Liverpool bow to 'The Beast'

'Very special day'
Never mind one goal, Baptista struck four as Arsenal recorded the result of the English season – an incredible 6-3 triumph at Liverpool in the League Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night. He may still be coming to grips with the English language as well as the football but the 25-year-old, who arrived on loan from Real Madrid CF last summer, hit the nail on the head when he said: "Today I think is a very special day for me."

Stunning display
Baptista had appeared as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 3-1 FA Cup victory at Liverpool on Saturday, his 13th appearance of a season where he has struggled for fitness and form and managed just one goal, against Hamburger SV in the UEFA Champions League in November. Last night, though, he got his chance as Arsène Wenger, as usual in England's second cup competition, fielded some fringe players – and he took it in style. Baptista's first goal was the pick, a fine free-kick which flew over the wall, then dropped into the far corner down at the Kop end. That came with the score at 1-1 and after Cameroonian teenager Alexandre Song had added a third, the Brazilian then scored three more. He would have had five had Jerzy Dudek not stopped his second-half penalty.

Wenger praise
The hope for Arsenal is Baptista will now go on and show just why Wenger pursued him for so long – first when Baptista was at Sevilla FC prior to joining Madrid, and then last year, when he finally got his man in a loan swap involving José Antonio Reyes. Wenger praised Baptista's mental toughness when he said: "It takes time to adapt to English football but I was confident in him because he is mentally strong and has a very good team attitude."

Aliadière impresses
Baptista was not the only one to catch the eye. Three of the Brazilian's goals were set up by strike partner Jérémie Aliadière, who also opened the scoring as he gave his best performance in an Arsenal shirt and left Arsene Wenger reflecting that the Frenchman had made a "big step up". "I will try to keep him," added the manager of a 23-year-old increasingly frustrated by his lack of opportunities at the club.

European challenge
Arsenal may not be in contention for the Premiership this season but last season's beaten finalists can look forward with real optimism to facing PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League next month. However, Liverpool are unlikely to feel so perky after a night on which Mark González and Luis García leave the field on stretchers with potentially long-term injuries.

'Bad game'
"A bad game" was Rafael Benítez's understated summary. Their morale will have taken a severe knock after conceding six goals on home soil for the first time since 1930. After exiting two competitions at Anfield in the space of four days, Liverpool's only hope of silverware now lies in the UEFA Champions League and with FC Barcelona standing in their path, Benítez must work on restoring confidence right away.