahead in the 13th minute.
The raucous Anfield crowd grew eerily silent as Hleb threaded a ball down the right for Diaby to surge into the box before crashing home a shot between Jose Reina and his near post.
With Gerrard deployed on the left, Arsenal were destroying Liverpool's midfield, and flying at a frantic defence.
For 30 minutes Arsenal had been magnificent and Liverpool mesmerised by the quality swirling around them.
Somehow they had to get back into the game, just to draw breath if nothing else, such was Arsenal's utter domination.
And the breakthrough came from an unlikely source in veteran Hyypia. The 34-year-old, with a newly-signed contract this week, produced a towering header from Gerrard's corner that crashed into the net on the half-hour off Manuel Almunia's post.
Suddenly Liverpool were alive. Gerrard flashed a 30-yard shot wide, Dirk Kuyt's drive was charged down and Philippe Senderos - already booked for a foul on the Liverpool captain - started to struggle against Crouch's height.
Then Arsenal suffered the blow of Mathieu Flamini being carried off after looking to have fallen awkwardly on an ankle. Gilberto came on after 40 minutes. By now Liverpool looked a changed side; steaming forward, their confidence restored.
England boss Fabio Capello and Manchester United chief Sir Alex Ferguson sat side by side, enthralled, as Arsenal steeled themselves to defend in front of the Kop after the break.
It was the Spain striker, quiet up to that point, who forced Liverpool ahead. Crouch's flick-on reached the Liverpool goal machine in the box, he turned the lumbering Senderos with ease before firing his shot into the top corner.
Anfield erupted. Benitez, tie askew, urged his men on while Wenger replaced Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue with Van Persie and Theo Walcott, knowing another Arsenal goal would put them through.
Adebayor missed when clean through, as he has done so many times this season, opting for the spectacular first time shot when the most routine of touches would have taken him past Reinma and left the goal at his mercy. It might be time for Wenger to tell him that, despite what he believes, he is most certainly not Thierry Henry.
The tension by now could be cut with a knife. Babel came on for Crouch, who left the field to a standing ovation.
Liverpool switched back to their preferred system, with Gerrard working behind Torres while two holding players protected the midfield.
But Liverpool were uncharacteristically searching for more, and Arsenal caught them cold on the break. Walcott embarked on an amazing run from his own half, beating two defenders with blistering pace before pulling the ball back for Adebayor to drill in the equaliser after 83 minutes.
Hyypia collapsed in anguish, all around Liverpool players could see the end of their dream.
But astonishingly they rallied. Straight from the restart, with Arsenal showing a now customary lapse in concentration, Babel surged into the box and was brought down by Kolo Toure.
Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot, and with the Kop in hushed agony, Gerrard drove the penalty high into the net.
Arsenal will point to the moment in the first leg when Kuyt brought down Hleb in what was a far more clear-cut penalty, but the past meant nothing now.
John Arne Riise came on for Torres, Liverpool desperate for the end now. Another Gunners goal would again see them through.
But with Arsenal all up in Liverpool's box for a free-kick, the ball broke from the mass of players to be belted forward for Babel who outpaced Fabregas to gloriously drive home the fourth.
Alvaro Arbeloa came on for a shattered Kuyt, and there was nothing left now from Wenger's men as Anfield celebrated.