Liverpool arrest slide as Steven Gerrard's final dream stays alive

Liverpool scraped through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will take on Aston Villa at Wembley. The game was a tight affair with few chances for either side. Despite their suspensions, Liverpool deserved to go through after grabbing a relatively late winner through the impressive Phillipe Coutinho. He exchanged passes with Jordan Henderson before finishing from a tight angle.

There was a moment of high drama in the last minute when Simon Mignolet pulled off a good stop from his opposing number, Simon Eastwood, who had come up in desperation for a Blackburn corner.

“It was a really important game for us today. I think everybody has been disappointed over the last couple of weeks with performances and results. But I think we showed great character today. We knew when we came here they'd make it difficult for us but from start to finish we controlled the game, I thought we were brilliant. Towards the end when we'd gone 1-0 up they were chucking everything at us but we defended fantastically. Credit to the lads really and we'll go to Wembley against Villa and I'm sure it will be a tough game because they're a good side.”

“Our group's an honest group and they have had a right good go. To have pushed Liverpool like that over two games and still have a chance like that means there's nothing but praise for them. It shows the progress we've made at the club and the supporters have hopefully gone away pleased with what they saw, but just a little bit disappointed that we couldn't get the goal.”

It means that people with no ability to vary their vocabulary will be able to continue to use the word ‘narrative’ again and again, until the word loses what left of its meaning it retains. Steven Gerrard will get his FA Cup final, television companies will get their chance to make obsequious montages, and Liverpool fans will get to cry with joy or sadness depending on what happens to their Steven. Assuming they beat Aston Villa.

For Brendan Rodgers, it means that he has a few days respite from the pressure from a string of poor performances, and could finally get things back on track with an easy game against Newcastle on Monday. You get the impression that he would rather the Gerrard circus leaves town sooner rather than later, though. There are two big questions now. Will Liverpool give Gerrard the send off his craves, and will Tim Sherwood wear a gilet over his Wembley suit?

Andy Hunter (Guardian): Liverpool have worn the look of the condemned since their Champions League pursuit faltered at Arsenal on Saturday but the last rites on their season were not administered at Blackburn Rovers. Aston Villa at Wembley, not another bout of soul-searching, beckon for Brendan Rodgers after Philippe Coutinho’s 70th-minute goal won this FA Cup contest. Coutinho proved the match-winner in the quarter-final replay just as he had at Bolton Wanderers in round four and Liverpool’s belief in FA Cup destiny was only enhanced by the final act of a close-fought match.

Mark Ogden (Telegraph): Philippe Coutinho saved Liverpool’s skin against Blackburn and kept the club on course for the FA Cup final with his second-half winner, strengthening the Brazilian’s claim to be crowned the team’s player of the season. The 22-year-old No10 has certainly been the club’s most improved player and his work-rate and tenacity is an example to the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli, who was absent again, this time due to an apparent illness. Coutinho’s goal was special too. It was not in the class of the stunners he scored against Southampton and Manchester City, but it was arguably more important. His low drive into the far corner, following a neat one-two with Jordan Henderson, ended Blackburn’s dogged resistance and secured a Wembley semi-final against Aston Villa.