Football: The highs and lows of Rafael Benítez's tenure

16 June 2004 A fresh-faced Rafael Benítez, 44, joins Liverpool having won La Liga and the Uefa Cup with Valencia the previous season. Photograph: Steve Parkin/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Steve Parkin/guardian.co.uk 8 December 2004 Liverpool qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in unforgettable style. Needing to beat Olympiakos by two goals in their last group game, they are 1-0 down at half-time before Steven Gerrard seals a 3-1 victory with a stunning late goal. Photograph: Paul Barker/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Paul Barker/guardian.co.uk 18 January 2005 Djimi Traoré's farcical own-goal sends a weakened Liverpool to an FA Cup third-round defeat at Burnley. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images Photograph: Michael Steele/guardian.co.uk 3 May 2005 Amid one of the great Anfield atmospheres, Liverpool beat newly-crowned league champions Chelsea 1-0 to reach their first European Cup final for 20 years. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk 25 May 2005 The miracle of Istanbul: Liverpool come back from 3-0 down to Milan at half-time to win their fifth European Cup on penalties. Photograph: Getty Images/Getty Images Photograph: Getty Images/guardian.co.uk 8 March 2006 The crown is surrendered. Liverpool go out of the Champions League in the first knockout round, following a 1-0 defeat in Benfica with a 2-0 defeat at home. Photograph: AFP/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: AFP/guardian.co.uk 13 May 2006 Another year, another dramatic 3-3 draw, and another trophy won on penalties. Liverpool have the best of the FA Cup final against West Ham, but need to be saved by Steven Gerrard's outrageous injury-time equaliser before triumphing from the spot. Photograph: Ben Radford/Getty Images Photograph: Ben Radford/guardian.co.uk 9 January 2007 Arsenal's reserves run riot with a 6-3 victory in the Carling Cup. It was the first time Liverpool had conceded six at Anfield since the 1929-30 season. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk 21 February 2007 Benítez's side stun the European Cup holders Barcelona with a famous 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp, and go through on away goals after a 1-0 defeat in the second leg. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk 23 May 2007 A sixth European Cup proves elusive as Milan win a cagey final 2-1 in Athens. Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Photograph: Jamie McDonald/guardian.co.uk 4 Jul 2007 Benítez signs 23-year-old Fernando Torres from Atlético Madrid for around £20m. The signing is an unqualified triumph, with Torres hitting 72 goals in the next three seasons. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Paul Ellis/guardian.co.uk 6 November 2007 Liverpool smash Besiktas 8-0, a record Champions League victory. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk 8 April 2008 Liverpool make it to their third Champions League semi-final under Benítez thanks to a 5-3 aggregate win over Arsenal at the quarter-final stage. Steven Gerrard scored a penalty in the 4-2 second-leg victory at Anfield. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Photograph: Clive Brunskill/guardian.co.uk 28 Jul 2008 Benítez signs Robbie Keane from Tottenham for £20.3m. The signing is an unmitigated disaster, with Keane sold back to Spurs six months later. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Andrew Yates/guardian.co.uk 13 September 2008 Liverpool beat their hated rivals Manchester United in the league for the first time in four-and-a-half years, with Ryan Babel scoring a deserved late winner. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk 9 Jan 2009 With Liverpool challenging for the title for the first time under his management, Benítez launches a bizarre assault on Sir Alex Ferguson during a notorious press conference. It is followed by a dismal run of form. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Glyn Kirk/guardian.co.uk 10 March 2009 Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard both score in Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid at Anfield in the last-16 stage of the Champions League. The hosts go through 5-0 on aggregate. Photograph: Rafa Rivas/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Rafa Rivas/guardian.co.uk 14 March 2009 Liverpool beat Ferguson's United 4-1 at Old Trafford, a stunning-smash-and-grab victory that puts them back in the title race. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Andrew Yates/guardian.co.uk 21 April 2009 A madcap 4-4 draw at home to Arsenal, all of whose goals are scored by Andriy Arshavin, is a huge blow to Liverpool's challenge. Although Liverpool win 10 of their last 11 league games, United win their 18th title to move level with Liverpool. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk 17 October 2009 Darren Bent's infamous beachball goal for Sunderland symbolises a shambolic start to Liverpool's season and inflicts one of 19 defeats in a dire campaign. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Photograph: Mike Hewitt/guardian.co.uk 4 November 2009 Liverpool's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League take a massive blow following a 1-1 draw in Lyon. Ryan Babel gave the visitors the lead with seven minutes to play but the hosts equalised just before full-time thanks to a goal from Lisandro. Liverpool were eventually relegated to the Europa League. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/guardian.co.uk 29 April 2010 Liverpool also fail in the Europa League, losing on away goals to Atlético Madrid in the semi-final despite a 2-1 victory in the second leg. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Photograph: Clive Brunskill/guardian.co.uk