The Gunners have endured a nightmare two weeks which have dashed their hopes in both the title race and the Champions League but they banished a little of the gloom with a 2-0 win over visitors Reading on Saturday.

Emmanuel Adebayor scored with a cool finish in the 30th minute and Gilberto added a deflected second eight minutes later at Emirates Stadium.

Benitez’s team have beaten the west London club at this stage of the competition twice in the last three seasons.

But on both those occasions Liverpool enjoyed the advantage of playing the second leg at home and the legendary Anfield atmosphere was acknowledged as a major factor in both victories.

This time however, the teams will meet on Merseyside for Tuesday’s first leg, placing a greater onus on Benitez’s side to claim an early advantage in the tie.

Bolivian president Evo Morales said on Saturday that the country’s battle to have their World Cup qualifiers played at altitude will be taken to the United Nations.

World football governing body FIFA has banned the South American team from staging qualifiers above 3,500m in La Paz but the Bolivians claim they are being discriminated against.

A furious Morales even condemned FIFA president Sepp Blatter as a ‘dictator’.

“Bolivia will bring an action for discrimination and marginalisation before the United Nations,” said Morales.

Gordon Strachan admitted Celtic’s inability to kill off teams is a major concern after they returned to the top of the Scottish Premier League with a nervy 1-0 win at home to Aberdeen on Saturday.

However, the Celtic manager says at this stage in the season all that matters is winning to keep up the pressure on Rangers.

As has happened on numerous occasions this season the Parkhead side failed to turn their possession into goals against the Dons.

Celtic almost paid dearly for their lack of scoring prowess when Aberdeen had a late goal controversially chopped off.

An opportunist goal from Djibril Cisse on Sunday preserved Marseille’s chances of grabbing a slice of Champions League action next season as the former Liverpool man struck to seal a 3-2 victory at Monaco.

Cisse was a member of the Liverpool team which won the competition in 2005 but, prone to injury, struggled to hold down his place at Anfield and moved to Marseille a year later.

His strike on 83 minutes secured a vital win bonus for the southerners, who took advantage of Nancy’s earlier 1-1 draw at Valenciennes to move into third spot by a point.

A mob fixer who intervened to stop another gangster harassing star England footballer Steven Gerrard was sentenced Thursday to more than 14 years in prison for his role in a robbery.

John Kinsella, 43, went on the run earlier this week, however, and was not at Lincoln Crown Court in east central England for his sentencing.

He was convicted of stealing 41,000 pounds (82,000 dollars, 51,000 euros) worth of Easter eggs, crisps and detergent after tying up a security guard.

Kinsella was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for the March 2006 theft, a further year for dangerous driving leaving the scene of the crime, and three months for breaking his bail conditions.

Barcelona’s Argentine striker Lionel Messi said Thursday he hopes Ronaldinho, who is being courted by AC Milan, will remain at the club next year.

“At Barca, we want everyone to remain at the club. If he goes, I will be sad,” he said.

“He has helped me a lot to integrate into the team. Any team would like to have him. I still hope that he will stay.”

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said on Sunday that the reigning European champions have come to an agreement with Ronaldinho over a possible summer transfer.