Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool will not sit back and defend their advantage in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City.

Liverpool hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month and, with home advantage in tonight's clash, will be confident of progressing to the final in February.

However, Gerrard refused to discuss the possibility of appearing at Wembley for the first time since 1996, saying he was not looking beyond the next 90 minutes against City.

"We need to play to our maximum. We need every player to turn up and play well to qualify. We need to ignore the scoreline and go into this game trying to win it," Gerrard is quoted on the official Liverpool Web site.

"I think if we're too negative and try to just protect the lead it could be very dangerous."

"It (Wembley talk) has got to be banned because we haven't made it there yet."

Steven Gerrard
Liverpool's Gerrard scores a penalty past Manchester City's Hart during their English League Cup semi-final first leg match in Manchester. REUTERS

Gerrard's penalty in the first leg means Liverpool carry a slender lead into tonight's match-up and the midfielder believes the Reds' experience in two-legged contests in recent years could prove crucial against the Premier League leaders.

"We know this is a big game and a tough game," he added. "I think experience is important, it always is. Especially when you have a lead in such an important two-legged fixture."

Meanwhile, England Under-21 international Jordan Henderson is keen to learn from Anfield team-mate Gerrard but remains adamant he is not trying to emulate the talismanic Liverpool captain.

Henderson arrived at Anfield last summer for a fee in the region of £16m and has struggled to justify his price-tag during a fitful first season on Merseyside.

However, the midfielder has revealed he is determined to prove his worth in the first-XI and is aiming improve on recent performances.

"He's [Gerrard] someone I can learn from because he's been the best in the business for an awful long time," Henderson said in the official Liverpool magazine. "He's got everything you want from a modern footballer.

"I know he played in a few positions to learn the game before settling in the midfield. But I try and learn from everyone, really. There's a lot of good, experienced players in the squad. It's not just technical stuff you learn, it's mental as well.

"Stevie is a top professional and apart from being a brilliant player he's been at the top for such a long time because he can deal with the pressure."