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Liverpool FC will take a slender advantage back to Anfield for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final after their first meeting with Arsenal FC inside three days ended 1-1 in London.Deivid’s spectacular long-range effort nine minutes from time gave Fenerbahçe SK a UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg win against Chelsea FC that had seemed most unlikely when the same player scored an early own goal.Unsurprisingly the volume inside the arena was now ear-splitting and Deivid was unlucky not to turn it up further as he just misjudged an acrobatic attempt similar to the one that stunned FC Internazionale Milano on Matchday 1. But something more spectacular was coming, a strike from 30 metres out that swerved beyond Cudicini’s dive to give the home side their fifth successive home win in this season’s competition and the edge in the tie.Fenerbahçe Chelsea .2-1

The clubs were already scheduled to play at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, April 5, and so will now go head to head three times in a week, with Anfield hosting the second leg of the European tie which was drawn out of the hat in Nyon today.

Arsenal’s victory over holders AC Milan in the last round has left Wenger confident of making further progress towards May’s final in Moscow.

Wenger said: “Let’s give our best. We showed against Milan that when we are at our best we can beat anyone. We just knocked Milan out, who were the holders. That was a big hurdle.

“Now we have the finalists on our route - so why can’t we do it again?”

Liverpool took on Arsenal four times last season, losing both their FA Cup and Carling Cup ties. Earlier in the current campaign, the Gunners earned a 1-1 draw at Anfield with a late goal from Cesc Fabregas.

The winners of the tie could face Chelsea in the semi-finals, if the Londoners progress in their tie against Fenerbahce. But Benitez said: “The first thing is to think about Arsenal. After, I think it’s important to go one step at a time.”

Chelsea manager Avram Grant was also reluctant to look too far head. The last round saw the Turkish champions knock out Sevilla, who beat Arsenal in the group stages.

Grant said: “Every game in the Champions League quarter-final is not an easy game. They played very well against Sevilla. We know Arsenal lost in Seville.

“It’s not an easy draw but our targets stay the same. We are a club that hasn’t been in the final. We want to be in the final. This is our main target for the next years but we want to do it as soon as possible.”

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon was more confident, however. “There’s a lot of clubs who didn’t want to draw Chelsea. We’re got a real pedigree in Europe. We have got a lot of respect for Turkish football and Fenerbache as a team. I think with four English teams, it was always likely we would meet one in the quarters or semis and I think we have done well.”

Emmanuel Adebayor drew first blood for Arsenal with a first-half header but Liverpool replied just four minutes later with a goal courtesy of Dirk Kuyt as the two sides began their trilogy of fixtures at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of the all-English Champions League quarter-final tie.

Arsenal had gone into the match mindful of the threat from Torres whose goals tally for Liverpool this season stood at 28 in 38 games, but it was always Gerrard’s midfield presence that caused the most anxiety for the home side.

Equaliser: Dirk Kuyt finds himself in the right place at the right time

Although both were kept well in check in the early exchanges with only Dirk Kuyt noticeable for his ever-present endeavour, the visitors came into the game as the first half wore on. But Arsenal began the stronger and after Robin Van Persie squandered two successive chances, Adebayor made the pressure tell with his headed goal from a corner in the 22nd minute.

The two sides were level less than five minutes later when Kuyt stretched to meet a Gerrard cross into the Arsenal area.

Neither side was able to stamp their authority on the match as the second half began. However, Arsenal did enjoy the majority of possession and the introduction of Theo Walcott began to pay dividends as Liverpool struggled to keep the winger’s pace in check.

The subsequent introduction of Nicklas Bendtner almost paid instant dividends but the forward actually stopped a weak shot from Cesc Fabregas from going into the Liverpool goal.
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The 1-1 scoreline leaves both sides in the tie though Rafael Benitez will be the happier of the two managers with his side securing the all-important away goal.

As well as the second Champions League quarter-final at Anfield next week, Arsenal will also face Rafael Benitez’s team in the Premier League on Saturday before playing Manchester United a week on Sunday in a match that could decide the title race.

Fenerbahce (0) 2 Chelsea (1) 1

Chelsea dominated Fenerbahce for long stretches of the game but squandered a first-half lead as Fenerbahce stormed back with goals from Colin Kazim-Richards and Deivid that secured victory for the home side.

Much had been made of the lack of flair from Avram Grant’s Chelsea but no one will blame him for taking a cautious approach against a well-coached Fenerbahce side in the most hostile of environments in the shape of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

The visitors were always strong favourites to progress from the quarter-final tie against the Turkish league leaders but that is now in jeopardy despite next week’s return leg to be played at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s first-half lead came courtesy of an Deivid own goal that was very much the product of the pressure the visitors put on an over-matched home side struggling to cope.

It came in the 13th minute after Michael Ballack dummied the ball for Malouda to chase down the left flank. His cross was powerful and low but not heading towards a team-mate only for Deivid to sliced the ball past goalkeeper Volkan Demirel.

Essien could have doubled the lead five minutes later but his 30-yard drive, swerving away from Demirel, hit the crossbar. Lampard and Drogba both squandered chances as Chelsea attempted to make the most of their superiority though just one goal separated the sides at half-time.

The side that beat Inter Milan, PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla en rote to their first quarter final appearance refused to roll over and although Chelsea began the second half much like the first, they could not extend their lead.

Indeed for all of Chelsea’s pressure, Kazim-Richards, the former Sheffield United forward, was brought on and grabbed the equaliser in the 65th minute, smashing past Cudicini.

Deivid’s strike in the 81st minute more than made up for the first-half own goal as Fenerbahce will now have the luxury of a 2-1 lead for the second leg in London.

Liverpool have lost the reputation of the ’70s and ’80s when they were known to play champagne football, and in their desperation to return to the elite of the game they now play for results rather than for the love of the game. It is a sorry state of affairs for such an important club.

I believe Arsenal will win this Champions League tie. Wenger will set out the side to win the game, and will not sit back on a 1-0 lead like so many other teams would. To be honest though, as much as I would love Arsenal to go through (and I really would), I only want that to happen the Arsenal way – win, and win with style. Thankfully, Wenger thinks the same way. And if there is any justice in football, his attacking mentality will take Arsenal through to the Champions League semi-finals.