LIVERPOOL will play Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals for the third time in four years after quarterfinal wins Tuesday.

Steven Gerrard scored from the penalty spot in the 85th minute and Ryan Babel added another in injury time to help Liverpool rally to beat Arsenal 4-2 Tuesday in the second leg of the quarterfinals, sending the five-time champions into the next round 5-3 on aggregate.

Chelsea, which has never won Europe’s top club competition, had goals from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard in its 2-0 win over Fenerbahce, giving the Blues a 3-2 win on aggregate.

The two English teams will meet in the semifinals later this month.

“We’ve got some big games coming up but we’ll be ready for Chelsea,” Gerrard said.

Arsenal took the lead at Anfield when Abou Diaby scored from a tight angle in the 13th minute after some poor clearing shots by the Liverpool defense.

Sami Hyypia then equalized for Liverpool in the 30th by getting away from Philippe Senderos and heading in a corner from Gerrard. Fernando Torres put the hosts ahead in the 69th by controlling a long pass from goalkeeper Pepe Reina with his chest and turning to beat Manuel Almunia.

Emmanuel Adebayor scored an equalizer for the Gunners in the 84th after a spectacular run down the right by Theo Walcott. That would have been enough to send Arsenal through on away goals, but Gerrard scored from the spot a minute later after Kolo Toure pulled down Babel in the area.

“They held me a little bit and they tried to take a chunk of me,” said Babel, who added to the lead in the second minute of injury time.

It was the third match between Arsenal and Liverpool in seven days. Besides the two legs of the Champions League, Liverpool drew 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez praised his team’s character.

“This will go down as a great European night,” he told reporters. “Arsenal played well in the first half and then there were six goals and we won, so our supporters will be happy.”

“We started badly and were giving the ball away. Then we conceded a goal, but I was pleased with the character of the players and the way they reacted.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blamed the defeat on Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt and naive defending.

“We have a feeling of disappointment and injustice. At the moment it is difficult because the whole dressing room is down,” he said.

“The game is over for us. It was down to a dodgy decision, I believe, from the referee. We had so much control but we were naive and we lacked a bit defensively.”

Liverpool beat Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals in 2005 and 2007, winning its fifth title in 2005.

“We’ve been there. We know everything about them and they know everything about us,” Lampard said. “It’s amazing how often we’ve been in this situation.”

Ballack gave Chelsea the lead in the fourth minute by heading in a cross from Lampard from the right. Lampard scored the second off a cross from Michael Essien in the 87th.

The result extended Chelsea’s home unbeaten streak in Europe to 11, a run dating back 26 months.

Chelsea, already playing without injured Petr Cech, was forced to replace second-string goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini in the 26th with Hilario because of injury.

Hilario made two good saves in the final 10 minutes.

Fenerbahce, which hasn’t won away from home this season in the Champions League, was playing in the quarterfinals for the first time.(SD-Agencies)

LIVERPOOL will play Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals for the third time in four years after quarterfinal wins Tuesday.

Steven Gerrard scored from the penalty spot in the 85th minute and Ryan Babel added another in injury time to help Liverpool rally to beat Arsenal 4-2 Tuesday in the second leg of the quarterfinals, sending the five-time champions into the next round 5-3 on aggregate.

Chelsea, which has never won Europe’s top club competition, had goals from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard in its 2-0 win over Fenerbahce, giving the Blues a 3-2 win on aggregate.

The two English teams will meet in the semifinals later this month.

“We’ve got some big games coming up but we’ll be ready for Chelsea,” Gerrard said.

Arsenal took the lead at Anfield when Abou Diaby scored from a tight angle in the 13th minute after some poor clearing shots by the Liverpool defense.

Sami Hyypia then equalized for Liverpool in the 30th by getting away from Philippe Senderos and heading in a corner from Gerrard. Fernando Torres put the hosts ahead in the 69th by controlling a long pass from goalkeeper Pepe Reina with his chest and turning to beat Manuel Almunia.

Emmanuel Adebayor scored an equalizer for the Gunners in the 84th after a spectacular run down the right by Theo Walcott. That would have been enough to send Arsenal through on away goals, but Gerrard scored from the spot a minute later after Kolo Toure pulled down Babel in the area.

“They held me a little bit and they tried to take a chunk of me,” said Babel, who added to the lead in the second minute of injury time.

It was the third match between Arsenal and Liverpool in seven days. Besides the two legs of the Champions League, Liverpool drew 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez praised his team’s character.

“This will go down as a great European night,” he told reporters. “Arsenal played well in the first half and then there were six goals and we won, so our supporters will be happy.”

“We started badly and were giving the ball away. Then we conceded a goal, but I was pleased with the character of the players and the way they reacted.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blamed the defeat on Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt and naive defending.

“We have a feeling of disappointment and injustice. At the moment it is difficult because the whole dressing room is down,” he said.

“The game is over for us. It was down to a dodgy decision, I believe, from the referee. We had so much control but we were naive and we lacked a bit defensively.”

Liverpool beat Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals in 2005 and 2007, winning its fifth title in 2005.

“We’ve been there. We know everything about them and they know everything about us,” Lampard said. “It’s amazing how often we’ve been in this situation.”

Ballack gave Chelsea the lead in the fourth minute by heading in a cross from Lampard from the right. Lampard scored the second off a cross from Michael Essien in the 87th.

The result extended Chelsea’s home unbeaten streak in Europe to 11, a run dating back 26 months.

Chelsea, already playing without injured Petr Cech, was forced to replace second-string goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini in the 26th with Hilario because of injury.

Hilario made two good saves in the final 10 minutes.

Fenerbahce, which hasn’t won away from home this season in the Champions League, was playing in the quarterfinals for the first time.(SD-Agencies)