Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team deserved the 2-1 win over Liverpool but singled out captain Thierry Henry and midfielder Cesc Fabregas for more praise. Henry hit Arsenal's two goals, including an opportunist strike eight minutes from time benefiting from a dreadful error from Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, while Fabregas set-up the opener and successfully marshaled the midfield through out the game. "It was a gift (from Gerrard) but it is part of a striker's job to get those chances," Wenger told a press conference after the Sunday home encounter. "It was a little down to shrewdness from a striker and defensiveness on Liverpool's part," the Frenchman added.
Fabregas Henry stole a poor back pass from Gerrard, rounded Liverpool keeper Jose Reina, and arrowed the winner into the back of the net in the 82nd minute as the game seemed heading to a 1-1 tie. The victory moved Arsenal just two points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspurs with both of the London rivals seeking to secure the last UEFA Champions League berth. Wenger paid tribute to Fabregas who also played a pivotal role in the goalless draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League, a tie that lift Arsenal to the last eight on a 1-0 aggregate victory after a stunning away triumph. "He has great vision, simplicity in his game and when you see things, football is easier. That goal is a good example of that," Wenger said.
