Liverpool v Chelsea

Champions League semi-final, 2nd leg
Date: Tuesday, 1 May
Kick-off: 1945 BST
First leg: 0-1
Venue: Anfield
Listen: BBC Radio Five Live
Updates: BBC Sport website and mobile

Liverpool full-back Steve Finnan is set to return as the Reds look to overhaul a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their Champions League semi-final at Anfield.

Striker Peter Crouch could also be in line for a starting place.

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has joined Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack on the injured list but fit-again Arjen Robben is in the squad.

Midfielder Michael Essien returns for the Blues, but he could be drafted into central defence in place of Carvalho.

Khalid Boulahrouz is another defensive option, while further forward midfielder Ballack has had an ankle operation which will rule him out for at least 10 days.

Didier Drogba and Joe Cole, who scored the only goal in the first leg, will miss a potential final in Athens if they receive a yellow card.

The same fate awaits Javier Mascherano or Jermaine Pennant should they earn a booking.

Mascherano was one of seven players who sat out Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday along with Jose Reina, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and John Arne Riise.

They all look certain to start on Tuesday.

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Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Pennant, Zenden, Bellamy, Kuyt, Mascherano, Crouch, Dudek, Gonzalez.

Chelsea (from): Cech, A Cole, Makelele, Terry, Essien, Ferreira, Boulahrouz, Robben, Lampard, J Cole, Drogba, Mikel, Geremi, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Diarra, Kalou, Cudicini.

BIG MATCH STATS

Definitions of terms used:-

Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this competition which began in 1992-93.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 1955-56 including qualification matches.
European matches - all matches played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, Uefa Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League).
Uefa Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded.

Head-to-heads

Liverpool and Chelsea have played each other five times in European history, all in the Champions League. In the 2004-05 season, the Reds knocked out the Londoners at the semi-finals (0-0, 1-0) and in the 2005-06 season, both teams met in the group stage, drawing 0-0 twice.

Both teams have therefore only scored once in the previous five meetings. Liverpool's goal, which was scored by Luis Garcia was heavily contested as it appeared not to have crossed the line.

European history

Liverpool have won the Champions Cup/Champions League five times with the most recent coming in 2004-05 when they won the Champions League for the first time, beating AC Milan on penalties. Their previous successes came in 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1984. They have also won three Uefa Cups and three Uefa Super Cups. This season is Liverpool's fifth in the Champions League and their 34th in European competition.

Chelsea's biggest success in European competition is winning the Cup Winners' Cup twice. They won the trophy in 1971 and 1998. They also won the European Super Cup in 1998. This is Chelsea's fifth CL participation. Their best result is reaching the semi-finals, which they have now managed on three occasions (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2006-07).

Current European form

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six CL matches, winning the last two. Their most recent defeat was 1-0 at Werder Bremen on 22 November 2006.

Liverpool have won all but one of their CL home fixtures this season. FC Barcelona won 0-1 at Anfield in the second round.

Player and disciplinary info

Javier Mascherano, Jermaine Pennant (both Liverpool), Arjen Robben, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Didier Drogba, Lassana Diarra (all Chelsea) will be suspended for the final if booked.

Jamie Carragher is the most experienced player in the Liverpool squad. He's set to make his 90th appearance in Europe, breaking Ian Callaghan's club record. Luis Garcia has scored 10 CL goals, more than any other player in the Liverpool squad. Xabi Alonso is the only Liverpool player who has appeared in all 11 CL matches this season.

Andriy Shevchenko is the most seasoned Chelsea player with 89 CL appearances. He's also the most prolific goalscorer in Chelsea's squad with 46 career CL goals. Didier Drogba is the only Blues player that has appeared in all 11 CL matches this season. With six goals, both Peter Crouch and Drogba are ranked joint second on the CL top scorers list this season, three behind AC Milan's Kaka.

Other miscellaneous facts

Liverpool are hoping to record their 150th European Cup match.

Big Match Stats source: Infostrada Sports

BBC News

Arsenal 3-1 Fulham

Fulham remain a point above the Premiership relegation zone after losing out to two late Arsenal goals.

The Gunners started brightly and were soon ahead when Julio Baptista headed home Emmanuel Adebayor's early cross.

Arsenal should have wrapped up victory long before Simon Davies lobbed Fulham level after Jens Lehmann's mistake.

But with six minutes left Adebayor slotted home to make it 2-1 before Gilberto scored from the spot after Alexander Hleb was fouled in the area.

The scoreline was slightly harsh on Fulham but, in truth, they only had themselves to blame for failing to make a game of it until the closing minutes.

There was a minute's applause before the game in honour of the late former Arsenal and England midfielder Alan Ball, as well as well as for Arthur Milton, who had played both football and cricket for England.

And the Gunners were quickly into their stride, taking the lead though Baptista's header after Adebayor had left Carlos Bocanegra trailing in his wake on the right.

Baptista should have wrapped up the win for Arsenal within minutes but he missed two good chances after the visitors' defence had been completely opened up.

Cesc Fabregas was also denied by a superb diving save from Fulham keeper Antti Niemi, who was at his best again soon afterwards to push away Adebayor's header.

It was vintage Arsenal, but they were still without the cutting edge they have lacked all season.

Not that it seemed likely to matter as Fulham were struggling to get near their opponents' penalty area, let alone threaten an equaliser.

Arsenal took their foot off the gas after the break and it was as if they thought they had already done enough to secure the three points.

Lawrie Sanchez's side did little to suggest anything different until Davies scored a goal out of nothing with 12 minutes left.

Lehmann came out to the edge of the box to punch away a deep cross but was horrified when the ball dropped to Davies who instantly lobbed it over his head and into the corner of the net.

That gave the Cottagers hope and, but for a fine save from Lehmann to deny Michael Brown, they would have taken the lead soon afterwards.

Instead they saw the points slip away as Arsenal belatedly resumed control.

First Adebayor majestically strolled through the Fulham defence before slotting a precise shot past Niemi.

And after Hleb was brought down in the area by Moritz Volz, Gilberto confidently stroked home the Gunners' third goal from the spot.

The win keeps Arsenal's hopes of finishing third alive but Fulham are now without a victory in 10 Premiership games and are in the thick of the relegation dogfight.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"We create more chances than anyone in the league but we don't score as many and that tells you we waste chances.

"We were great in the first half but sat back in the second and were a little bit poor. But we came back and showed our quality late on.

"Our season is not over. We want to finish third, show respect to the fans that come every week and we have a responsibility to the other teams too to put on performances."

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez:
"I think we were a bit naive - a point would have been fantastic but we just got a rush of blood to the head after the equaliser and went hell for leather looking to seal survival on the day.

"We got punished by a quality Arsenal attack but that's football. It can be very cruel.

"We have got two games - one at home - and we have got a chance to show our fans what we are made of - and that means stringing two halves together of good football, which I know we can do."

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Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Silva, Diaby, Julio Baptista (Denilson 71), Adebayor.
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Senderos, Djourou, Hoyte.

Booked: Silva, Eboue.

Goals: Julio Baptista 4, Adebayor 84, Silva 87 pen.

Fulham: Niemi, Rosenior (Volz 68), Knight, Christanval, Bocanegra, Davies, Brown, Diop, Jensen (Dempsey 59), Radzinski, McBride (Helguson 59).
Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Montella.

Booked: Brown, Bocanegra, Helguson, Volz.

Goals: Davies 78.

Att: 60,043

Ref: M Clattenburg (Co Durham)