Greatest Joy Of The Season

22 Apr 2006 Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool - FA Cup Semi-final

Liverpoolfc.tv - The Reds will now play the winners of West Ham and Middlesbrough after beating Jose Mourinho's side for the first time this season. And Chelsea, expected to be crowned Premiership Champions next week, can have no complaints because they were soundly beaten.

BBC - Didier Drogba missed two gilt-edged chances for Chelsea before John Arne Riise's free-kick put the Reds ahead. Luis Garcia brilliantly half-volleyed in from 20 yards to extend Liverpool's lead but Drogba headed in to set up an enthralling end to the game. Chelsea then put their rivals under siege and Joe Cole blazed a late chance over as Liverpool clung on for the win.

Carra: "We can beat them in cup competitions. But they are the best team in the league and they are a better team than us, we are not going to argue about that because the table doesn't lie. But we have cut the gap on them this season and we aim to cut it again next season, and we are closer. But it is only in one-off games."
"We haven't got a great record against them, we have only won two out of 10 but those two wins are the most important ones. We have won the very big ones, the Champions League semi and now this FA Cup semi."

Riise: "That goal went a long way to making up for the fact that I scored in a final against Chelsea last season and didn't finish on the winning side. Now it will be my first FA Cup final and I can't wait."
"I felt in the hotel before the game that I would score in the semi-final. We had been working on the free-kick for the last couple of days. I said to Steven I wanted to take it. I could see that Ferreira thought I was going to put it round the wall, I could see him moving to his right to anticipate what he thought was going to be a curled effort. So it was a fantastic feeling to score after putting my effort between the two players on the end of the wall."

Garcia: "All I can say is there was no doubt that one was over the line, for sure. It has been a little disappointing that the issue of that goal keeps coming up, but I have not let it bother me. Now I've got another against Chelsea."
"I must admit when Joe Cole had that chance and missed, it reminded me of last season in the Champions League semi-final when Gudjohnsen missed one very late in that match."
Gerrard: "The funny thing about Luis is that he misses the easy ones and then scores from 30 yards. But that doesn't bother me, not as long as he keeps scoring goals like he did in this semi-final. He has scored a lot of great goals for us in very important matches, I can put up with that."

Gerrard: "We're progressing. We know Chelsea are a fantastic side with a lot of money behind them and they can go out there and buy whoever they want. But Rafa's building something here. We're a very strong team and I think Mourinho should stand up and give us a bit of respect. And I still think we can improve more, both individually and as a team. We can all improve."

And I can't believe this.....
Mourinho: "We beat them in a final, they beat us in two semi-finals. A psychological advantage? I don't think so." ↓(Chelsea boss Bitch slaps Lampard)

"I cannot wish them luck in the final. Middlesbrough or West Ham will be there and I must respect them."
"I wish them luck for their qualification match in the Champions League."
......You see that? WHAT A LOSER!