LFC and Arsenal do battle for the fourth time this season on SaturdayA win would see the Merseysiders swapping places with the Gunners, being one place and one point inferior. The Reds are 15 points outside the top two and seven points clear of fifth. So from that position, they should secure a Champions League qualifying round place next season.

American tycoons George Gillett and Tom Hicks have had their takeover of Liverpool rubber-stamped by the Stock Exchange.

An announcement released on behalf of Kop Football Limited confirmed the pair have reached an agreement to buy 98.6% of the club's shares.

Under Stock Exchange rules the remaining shares can now be compulsorily purchased and Gillett and Hicks' offer is 'closed'.

The announcement also confirmed the duo will seek to re-register the club as a private limited company.

The pair wanted to wait until officially completing their takeover before discussing plans for the future and will now meet with Rafa on Sunday.

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks says manager Rafa Benitez is 'absolutely' the man they want to manage the club.

Newspaper reports have suggested Real Madrid want Benitez to succeed Fabio Capello as their boss this summer.

But Hicks told Five Live Sport: 'We're going to get together with Rafa the morning after the Arsenal match (on 31 March). It's now time to do that.'

Benitez added: 'I am completely committed to Liverpool Football Club and I'm going nowhere.'

Liverpool Under-18s are in the final of the FA Youth Cup. The holders will now battle it out against Manchester United or Arsenal as they seek to become only the fifth team to retain the trophy since its inception in 1953.

Rafa accepts he must bring his European heroes back down to earth to maintain their place in the top four of the Barclays Premiership.

Sunday lunchtime's away trip to Aston Villa will be their first match since the triumph over Barcelona that put them into the Champions League quarter-finals on March 6.

The praise since then has been constant, but boss Benitez knows that with Arsenal closing on them and Bolton just six points behind in fifth spot, Liverpool must concentrate on the bread and butter of the league ahead of their next European clash with PSV Eindhoven in three weeks.

With the ownership deal done, works is starting on the New Anfield!

The club and Liverpool council are keen to get off to the best possible start with the £215m project because of the funding situation.

A chunk of taxpayers’ money granted to the overall scheme, which will be used to improve the area around the new stadium, must be spent by the end of next year.

The restoration of Stanley park will be one of the largest schemes of its type in the country, and will see bridges, walls, pavilions, the park lodge and the Isla Gladstone conservatory brought back to their former glory.

Labels: Liverpool FC, New Anfield

Jose Reina has spoken of his desire to sign a new long-term contract after admitting he is 'happy' at Anfield.

The Spanish goalkeeper is ready to sit down with club officials in the summer and discuss a deal to extend his stay on Merseyside.

Although Reina has two years remaining on his present contract, Reds manager Rafael Benitez has already indicated a desire to reach a new agreement with the 24 year-old to head off interest from Valencia.

Labels: Liverpool FC, Reina

American investors Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. assumed full control of the Liverpool today, securing more than 80 percent of the shares in the 18-time English champions.

The pair's takeover vehicle, Kop Football, told the London Stock Exchange it had received valid acceptances for 28,089 Liverpool shares, or 80.7 percent of the club. That means they have surpassed the 75 percent stake required to take unconditional control.

The takeover clears the way for the club to move from 45,000-capacity Anfield to a new 60,000-seat stadium in nearby Stanley Park.

Hicks was at Anfield for the Barcelona match and was impressed by the atmosphere. "My first time at Anfield and everything I'd heard is true," Hicks said. "I've seen a lot of sporting events all around the world, but nothing comes close to that."

Labels: anfield, Liverpool FC

Liverpool are paired with group stage contestants PSV Eindhoven for the Quarter Finals of the Champions League. The draw was also made for the semi-final, and it will see Chelsea and Liverpool meet in a repeat of the 2005 clash if they both emerge victorious.

The prospect left open for an all-English final in Athens on 23 May.

Liverpool have already beaten PSV in the group stages, winning 2-0 at Anfield after drawing 0-0 in Holland - and they have the added incentive of having the second leg at Anfield.

Rafa comments on this next round are unsurprisingly cautious: "At this stage of the competition every team is going to be difficult... They have improved since we last met and showed their quality by beating Arsenal in the last round. There are no favourites in this tie... This is the most important game we'll play in the next month and I'm looking forward to it." [ More Details ]

Labels: Benitez, champions league, Liverpool FC

Peter Crouch is facing a dilemma over whether to have surgery this week on his broken nose.

The Liverpool striker has been booked in for a operation tomorrow, which could rule him out for a month, but is considering postponing the procedure until the end of the season.

Crouch, who has had to settle for brief substitute appearances against both Manchester United and Barcelona, is desperate not to miss out during a crucial stage of the campaign.

Labels: crouch, Liverpool FC

(Guardian Unlimited) Jamie Carragher is the supporting actor who keeps stealing the film. And yet the Academy refuses to acknowledge him in an appropriate fashion. No matter how many times Carragher defies the world's greatest attackers, the praise he receives remains resolutely patronising and faint - as if the only reason he excels is because Liverpool's defensive nature means he is given a showy role as the backs-to-the-wall hero.

If it was that easy, everybody would be doing it. All evidence gathered over the last three seasons of the Champions League, football's most relevant genre, suggests that Carragher is a defender of the truest substance. Paradoxically, he is one of the best defenders in Europe and yet only the fourth-best in England, behind John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Jonathan Woodgate (or, before him, Sol Campbell). Carragher has always lurked in the shadow of Terry, apparently the Stuart MacGill to his Shane Warne; even in 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to the Champions League, it was Terry who was won Uefa's Best Defender award. Yet his performances against the very best sides have been of a consistently higher standard.

Labels: Carra, Carragher, Liverpool FC

Eidur Gudjohnsen's late goal left Liverpool hanging on to win on away goals against Barcelona and thereby reaching the last 8 of the Champions League.

The former Chelsea star rounded Pepe Reina after 75 minutes to leave Liverpool, who had dominated, living on their nerves in the closing stages.

John Arne Riise and Momo Sissoko both struck the bar as Liverpool left Barcelona's stars in the shade.

Ronaldinho hit a post, but Liverpool deserved to reach the quarter-final.

[ UEFA Match Summary ]

Labels: Barcelona, champions league, final eight

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has no major injury worries with only long-term absentees Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell missing.

Peter Crouch has had no after-effects from the Manchester United game, in which he played with a broken nose.

Barcelona will have playmaker Deco and Lilian Thuram available after they were both rested for the game at Sevilla.

Samuel Eto'o, who missed the first leg through a protracted recovery from a knee injury, is also in the squad.

[ Complete Match Preview ]

Labels: Barcelona, Benitez, champions league

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said he is expecting Barcelona to be on the offensive during Tuesday's Champions League knock-out tie at Anfield.

'They need to score at least twice - we know they are an attacking side,' said Benitez, with the Reds holding a 2-1 advantage over the Catalan giants.

'I expect them to play with Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi up front and we are prepared for that.

'Our plan will be different from what it was in the first leg.'

Labels: Barcelona, Benitez, champions league, final eight

Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool must be ready to tackle Barcelona head on.

As the Liverpool skipper prepares to lead his side into battle at Anfield tonight, protecting a 2-1 first-leg lead in the Champions League last 16, he knows that the Ronaldinho and his pals want revenge for the Nou Camp defeat they suffered at the Merseysiders' hands a fortnight ago.

Gerrard said: 'We have got to be very careful, and show Barcelona every respect. They are a fantastic team and they are capable of going anywhere in Europe and playing people off the park.

'We must make sure we match, if not better, our first-leg performance. They are maybe more dangerous now because they are behind.

'But Barcelona over the last couple of seasons have proved they are the best side in Europe, that's how difficult it is going to be for us.'

Labels: Barcelona, Gerrard, Liverpool FC