Liverpool beat Premiership champions Chelsea in Tuesday's semi-final and will face AC Milan in the May 25 final in Istanbul.

But, unless there is a massive U-turn by UEFA, Liverpool will only qualify for next season's Champions League if they finish in the top four of the Premiership even if they beat Milan.

At present, Liverpool - who have played one more game than Everton - are three points behind their fourth placed local rivals.

To break into the top four they must win away to Arsenal on Sunday, where the Gunners themselves are locked in a race for second with Manchester United in a bid to avoid a Champions League qualifying match, beat Aston Villa a week later and hope Everton slip-up.

Liverpool have struggled all season to reproduced their European form in the Premiership match following a Champions League tie - which in part explains why they are a massive 33 points behind Chelsea in the league.

But Benitez said Friday: "We have to treat the Arsenal game like a Champions League tie, the final in fact.

"It will be difficult now to reach fourth spot but we will try to the end, and these last two league matches are absolutely vital," added the Spaniard, who last season guided Valencia to the UEFA Cup.

"If we can win at Arsenal and maybe other results go our way, then we will still have the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League from our league position.

"We will go into the Arsenal game knowing it is another final for us, a Champions League game and one we have to win."

He stressed: "I have no comment on the situation over qualification for next season, the best thing is not to talk about all the things surrounding that.

"My objective is to take the team to Arsenal concentrating on one thing, and that is winning."

Liverpool will have midfielder Xabi Alonso back in the squad at Highbury after being suspended for the Chelsea match.

Fernando Morientes is in the squad after injury, while Mauricio Pellegrino is also available.

But Benitez hopes to field what will be his Champions League final side in the last two Premiership matches of the campaign.

"The players will be able to concentrate after the Chelsea night, they all understand how important these last few games are now for us. They know we need to play as well as possible now and then later in the final," Benitez said.

French striker Djibril Cisse, a late and useful substitute against Chelsea, could force his way into the starting side having come back from a broken leg earlier in the season.

"Cisse is a possible starter at Highbury, each day he is better. It depends on the system and it depends on how Milan Baros's fitness is. He has run and worked hard on his own at times of late."

And reflecting on his squad as a whole, Benitez said they were in confident and relaxed mood.

"The players have had two days off and that was good for them, but they are back and thinking about Arsenal. But you can see them happy and believing in themselves.

"In my opinion they have more confidence than before, they have watched the video of the Chelsea match and they now know that they are capable of beating any team in the league, including Arsenal.

"They are a good team but we can beat them."