Guardian
Humiliated at the Mestalla and now humbled just as emphatically on Merseyside, Liverpool's Champions League prospects teeter precariously on the brink this morning.
Valencia, irresistible up front and impregnable at the back, may have scored only once en route to victory but, for the second time in six weeks, their brilliance eclipsed the Premiership leaders with something to spare last night. Depending upon how Basle fair in Moscow next week, Gérard Houllier's side - demoralised and defeated - may have to face the prospect of having to win in Switzerland in a fortnight to progress.
Houllier had been at pains to dismiss talk of revenge after last month's 2-0 humbling by these opponents in Spain, but raw adrenalin-fuelled intent was never likely to unsettle the regal Spanish champions. The home partisans bellowed from the opening whistle, demanding a whirlwind of a start from their side to knock the visitors off their perch, but Valencia had expected as much and simply strutted unflustered in the din.
At times their football was so slick - all elusive sprints and clever flicks with passes pinged and home defenders all a dither - it took the breath away. By the interval it had brought them a narrow advantage, but Liverpool, red-faced and gasping for breath, could count themselves fortunate their deficit was so slim.
The diminutive genius Pablo Aimar, tormentor in chief in the first game, dictated the awesome speed of the passing, flitting unnervingly between Dietmar Hamann and the Liverpool rearguard, who could only marvel at his close control and speed of thought.
When Kily Gonzalez's corner was nodded down by the giant John Carew to the 22-year-old Argentinian, loitering on the edge of the six-yard box, Aimar chose not to spin and shoot but instead deftly laid off to Ruben Baraja. Perhaps surprised by the preceding pinball, the midfielder lifted his head and spooned his attempt miserably over the bar.
That was not typical of Baraja's performance. His powerhouse presence alongside David Albelda in the centre asphyxiated Liverpool's customary verve - the outstanding Salif Diao aside - and freed Aimar to run riot. Too often for Houllier's liking the Spanish central midfielders disrupted home rhythm and supplied Gonzalez and the livewire Rufete down the right; Djimi Traoré's desperate lunge cut out one centre, then Gonzalez's cross from the left eluded Jerzy Dudek and bounced down off the crossbar.
Liverpool's luck did not last.
Arsenal:
A fourth straight defeat represents Arsenal's worst run for 19 years but they at least had something to smile about last night. With Auxerre losing in Eindhoven, Arsène Wenger's team qualified for the second group stage, albeit not in the style they would have liked.
Ahead through Thierry Henry's free-kick, Arsenal were beaten this time by a controversial penalty, with David Seaman appearing to make little or no contact with Jan Koller as the Czech burst through to earn a spot-kick. Tomas Rosicky converted for the winner.
Wenger may wonder whether he recently ran over a black cat given that Rosicky's free-kick equaliser also had an element of fortune, deflecting off Gilberto Silva. But this was not a vibrant Arsenal display and Dortmund had twice hit uprights before scoring.
And this is how it has affected the odds
Get a free ten pound bet by clicking the link below
https://www.bluesq.com/bet?AFF_ID=271Champions League 2002-2003
Real Madrid 3/1
Arsenal 6/1
Manchester United 6/1
Milan 7/1
Valencia 8/1
Juventus 9/1
Barcelona 9/1
Deportivo La Coruna 16/1
Inter 18/1
Liverpool 18/1
Roma 18/1
Borussia Dortmund 20/1
Bayer Leverkusen 33/1
Ajax 50/1
Lyon 50/1
AEK 100/1
Galatasaray 100/1
Newcastle 100/1
Dynamo Kiev 100/1
Basle 150/1
Lens 150/1
Club Brugge 200/1
Lokomotiv Moscow 200/1
Feyenoord 250/1