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ARSENAL:'They feel they can do anything with that crowd'

/noticias.info/ Before Liverpool kicked off their Champions League tie against Arsenal last week, Tony Barrett of the Liverpool Echo told Arsenal.com that "an away goal is more important than a clean sheet." Now, it's all about the clean sheet.

Fernando Torres and co are capable of scoring at Anfield but the bottom line is this: if Arsenal finish the second leg with a zero against their name, Rafa Benitez will have guided Liverpool to their third Semi-Final in four years. So don't expect an expansive approach from the Reds.

We caught up with Barrett once more to gauge the mood on Merseyside ahead of Tuesday night's decisive game. Read on for his views on Saturday's draw at the Emirates, Liverpool's tactics at Anfield, the freshness of their key players and the truth behind the 'Anfield factor'.

Tony, let's start with Saturday's League game. What did you make of it?

It was a very, very tight game. I thought Liverpool were the better side in the first half and Arsenal were on top in the second half. It shows just how close the two sides are at the moment, there's not a great deal between them. As a result it's very hard to pick a winner on Tuesday night. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it's another 1-1 draw.

Damien Plessis looked impressive on his debut, didn't he?

It was a strange situation for Liverpool to have a good Frenchman against Arsenal; it's usually the other way round! We've had quite a few who haven't been up to standard but on Saturday we saw the arrival of a player who I think will go on to be quite a force. I've seen him quite a few times for Liverpool's reserve team and he has stood out. He's very calm in possession, always has time on the ball, he tackles well and his engine means he gets around the pitch well. I think he's got all the attributes you need to make it in the English game and he seems to have a good attitude as well. What we saw on Saturday was just a start but if he carries on making the same progress there's no reason why he can't have a bright future in the game.

Peter Crouch was many people's man of the match. Has he done enough to earn a start on Tuesday night?

I don't know. The problem with Peter is not so much his performance, it's the system which Benitez has settled on in recent weeks with just one man up front and three men supporting Torres. If Liverpool do go with a lone striker it will always be Torres. But if Benitez thought that Crouch gave Gallas and Toure problems then maybe he'll switch the system for this one. So there could be a role for Crouch.

Benitez made eight changes for the League game. So how fresh will Liverpool be at Anfield?

I think they will be very fresh and I put that down to Benitez's rotation policy. A lot of people fault it and it may not work for the Premier League but in terms of cup competitions it serves Liverpool well because, come April and May, they get stronger while other teams tend to get jaded. Liverpool have looked physically fitter than a lot of their opponents and that could play an important role on Tuesday, particularly if it goes to extra time. I was surprised that Fabregas played 90 minutes on Saturday and he looked a bit tired. I'm a big fan of Fabregas, he's one of the best midfielders around, and he looked jaded. He wasn't at his best but, come Tuesday night, I'm sure he want be found wanting.

Moving on to Tuesday night, what are the key battles for you?

I think the midfield's the key. I always think that, especially in Europe, because whoever controls the midfield controls the game. Fabregas made an interesting comment about Javier Mascherano, saying how impressed he was by him in the first leg. Fabregas said he could feel Mascherano's breath on his neck wherever he was on the pitch. Mascherano will give everything to the cause on Tuesday and if Liverpool are to win the game he will need to keep the likes of Fabregas quiet. Obviously Alonso comes into that equation too and if they can give Liverpool a solid foundation, Liverpool can win the game.

Obviously, Adebayor has proved himself this season and Liverpool will need to keep him quiet. That will be a tough test. At the other end, Torres has been on fire at Anfield with 19 goals this season, that's an incredible record, so Gallas or Senderos or Toure will have to stop him.

What's the mood like in Liverpool at the moment?

It's the usual excitement that you get here the day before or the day of a big European game like this. The excitement is incredible here before European games and it has been like that in Liverpool's history, the people really go in for these games. They sense Liverpool can beat whoever is put in front of them, whether it's Barcelona, Chelsea or Inter Milan. The names and reputations don't matter, the fans genuinely believe that on a European night they can win any game. Recent history has shown that.

Liverpool don't have to force the issue having got the away goal but how easy is it to sit back when the Anfield crowd is getting behind them?

It is tough you know but last year Liverpool went to the Nou Camp and beat Barcelona 2-1. Obviously they didn’t need to do anything in the home tie. Keep a clean sheet or lose 1-0, everything was fine. That didn’t change the way the team played, tactically it was very, very solid with two banks of four and the challenge was for Barca to try and play through that. Liverpool still created lots of chances, but didn’t take any. Barca eventually took the lead and ended up winning 1-0 but I thought, and it was interesting, that the crowd didn’t the force the team into pushing forward. The team kept their shape and showed that they have a real discipline when they play in Europe — I expect it to be the same on Tuesday night.

Can you quantify the 'Anfield effect'? How much does it bother visiting teams?

I am not so sure of the effect on other teams. You will have to speak to someone who has played there to get an idea of that. For me it is more about the effect it has on the Liverpool players. I have spoken to several of them in the days leading up to this game and they have all said the same thing. They feel you can do anything with that crowd backing them.

The noise is incredible and unless you have experienced it you can’t imagine it. Anfield is a very tight space, an old-fashioned English ground and generally it’s a wonderful noise. The fans are like the team, they are different on European nights compared to Premier League nights. You feel it is already building within the city. I don’t think Arsenal will wilt under the pressure, because they have gone to Milan and won 2-0. If you can go there and do that you shouldn’t be too intimidated by anything. It is more about the boost it gives the Liverpool players than what it does to the opposition. notas_de_prensa_archivo