Gunners draw Liverpool

A board shows the teams drawn on Friday in the Swiss city of Nyon for the Champions League quarterfinals.Photo: AFP

Arsenal will meet fellow English giants Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw made here on Friday.
Four English clubs are in the final eight and Arsene Wenger's side were the first out of the hat for their first leg at home on April 1-2, with the return leg against the 2005 champions at Anfield on April 8-9.
The tie means that Arsenal and Liverpool, last season's finalists, will play each other three times in one week as the two European legs sandwich a Premier League game.
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry told Sky Sports: "We'd hoped to avoid the English teams at this stage but statistically there were bound to be two coming together and unfortunately it's us.
"We play Arsenal in a league game in between so we'll be playing them three times in a week."
"It'll be very similar. We know them extremely well and they know us.
"The three games are going to be very, very tight. I don't think the Champions League is going to be any different, it's tough."
He added: "We've successfully avoided a trip to Turkey (to face Fenerbahce) so that's a bonus."
Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman for his part said: "Liverpool are a great team. They've obviously had fantastic performances in this competition and we'll play them three times in a week, so we'll get to know them pretty well.
"I think it should make compelling viewing for the fans and I think they'll be very exciting matches."
Arsenal reached the Champions League final in 2006, losing to Barcelona, and Edelman said the last-16 victory over defending champions AC Milan should give them a lot of encouragement.
"The AC Milan match was very important. We played some sublime football and to go and beat them in the San Siro must give us a lot of hope and belief we can go all the way this time."
Manchester United come up against old foes AS Roma.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side inflicted a 7-1 thrashing of the Italians in the return leg of the quarterfinals last season for an 8-3 aggregate win.
The two clubs also crossed swords in the current campaign's group stage.
Manchester United club secretary Ken Ramsden commented: “That's a good draw, I think. As a fan, I'm glad we're not playing an English team because it loses that flavour of a continental game.
"We're away first, which will please the manager, I'm sure.
"All in all, a good day, I think."
Asked about repeating last season's quarterfinal thrashing of Roma he suggested: "It would be nice."We have a good record against them so there's no reason why we should be afraid."
He added: "We're playing well but every team in the quarterfinals says the same thing."
Chelsea open at Fenerbahce while German Bundesliga side Schalke 04 host Barcelona.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, who expressed relief at avoiding another English side, remarked: "It's the first time we've ever played Fenerbahce so there's no history between the two clubs and I think everyone will be looking forward to a good quarterfinal."
"You've got to give them a lot of respect.
"There's no such thing as an easy team or an easy game at this level."
The winners of the Arsenal versus Liverpool fixture will then face Chelsea or Fenerbahce in the semifinals, with Manchester United or Roma taking on either Barcelona or Schalke 04.
If Chelsea beat the Turkish side there will definitely be an English presence in the final which is being held this year in Moscow's Luzhniki stadium on May 21.
And the possibility of an all-English final intrigued Liverpool's Parry who said: "The prospect of two English teams in the final in Moscow remains very much alive and that would be interesting to say the least."
SEMIFINALS
Arsenal (ENG)/Liverpool (ENG) v Fenerbahce (TUR)/Chelsea (ENG)
Schalke 04 (GER)/Barcelona (ESP) v AS Roma (ITA)/Manchester United (ENG)
Quarterfinals - first leg on April 1-2 and return leg on April 8-9
Semifinals - April 22/23 and April 29/30
Final - Moscow May 24