ADVANTAGE LIVERPOOL

Great result for Liverpool. 1-1 away in Emirates sets the rhythm in the first of this trilogy for next week. I only caught the second half,i vaguely remember much of the match except Arsenal were always in possession and attacking whenever i opened my eyes between my slumber. Overall Arsenal were the better side while Liverpool and Rafa Benitez some how must have made a pact with the Champions League Devil with the kind of results they get in this tournament. With the away goals rule its now advantage Liverpool but theres still plenty to play for. YNWA

LIVERPOOL VS ARSENAL

The Champions League has entered the next stage with only 8 teams remaining. Two big English teams have drawn each other, Arsenal take on Liverpool.

Champions League history is the making when Arsenal and Liverpool meet for the first time in this competition in their 115 year rivalry at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The Champions League quarter-final first leg will be the 200th occasion the sides have clashed and although they have faced each other in FA Cup finals and a title decider in the past, few of the previous encounters have had as much at stake.

A place in the semi-finals against Chelsea or Fenerbahce awaits the winners, with May’s final in Moscow looming just over the horizon.

Wednesday’s match is the first of three between the sides in seven days with a Premier League meeting at the Emirates on Saturday to follow before the return leg at Anfield on April 8.

Taking on a buddy of mine in this 3 match series where at stake will be 3 bottles of Barolo or Brunello's from a decent vintage. No matter who wins i know i'm going to have a good week. I love this game :-)

STOKE CITY FC estb. 1863

I like football just as much as the next guy which explains why i comb the net for the latest news to read. It's an addiction and i admit it. My introduction to English League football came about when my uncle Eddie gave me my first copies of "Shoot" magazine in the early 1970's. Back then the issues we got were like a couple of months behind so it was all old news by then. Anyways one copy had on the cover Stoke City 2 vs Chelsea 1 in the 1972 League Cup Final (the only major trophy the club ever won).

I don't know what attracted me (maybe it was their striped strip) to the club and to cut along story short i became a supporter. I still follow the clubs progress up to now even though i follow Liverpool in the EPL.
I have noticed some supporters from Malaysia leaving messages on the clubs website and fansites, so i guess i'm not alone.

I must say that it has been an agonising 2 decades of heartbreak and near misses whenever i read the little coloums in the the back pages of the newspapers. Where the results of The Potters games were like on a single line (this was before the time of the internet). Missing out on the playoff's last season on the last day was tough however this season is really exciting for us as we are right up there in the Coca-Cola Championships chasing for promotion to the Premiership. The team has got a dozen or so games to go and i'm keeping my fingers crossed they make it this season. The last time they were in the top flight was 1985.

Championship matches hardly get any air time in Malaysia and when they were drawn to play Newcastle Utd in the FA Cup this season was one of the rare occassions i got to see them in action. And we nearly upset them too!

I'm hopeful that its their year this season and that they will be right up there next season with the likes of ManU, Arsenal,Liverpool and Chelsea and give them a run for their money.