UNUSALLY, I FEEL QUITE OPTIMISTIC GOING INTO THE SECOND LEG, AND AT THE RISK OF MAKING MYSELF LOOK FOOLISH, I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
I'M SUCH A WORRIER BEFORE AND DURING GAMES THAT EVEN IF WE WERE 4-0 UP AT HALF-TIME, I'D BE THERE FRETTING THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO BE VICTIMS OF THE BIGGEST CAPITULATION EVER!

I WOULD ONLY REALLY START RELAXING IF WE WERE IN THE 89TH MINUTE - AND THAT IS THE GOD'S HONEST TRUTH.
SO, LEADING UP TO THIS MATCH I WAS OF COURSE HOPING WE'D THRASH LIVERPOOL, BUT WAS FEARFUL THAT EVEN IF WE PULLED OFF A GOOD 2-0 OR 3-0 VICTORY, THE SCOUSERS WOULD SOMEHOW MANAGE TO PULL IT BACK IN THE 2ND LEG AND WE WOULD BE HUMILIATED IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD. WELL, AT LEAST THAT NOW ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN!!
HOWEVER, BACK TO MY REASON FOR THE OPTIMISM: ALL THROUGH THE DAY I KEPT GETTING FLASHBACKS OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1/4 FINAL AGAINST CHELSEA IN 2004. YET, THIS TIME THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE SWITCHED AND ARSENAL WERE THE SIDE GOING INTO THE SECOND LEG AS UNDER-DOGS - LIKE CHELSEA DID - AND US THAT MANAGED TO GET THE RIGHT RESULT IN THE 2ND LEG (I.E. A 2-1 VICTORY).
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT PAINFUL TIE, WE TRAILED 1-0 IN THE AWAY LEG BEFORE GETTING AN EQUALISER. WE THEN TOOK THE LEAD IN THE 2ND LEG, ONLY TO CONCEDE TWO SECOND HALF CHELSEA GOALS TO EVENTUALLY LOSE THE TIE 3-2 ON AGGREGATE. WELL, THAT IS THE EXACT SAME SCENERIO THAT HAS BEING PLAYING AROUND MY MIND SINCE THIS MORNING AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS OF THE FIRST LEG, THINGS MAY JUST BE GOING TO PLAN!!

THIS TIME ARSENAL SCORED FIRST BUT THEN CONCEDED AN EQUALISER (SHOCKING DEFENDING, BY THE WAY!!

), WHICH MEANS LIVERPOOL WILL GO INTO THE RETURN LEG AS FAIRLY STRONG FAVOURITES - JUST LIKE WE HAD BACK IN 2004. AND BY THE WAY, BACK THEN I HAD A PREMONITION BEFORE THE DRAW WAS EVEN MADE THAT WE WOULD BE DRAWN AGAINST CHELSEA AND THAT THEY WOULD KNOCK US OUT!!
STUPID AS IT ALL MAY SEEM TO THE SANE MAN, THAT'S WHAT I'M BASING MY CONFIDENCE ON AND WHY I DON'T THINK THIS RESULT IS TOO BAD. LIVERPOOL WILL NOW BE STRONG FAVOURITES - MUCH LIKE MILAN WERE - AND PERSONALLY I ALWAYS PREFER IT WHEN WE ARE UNDER-DOGS AS WE TEND TO PULL OUT A RESULT MORE OFTEN IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
MIND YOU, IF IT DOES EVENTUALLY TURN OUT THE WAY I IMAGINE, LET'S HOPE ARSENAL DON'T GO ON THEN TO REPLICATE CHELSEA THAT YEAR AND END UP GETTING BEAT BY A SHIT SIDE IN THE SEMIS (FENERBACHE?).

THAT