0 0 1 ▁ens ured ▁Liverpool ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁Premier ▁League ▁and ▁with ▁that ▁ear n ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 – 0 2 ▁UEFA ▁Champions ▁League . ▁Ar sen al ▁ended ▁the ▁season ▁as ▁league ▁run ners - up ; ▁a ▁draw ▁against ▁New castle ▁United ▁was ▁enough ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁secure ▁second ▁spot . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁released ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁G err ard ▁reflected ▁that ▁Liverpool ▁were ▁fort un ate ▁to ▁win , ▁but ▁was ▁critical ▁of ▁Ar sen al ' s ▁" bit ter " ▁reaction : ▁" W enger ▁and ▁L j ung berg ▁kept ▁compla ining ▁about ▁the ▁hand - ball s . ▁Get ▁real , ▁boys . ▁That ' s ▁football . ▁G row ▁up ." ▁He ▁reserved ▁special ▁pra ise ▁for ▁his ▁oppon ent ▁Vie ira ▁however , ▁saying ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁game : ▁" It ▁was ▁my ▁job ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁stop ▁him , ▁but ▁he ▁definitely ▁got ▁the ▁better ▁of ▁me ▁that ▁day . ▁He ' s ▁such ▁a ▁great ▁player . ▁He ' s ▁so ▁fit , ▁and ▁he ▁dict ates ▁the ▁pace ▁of ▁a ▁game . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁things ▁you ▁can ▁learn ▁just ▁by ▁watching ▁him ." ▁Ass ess ing ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁a ▁column ▁for ▁the ▁Te legraph , ▁O wen ▁wrote ▁that ▁winning ▁the ▁cup ▁was ▁"... the ▁best ▁day ▁of ▁my ▁career , ▁the ▁game ▁I ▁look ▁back ▁on ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁other