Peter Crouch gave Liverpool the lead

Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1

Arsenal were once again left frustrated by Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium as a 1-1 draw dealt a near fatal blow to their fading Barclays Premier League title hopes. Just three days after their European tie ended all square, both teams were back to do battle for league points.

Each manager made several changes, no doubt with one eye on next week's second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, but there was still more than enough talent on display to make for an entertaining encounter.

Recalled striker Peter Crouch gave Liverpool the lead at the end of the first half, with Nicklas Bendtner levelling on 53 minutes.

However, with Manchester United, who play at Middlesbrough on Sunday, still five points clear at the top of the table, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger knew only victory would have kept their slim hopes of the title alive.

The trip to Anfield on Tuesday night now takes on extra significance if a season which promised so much is not to end in disappointment.

Liverpool started well and Crouch soon tested Manuel Almunia, letting fly from 25 yards and forcing the Arsenal goalkeeper to make an acrobatic one-handed save to tip the ball over.

Crouch was involved again in the 17th minute, this time slipping an expert pass inside the Arsenal backline.

John Arne Riise ran onto the ball but, with William Gallas sliding in, the Norwegian lifted his 18-yard shot over the crossbar.

It was proving to be something of a chess match, with both teams happy to wait for each other to attack and looking for quick counter-attacks.

After 31 minutes Liverpool broke down the right, with Yossi Benayoun getting in on the overlap. However, his angled drive flashed across goal.

It should, though, have been 1-0 when, after 35 minutes, the Gunners broke quickly through Mathieu Flamini and Theo Walcott.

The ball fell to Bendtner just inside the area, but the Dane's first-time shot was weak and straight at a grateful Reina.

Arsenal were clean in on goal again when Emmanuel Eboue beat the offside trap and got away down the right. However, his low cutback towards Cesc Fabregas was cleared by the retreating Martin Skrtel.

The home side were made to pay with three minutes left to the break when Crouch put Liverpool ahead.

The England striker headed down a long clearance from keeper Pepe Reina, which Benayoun flicked on.

Crouch collected the ball on his chest and turned inside Arsenal captain William Gallas before drilling his shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

After 51 minutes a run and deflected shot from Walcott led to a corner for Arsenal.

Fabregas floated the ball over to Kolo Toure on the penalty spot, but the defender sent his free header wide.

Former Gunner Jermaine Pennant was booked on 53 minutes for bundling over Armand Traore as the full-back looked to get away down the left and Arsenal were level from the resulting free-kick.

Again Fabregas was the provider as he sent over a deep cross into the six-yard box, where Bendtner timed his run towards the near post perfectly and powered a header into the net.

The relief around the Emirates Stadium was clear as the Arsenal faithful suddenly found their voice.

Leading scorer Emanuel Adebayor was sent on, replacing full-back Justin Hoyte, for the final 33 minutes as the Gunners reshuffled.

Flamini tested Reina with a low, angled drive from the right side of the area, which the Liverpool goalkeeper held well.

Traore was replaced by Gael Clichy for the last 18 minutes, before Almunia had to claw the ball away from under his own bar following Riise's left-wing cross.

Arsenal continued to press for a winner, but could have been caught out, only for substitute Andriy Voronin to fire over from 10 yards.

Fernando Torres was introduced for the final 10 minutes, as was Arsenal's Alexander Hleb.

However, there was no way through for the home side, who had to settle for a point, which you suspect will not be enough to stay in the hunt for the title.

Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger maintains Arsenal's Barclays Premier League title challenge is 'not over' despite suffering another frustrating draw with Liverpool at Emirates Stadium.

Just three days after their European tie ended all-square, both teams were back to do battle for league points.

Each manager made several changes, no doubt with one eye on next week's second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Recalled striker Peter Crouch gave Liverpool the lead at the end of the first half, with Nicklas Bendtner levelling on 53 minutes.

Arsenal once again pressed for a late winner, but it would just not come.

With Manchester United, who play at Middlesbrough tomorrow, still five points clear at the top of the table and now with a game in hand, Wenger concedes his men face an uphill battle to wrestle the title away from Old Trafford.

However, with key fixtures between the top three still to come, the Gunners boss refuses to throw in the towel.

'In my brain it is not over, because it is not over mathematically,' Wenger said.

'It depends on the results of the other teams. I said we would need at least five wins and a draw.

'It is frustrating again because I feel we had a blatant penalty again for a foul on [Cesc] Fabregas, which was not given. You can see it well on television, it is 100% conclusive.

'We also had a chance in the last minute to kill the game off.

'It was a bit of repetition of Wednesday night. We had problems starting the game, and then got into the game after 30 minutes.

'Then just before half-time they got the goal and then they defended for every ball in their half and you needed to get back to score a second goal, which was possible.

'We had to throw everything forward and left ourselves open a little on counter-attacks. That was the game basically.'

Wenger defended his team selection, which saw five changes from Wednesday night's game, including leaving leading scorer Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench.

'When you don't win the game, you are looking for what could have been different,' he added.

'It is difficult, but you have to make decisions. With the schedule we have, if you only always play the same XI, it does not work as well.'

The trip to Anfield on Tuesday night now takes on extra significance if a season which promised so much is not to end in disappointment.

Wenger said: 'Of course it is a massive game. Who would say that the quarter-final of the Champions League is not?

'It is very important for us and for them.'

The Gunners boss, though, insisted it was not now a season-defining moment.

'I do not like the big statements,' he said. 'We will play our own game on Tuesday night and try to win, give absolutely everything.

'Our season has not been disastrous anyway because people expected us to be between 10th and 12th at the beginning of the season, so we are beyond expectation.'

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was happy enough with a point which keeps them ahead of Merseyside rivals Everton in the battle for the final Champions League qualifying place.

'For both teams, today was important, for us to be closer to the top four and for Arsenal to be in the race for the title. The pressure was the same for both teams,' he said.

'We had to work hard and scored a great goal. The work rate was good from a lot of players who normally do not play. They all did well.

'We could have won because we had the chances, but then again we could also have lost as they had chances as well.'

As for the title race, Benitez added: 'I think it will be difficult for them. I was asking Arsene before in the race for the title, you cannot lose points now, so it is really difficult.

'Maybe the only option now for them is the Champions League, which means they will be more dangerous for us too.'

Benitez is relishing Tuesday night's clash at Anfield, which is delicately poised at 1-1.

'Arsene Wenger was trying to keep some players for the second leg, and we were trying to do the same,' he said.

'You could see that some of the players were tired. But they will play the next game with a lot of passion and I don't think they will be tired.

'We have confidence, but know they have quality, can play well away and are dangerous.

'It is very difficult to play for a 0-0 draw. I don't know how to do it.'

Arsenal Almunia, Justin Hoyte (Adebayor 57), Gallas, Toure, Traore (Clichy 72), Eboue, Fabregas, Silva, Flamini (Hleb 81), Bendtner, Walcott.
Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Song Billong.

Booked: Eboue.

Goals: Bendtner 54.

Liverpool Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Plessis, Pennant (Gerrard 66), Benayoun (Voronin 75), Lucas, Riise, Crouch (Torres 80).
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Hyypia.

Booked: Riise, Pennant.

Goals: Crouch 42.

Att: 60,111

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).