Jamie takes flight in league chase

Jamie Carragher vowed to do something about the decline in Liverpool's fortunes the day he bumped into Manchester United's players in an airport departure lounge.

Both teams were on their way to matches against foreign opposition, but their destinations could hardly have been more different. Liverpool defender Carragher explained: 'They were heading for a Champions League game against Inter Milan, while we were flying to France for a friendly against a non-League team. It was a couple of years ago and if anything underlined the contrast in the standing of the two sides, it was that.'

It was a chance meeting. We did not know they would be there. But it really hit home to the lads how far behind them we had fallen. It was horrible and the one thing we don't want is to return to those days.

'The rivalry between us and United is such that it hurt all of us to realise we were so far adrift. It is fair enough to say they had to watch us dominate the game in the Seventies and Eighties and that it is their turn now, but we don't intend sitting around and accepting it.' Carragher believes victory over Arsenal would count as a significant step towards overhauling United after Liverpool failed to build on a League Cup success under Roy Evans.

'Roy was so close to being successful,' he said. 'There were so many near-misses in the League, FA Cup and even the Cup Winners Cup, but ultimately you are only remembered for the trophies you bring in.

'That should be a warning for us. We have only won the Worthington Cup so far and still haven't really achieved that much.