Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal - WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

The first major piece of silverware in the English game was up for grabs at Wembley as Arsenal and Manchester City battled it out for the Carabao Cup. Pep looking for his first piece of silverware of his managerial career in England. And Wenger looking to secure his first League Cup winners medal after twenty two years in charge of Arsenal.

Both sets of fans were in full voice on a sunny yet cold day in London, and it was the Londoners with the first chance of the game. Jack Wilshere latching onto a long ball, the ball eventually found Mesut Ozil who played it across to an unmarked Aubameyang. Somehow Arsenal's record signing failed to beat Claudio Bravo from point blank range, not once but twice. Well saved but he must score. Aubameyang struggled throughout the game to get away from Vincent Kompany. City's captain proving able to deal with the Gabonese striker along the ground, shoulder to shoulder and in the air. This being the only real chance the £60 million man had all game.

The first big chance fell to the Gunners, but all of the game was with City. David Silva in particular, who was untouchable all night, pulling the strings. And the Spaniard slipped a ball down Arsenal's right channel for Aguero to latch onto, the Argentine hitting the side netting. Speaking of City's number 10. Following a Claudio Bravo goal kick, Mustafi went up with Aguero to win the first header, but the German was easily out muscled. Poor from the big centre back as Aguero closed in on goal. Ospina's positioning was all wrong, in no mans land as the ball bounced towards him. Making Sergio's decision that much easier for him, taking it on the bounce and lifting it over the keeper and into an empty net. His 199th goal in his Manchester City career. Since day one Sergio Aguero has been loved by fans of the Citizens, and his stock is only growing higher. 1-0.

Jack Wilshere, Arsenal born and bred, the Englishman was the best player on the park for Arsenal. Winning a number of free-kicks in dangerous positions in City's half. But far to often wasted by Ozil. Who again will come under criticism for being invincible in a big game. Fernandinho was tasked with dealing with the German during the first 45 minutes and he made it look easy. Gundogan, another member of City's midfield who was sublime on the night. He makes the game look so easy at times and Arsenal didn't have an answer, even with Pep's side not even out of second gear. The German international has been growing more and more into his role since returning from injury. A brilliantly whipped ball onto the head of Kompany showed exactly how. The header going over the bar.

During the first 45 minutes Arsenal couldn't even get close to City. Chasing sky blue shadows. With the Premier League leaders nowhere near their best. Arsenal has cause for concern.

As the second half started it was like the first half had never ended. Manchester City still dominating the ball. On commentary it was mentioned how it hasn't been since 1999 that a final has finished 1-0. And just like that, City had one hand on the cup. Kevin De Bruyne fired a corner hard and low, into Gundogan on the edge of the box. Something off the training ground as the German took the shot of first time. He didn't catch it quite right however but on hand was club captain Vincent Kompany to poke home. Doubling City's lead. The man who has lifted this cup twice in the last five years was well on his way to lifting it again. A fan favourite, a club icon. The Belgian has been through hard times as of late. Injury after injury seemingly see his place in the City side become less of a certainty. But he steps up in the big game once again.

Now City were cooking on gas. They'd gone from second gear in the first half, to top gear and showed no signs of slowing down. For me the star man on the night, David Silva, managed to wiggle away from Callum Chambers with a brilliant first touch. Letting it run with his right before striking across goal with his left with complete accuracy. Ospina could only hope as he fell to his left hand side, for the ball to nestle in the bottom corner. The three eldest statesmen of this great City side. Three of the men there from the start of this great journey, and they all struck in the final. Aguero, Kompany and now David Silva. In this case six players around Silva couldn't stop him getting his shot off, Arsenal were being outclassed. Silva scoring in his third successive league cup final.

City played out the final 20 minutes in complete control. The game was won and they could afford to rest star men, Aguero making way for the returning Jesus. Once the final whistle was blown the majority of the Arsenal half of the stadium had already emptied. A walk in the park for the winners.

What we saw today was an example of two sides on completely different planets in every department. Had Arsenal been just outplayed by a superior Manchester City side, they would not be alone in that. Pep's men have blown away team after team this season. But that wasn't the case. Arsenal allowed themselves to be outplayed by showing a total lack of desire and character after going a goal down. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was supposed to be the answer to Arsenal's prayers following the departure of Alexis. (Check out my piece of why this isn't a great move for the Gunners.) And today he looked up for it for all of 35 minutes. He can be seen walking as the first half drew to a close, and he didn't come out for the second half. Aubameyang wasn't alone in this department. Mesut Ozil again went missing. On the back of signing a club record contract in January, he hasn't looked half the player we know he can be. Aaron Ramsey maybe let off as he was rushed back to play in this game, potentially not 100%. But the Welshman was part of the Arsenal side walking around the Wembley pitch while City played them off the park.

Desire, or lack of, was a huge factor in Arsenal folding to their opponents tonight, but a shambled of a defensive display didn't help their cause. For the first goal Mustafi 100% has to be stronger. Standing at over 6ft tall, with Aguero not even close to that, being nudged off of the ball as easily as he was is embarrassing. When you're the central defender in this position, you have to take authority. Aguero was gifted a goal. And from then on it was more of the same. Pass after pass from Silva, De Bruyne and Gundogan found it's way onto runners in blue. Arsenal's channels exposed countless times. Wenger lined his side up in the same way he did during last seasons FA Cup Semi-Final against Pep and Manchester City. However, this is not the same side. City found it far to easy to find space around the penalty area. Arsenal's defence found themselves running in circles.

One moment that must hurt for Arsenal fans, and all football fans was when a picture was snapped of an almost empty pitch at Wembley stadium. Only two feet planted on the turf, and those are the feet of Santi Cazola. Arsene Wenger really could have used to magic of Santi today. And with his career dwindling away, not playing in way over a year due to injury. Walking on the pitch, almost as if he wants the feeling of playing again. A truly horrible sight to see, one of Europe's greatest play makers.

Despite all of Arsenal's short comings today, the final belonged to Manchester City. Reasoning why Pep's side won't be talked about too much following their win is they were at no where near their best. 15 dazzling minutes around the hour mark, leading to Kompany's and Silva's goal but besides that, the didn't have to be at even 50%. This is a City side, without the injured Raheem Sterling. Gabriel Jesus only returning from injury in the dying minutes from the bench. Star shot stopper Ederson, who has been integral so far in his debut season didn't even feature on the night. Fabian Delph, who's had his career reborn by Pep in his new position at left back missed the final through suspension. So a Manchester City side, missing a number of key players, brushed aside Arsenal and made light work of it.

Following the game Kevin De Bruyne stated how this side aren't even close to the finished article yet, and that should send shivers down the spine of any side around Europe. With the Premier League title all but won, a maximum of five more wins will secure it, the League Cup locked up in the trophy cabinet again. Pep can put his focus on the Champions League. A 4-0 win away at Basel in the first leg of their round of 16 tie means they're all but into the next round. No one will want to draw Manchester City. A domestic double virtually sealed at this point, you wouldn't bet against a historic treble. The first treble by any English side since the red half of Manchester did it in 1999. (Only Barcelona and Inter Milan have done it across Europe since '99.) Should Manchester City join that elusive club, Pep is well within his rights to be called, potentially the greatest manager of his era.

Cup final day. The one day you'd think you can guarantee all 22 men on the pitch would give their all until the final whistle. Whether it was the quality of Manchester City driving the motivation from them. Or simply a poor attitude on the part of the men in red. Arsenal crumbled when City thrived. Congratulations Manchester City. Carabao Cup winners 2018.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Why the Dortmund man is NOT the answer to Arsenal's prayers.

I started quite the debate on Wednesday night when I said on Twitter (@HSJPalf) that I did NOT believe Aubameyang was the correct target for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, in their attempts to save their season and replace Alexis Sanchez. This brought quite a reaction from Arsenal fans, defending the striker as if he was already a Gunner. However the man from Gabon is still very much a Dortmund player, despite the German club stating they would sell their number 17 if the money was right. Having been left out of the Dortmund side yesterday in the Bundesliga, Arsenal fans have declared that the deal is done. This is very much not the case, which if you ask me, is a blessing in disguise for Arsenal. Before another set of Arsenal fans attempt to crucify me, let me explain myself.

Disclaimer: I am in no way saying Aubameyang would be a bad signing for Arsenal. He will score goals. There is a reason he has attracted the attention in the first place. He is a top drawer striker. 

Now... to the real reason you clicked on this.

The statement I made that really angered the Arsenal contingency on Twitter was as follows. 

"I've been saying it for years. Aubameyang is a Balotelli. Bags and bags of talent, but such a p*** poor attitude meaning that he's more of a hindrance then a help. Why have Bayern Munich stayed way away from signing Dortmund's best player for the first time in a decade? Attitude." 

Minor exaggeration? Perhaps. But I stand by everything I said. The Gabonese front man has created more headline for his off the pitch antics in the last year then he has for his performances in a Dortmund shirt. His flamboyant lifestyle has drawn attention of social media football fans all around the world, in particular his chrome Porsche super car. Turning up late to training has became a trait of Aubameyang, and club rules put in place by manager Peter Stoger have been quick to be broken. 

The details of Aubamyang's actions have been hard to come by, but the indication is that there is more then meets the eye. The striker's attitude has always been an issue, and despite a desire to back their man at all times in the past, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Sporting Director Michael Zorc have both publicly criticised P.E.A in recent weeks. 

Reports also coming from the Dortmund camp indicating that the players have tired with the extremely long least Aubameyang is being restrained with by the Dortmund hierarchy. Reportedly expressing their concerns with the board in a recent meeting. 

Comments made on Aubameyang's attitude aren't solely coming from Dortmund or irrelevant journalists on the internet. But also from outside sources, namely Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes. The legendary manager was quoted referring to the want away striker as a 'rotten apple' and that in the footballing world, a players attitude does not suddenly change when moving to another club. These comments, supported by Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, were meant as a warning to Arsenal.

An argument can be made that this attitude is a result of Pierre's desire to leave Dortmund. And to that I say. Coutinho wanted away from Liverpool, as did Luis Suarez. Alexis wanted out of Arsenal. All world superstars on the level of Aubameyang. All openly and publicly wanted out. But the key difference is not none of them went to every extreme to force a move through breaking club rules. The attitude shown by the Gabonese striker is not one you find with all want away footballers, just the ones with a lack of respect for their employers. This lack of respect that surely will not be tolerated at Arsenal. A club, ran by the men at the very top. Arsene Wenger is said to have a huge amount of power at the North London club due to his long tenure in charge. Any manager to follow you imagine will not have this same power. So suddenly, no amounts of goals could protect Aubameyang from the board who run Arsenal like a business more then any club in the land. They will likely not see the goals tally, but more likely they will see a negative public imagine on their club, due to the business of their striker. And in the business world, what happens to an employee bringing the business into disrepute? They get fired.

It appears clear that Dortmund have given up with Aubameyang, and wish to move on. No figure has been stated, just a statement that should Arsenal meet their requirements, they get their man.

Now a big part of Aubameyang's recent almost exile from BVB has been the players distaste to his actions. I'll keep this one short. P.E.A's attitude and lifestyle will not change should he get his move to Arsenal. So imagine this. It's late April, early May 2018. Arsenal have no silverware to their name (providing Manchester City beat them in the League Cup final, and how could you back against Pep's side!) Out of the title race, and are struggling to or perhaps even certain to fail in their race for a top four place. Imagine the reaction on the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, and other senior members of the squad when Aubameyang rolls up to training. Once again, is his chrome Porsche, late, laughing and joking, filming something for Twitter, or Instagram. All while he earns over £200,000 a week. And while his team mates are working hard to try and save a decidedly poor season. That would get anyone's backs up, and just like that, the distaste for Pierre has made its way to North London. 

The signing of a big player will raise the moral temporarily in any side, it is then up to said player to keep that moral boosting. Not infuriate his team mates, something I am certain it will take the now former Dortmund striker mere moments to accomplish.

Coming back to that point about moral. Yes, a big name signing would always raise the moral of a side. But, in this case. Does that signing absolutely, 100%, have to be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

Let's look at this logically. Arsenal are a club riddled with issues. Top players wanted out, fans wanting their manager out, the board seemingly not caring about on the picture results. Not to mention the contract debacle that saw Alexis leave for a snip of what he is worth, and could lead to the departure of Ozil and Wilshere this summer. So if you have £50 million to play with, why spend that money on a man who will simply add more fuel to the fire?

And to this I say. Edison Cavani.

Now I'm not saying I am a member of Arsenal's recruitment team (It seems to me that they actually seem to pay far less attention to actual football then they should!) But if I was, I would say this to them.

"So we have a lot of money and want a big name signing. How about, just a thought. Instead of a player who is a known trouble maker, we sign a professional."

To this I am met with a round of boo's (In my mind the Arsenal recruitment team are Arsenal fan TV) and they all tell me that Aubameyang's attitude is nothing when you look at his goals. So my response is.

"Yes but how about we sign someone who is a true professional as well as a brilliant goal scorer."

Who? Who? Who? (The recruitment team are now the New Day.)

"Why not Edison Cavani? Doing virtually no research will tell you that last season, in Aubameyang's best ever season for goals, Cavani out-scored him. He also averaged more goals per game then Pierre, had a better pass success rate which would play a big part when you consider Arsenal's style of play and he registered double the amount of assists. And that is just in the league. He out-scored Aubameyang in the Champions League too. And despite being deployed out wide for much of his time at PSG, a tactical decision Edison clearly was not fond on. He still played to an incredibly high standard and showed a first class attitude for the good of the team."

But Cavani is older then Aubameyang (As someone pointed out on Twitter the other night as if I had no idea.)

"Irrelevant. Cavani is a goal scorer, who is not incredibly quick, not a muscle bound Goliath, and despite being by no means short, he is only 6ft, so no giant either. And yet look at his goal record. He is a goal scorer with a goal scorer's brain. You never forget how to get into the right positions and you never forget how to put the ball in the back of the net. You never lose it despite your age. But do you know what you do lose? Physical traits. You know, like speed. Aubameyang's number one goal scoring tool. At 28, Pierre will probably have two, maybe three years before those legs can't carry him at an incredible speed anymore. At 30 years old Cavani is in the best form of his life as his knowledge of the game grows, and I don't think it's overly dramatic to say I can see him being a better player in three years time then he is now.

And now the recruitment team say to me that Aubameyang wants away from Dortmund, making the deal just a case of paying the correct fee, not convincing the player to leave a club he loves. (Again, this makes me question how much football this group of people watch.)

"Again, an irrelevant point. Because one, you could convince virtually any striker to move if you offer them a big enough pay packet (sad but true) And two, this in no way makes the Cavani deal a non starter because of one name. Neymar. The Uruguayan striker is clearly frustrated and sick of PSG's record signing. Sick of being pushed to second and potentially even third in command after Mbappe, and sick of his achievements being over looked. (He is now PSG's all time leading scorer.) Cavani would not take much convincing to come to North London.

I feel like this has gotten away from me a little bit, but to put it simply. The point I am making is that Arsenal should sign a big name to bring about a rise in moral within the club. But that signing should be a player who ticks all of the boxes. A player who wants to be there, be part of the side, only ever help the club grow as well as providing the goods between the white lines. Not a flamboyant trouble maker who's goals aren't enough for his current club to put up a fight to hold onto him.

The only reason I can think of for choosing Aubameyang above all else is his relationship with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. At Dortmund the two were sublime together, and with Mkhitaryan moving to Arsenal in a swap for Alexis, a chance to rebuild their connection could be what Arsenal are after. Which is a very fair point, but to this I'd say that quality always recognises quality. The great players player their best football with the other great players. Yes a ready made connection is a way to fast track to success, but that's not to say that Mkhitaryan couldn't play to the same standard with any other team mate.

Now watch this, in true style, P.E.A will complete his move to Arsenal, become a perfect professional and fire in goal after goal. In the unlikely event of this happening I am ready to stand corrected.

I feel as if Arsenal, a club in such turmoil need stability, and this move is just not a way to get it. 

Champions League Quarter Final Predictions: Who will progress to the final four?

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, Monaco, Leicester City, Bayern Munich and Juventus. The quarter finals of the 2016/2017 Champion League season sees a lot of the same sides we're accustomed to seeing at this stage, as well as one or two shocks. I am going to go over each of the four ties and predict this seasons final four!

Game one: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid.

Between these two sides are 16 European cups. They have competed in 24 finals. And have won 3 of the last 4 competitions. This is what the Champions League is all about, two heavyweights from different countries colliding to see who is the better side! In 2014 Real Madrid completed La Decima, and knocked out Bayern Munich 4-0 on aggregate on their way to the final so the German side will be out for revenge! The German champions are currently flying in Europe after a 10-2 aggregate humiliation of Arsenal in the round of 16. Bayern are also currently 13 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and look set to walk to another title. Where as Real only have a two point cushion over Barcelona in their battle to reclaim the league title. This could give the German side a huge advantage going into the tie against Real Madrid, as they have the opportunity to rest certain key players during league games, knowing the title is all but secured! On the other hand, Madrid can't afford to drop many points if they want to win the title, and therefore must play their strongest side week in, week out to ensure that fact. During these matches anything could happen, injuries, key players could become fatigued or struggle to maintain full fitness then it comes time to face Real Madrid. In terms of pure star power this tie will attract more intrigue then almost any other, and rightfully so. Two of Europe's elite, only one winner. I think that, on Tuesday 18th April, Real's goal to become the first team in the Champions League era to retain the European cup will come to an end. Bayern Munich will get their revenge for 2014 and progress to the semi-finals.

Game two: Barcelona vs Juventus.

For the first time since the 2015 Champions League final these two sides face off in the tie which will challenge Bayern vs Madrid for the biggest attraction of the quarter finals. Since Paul Pogba's exit in the summer, Juventus has found a new talisman in the form of Argentine Paulo Dybala, and has got the eyes of the entire world on him! The young attacker has adopted a more creative role in the side with club record signing Gonzalo Higuain occupying the position of top scorer and he has taken to it like second nature. The comparisons drawn between him and national team mate Lionel Messi has been more evident then ever this season and compliments don't come much bigger then that for a young attacker! As for Barcelona, they must still be in shock after their incredible comeback to knock out PSG in the round of 16. Sergi Roberto's late late volley ensured that the 5 time champions stayed in the competition and despite a lot of controversy coming from the referee's decision making during the game at the Nou Camp, it will go down as one of the great comebacks in European football history. With Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez leading the line Barcelona can beat any side in world football, and with the added grit and determination coming from their incredible comeback last time out I can see history repeating itself and Barcelona proving to be too good for their Italian opposition.

Game three: Dortmund vs Monaco.

The highest scoring team in Europe's top five divisions against the highest scoring team in this years Champions league. This year is likely to be the best opportunity either of these teams will have for the foreseeable future to achieve European glory with a lot of the bigger European sides sniffing around at their top players. Monaco came through an incredible round of 16 tie against Manchester City, coming back from a 5-3 deficit after the first leg to win 3-1 at home and to seal their place in the quarter final. Kilian Mbappe scored a brace in the second leg against Man City and has stood out as one of the most promising young players in Europe this season, a repeat performance from him could be a big factor in Monaco reaching the Semi-finals. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored an incredible 34 goals in 37 games in all competitions this season and with 7 in 6 champions league games so far he will be a definite factor in the tie! 19 year old Ousmane Dembele has shot to provenance this year and will challenge Mbappe as the most impressive youngster in this seasons competition, whichever one of the two live up to expectations the most could push their side towards the next round. In the battle between two of the hottest attacks in Europe it is game with guaranteed goals, when 180 minutes plus of football has passed I think Monaco will be the solo French side in the semi-finals.

Game four: Atletico Madrid vs Leicester City. 

Diego Simeone might be one of the most unlucky managers in the world, but he is almost certainly one of the best! His Atletico side have twice in the last three years been within seconds of winning the Champions League only to have it snatched away from them at the death, this year they won't be taking any chances. Antoine Griezmann is the latest in a long line of Atleti strikers who are considered one of the best in the world, and with over 20 goals this season he is backing up his third place finish in 2016's Ballon D'or. The Frenchman is rumoured to be on his way to England in the coming transfer window so this really could be his last chance to make up for his penalty miss in last seasons final. Leicester City continue to cause shock after shock and their appearance in this stage of the competition is worth plaudits in itself. Craig Shakespeare seems to have rediscovered the form Claudio Ranieri dragged out of the foxes on their way to the Premier League title last season and by knocking out Sevilla in the round of 16 the English champions have shown they can compete with the biggest and brightest. Whatever your opinion on Leicester City with all that has been going on this season in the midlands you have to applaud their performance in Europe this season, however despite avoiding the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the draw again I feel Atletico could be the worst draw Leicester could have gotten. You can say with certainty that Simeone will set up his side to counter Leicester's style of play where as many of Europe's elite may have just attempted to play their own game, which in turn plays right into Leicester's hands. And with how much success the Madrid club seem to have in games such as this one, Leicester could be out of their depth at last. I think that it will be Atletico representing Madrid in this years final four of the Champions League.

Prediction for the Semi-Finals of the 2016/2017 Champions League;
Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Monaco, Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund - What Just happened?

European nights at Anfield are some of the greatest moment in the history of Liverpool Football Club. The late Steven Gerrard strike against Olympiacos which kept the reds on the way to Istanbul, Luis Garcia's 'ghost goal' against Chelsea in the Semi - Finals of the same competition, Emile Heskey's bullet header against Roma in 2002 to secure the 2-0 needed to see his side through to the next round. Steven Gerrard keeping his cool to slot in a late penalty against Arsenal in the 2008 Champions League Quarter Finals, followed by a late Ryan Babel goal to seal the game, rolling over the most successful side in the elite European competition, Real Madrid, 4-0 in 2009. You can go as far back as 1977, where a win against Saint Etienne kept Liverpool on the road to their first European Cup, but last night another famous European night was written into the record books. 

In recent years the UEFA Europa league has been seen as a competition to avoid, it simply doesn't have the same attraction of its older brother, the UEFA Champions League. However, this season the Europa League has undergone a resurrection! With sides such as Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Seville and of course Liverpool in the knock out stages, the draw of the competition for the fans was par with the Champions league. The first competitive European meeting between two of footballs biggest clubs, in rivals Liverpool and Manchester United the tournament was creating history! A 3-1 aggregate win for the Merseyside club saw Liverpool progress, and another dream game was thrown up for the Quarter Finals with German side Borussia Dortmund, who had easily dispatched of Spurs in the round of 16, being drawn to face Liverpool. Not only was it a meeting of two of Europe's biggest sides, but the newest Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was set to take on the club he managed to consecutive Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final! 

Dortmund where seen as the favorites to win the competition, so inevitably they came into the first leg at the famous Signal Iduna Park as favorites. So when Belgian striker Divock Origi scored the opener, the under dogs had a unexpected advantage. Mats Hummels bullet header in the second half tied the first leg up and thats how it finished, 1-1, Liverpool would take an away goal advantage back to Anfield, but that is where things got... unbelievable! 

In Germany, Liverpool's center back pairing of Mamadou Sahko and Dejan Lovren had managed to keep Dortmund's attack under wraps, but within 10 minutes of last nights game they showed their class, with a fifth minute goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan silencing the Kop, and a ninth minute goal from Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang wipping out all of the good work done in the first leg by Klopp's side. Liverpool tried to fight back but the attacking power of the German's was just too much, and Marco Reus was running rampant, nearly creating a third goal just past the half hour. As the half time whistle went, Dortmund looked like they could have gone on to score more in the second half, Jurgen Klopp had the task of his career to motivate his side at half time And he did just that. The German manager has confirmed he used perhaps the greatest night in Liverpool's history to motivate his team, reminding them about Istanbul and that Liverpool never give up! 

It appeared to have worked, when it took just two minutes of the second half for Divock Origi to continue his current vain of form and get Liverpool back into the game. But it appeared to all be in vain when Marco Reus again showed his class, scoring the away sides third goal just before the hour mark, seemingly ending the tie with Liverpool needing three goals in thirty minutes. But who do Liverpool turn to in times of need, well it was Steven Gerrard, but now its the new fans favorite, the 'little magician' as he has been dubbed by the fans, Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian hit a majestic curling effort which beat the keeper and flew into the bottom corner. There's one.

Dortmund still looked capable of scoring any time, but Liverpool looked revitalized and they started to pile on the pressure. Frustration grew around Anfield when two corners where wasted within a few minutes of each other and when another was won in the 77th minute the fans weren't happy when Coutinho's corner didn't beat the near post. But this time it didn't matter! Daniel Sturridge charged towards the ball, and despite failing to make contact the ball traveled into the middle of the box where French center back Mamadou Sahko was waiting to knock the ball in, 3-3 on the night, Dortmund where still going through on away goals, but Liverpool only needed one more! 

With 10 minutes plus added time left Liverpool where throwing everything they had into Dortmund's box, but the Germans managed to deal with it well. As the clock ticked on Liverpool became more desperate and passes where wasted. As the clock reached 90 minutes and 4 minutes added time where announced, Liverpool won a free kick just inside Dortmund's half. Liverpool unexpectedly played the ball to the edge of the box, where Sturridge collected the ball, he managed to hold it up and play a brilliant pass through the defenders legs to the overlapping James Milner who had continued his run from the free kick. Milner then went on to lift the ball to the back post, as the clock ticked on, this was the best chance the reds would have to score the decisive goal. And thats when, the man whos missed penalty saw Liverpool fall out of the Europa League last season, Dejan Lovren climed highest and with a bullet header, scored Liverpool's fourth and for the first time on the night, gave Liverpool the lead! 5-4 on aggregate, 3 minutes to go, Liverpool had done it! 

A late free kick flashed just past Liverpool's post and then the final whistle went, Liverpool had came back from the dead to pull off another European miracle, they where going through! 

With Dortmund out Liverpool are now the bookies favorites to win the competition and they have been drawn against Spanish side Villarreal for the semi finals, with the second leg once again being under the lights at Anfield. Once again this tournament has created history as these sides will meet in a competitive fixture for the first time in history. With the new rule being implemented recently stating that the Eurpoa League winners earning qualification to the Champions League for next season, we could see the five time European Cup winners in Europe's elite competition next season for only the second time in five years. Under Jurgen Klopp, could we be seeing the rebirth of a sleeping European giant!