Arsenal's hopes of winning the English Premier League title suffered a potentially fatal blow on Sunday as they drew 1-1 with Liverpool at the Emirates in a match that ended in the most dramatic fashion.
Robin van Persie put Arsenal in front from the penalty spot in the eighth minute of
time added on but Emmanuel Eboue pushed Lucas to the ground two minutes later and Dirk Kuyt made no mistake with the penalty to seal a point for the visitors.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he felt hard done by because the eight minutes of extra time - added because of an injury to Jamie Carragher, who needed oxygen treatment - were up.
"Time was over," he said. "Extra time should have been eight minutes. And I don't think it was a penalty at all but Lucas played in an intelligent way, he stopped his run in front of Emmanuel Eboue."
The draw means Arsenal are still six points behind leaders Manchester United with just six games apiece remaining, though the two sides do still have to play each other.
And Van Persie looked to have won it when he sent Pepe Reina the wrong way after Cesc Fabregas had been tripped by Jay Spearing.
But Eboue's moment of madness, as he lent into Lucas after a free kick had been blocked, gave Liverpool a penalty and Kuyt scored to pinch a point and potentially ruin Arsenal's hopes.
Wenger exchanged cross words with Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish at the end but the Frenchman will be livid at the way his team threw away their winning position.
"We have to take it and continue to fight," Wenger said.
Both sides wore black armbands to commemorate the Hillsborough tragedy of the corresponding week in 1989 when 96 people died in a crush during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal had dominated possession and Laurent Koscielny headed against the crossbar in the first half and Van Persie was denied by a brilliant save from Reina.
Dalglish said his team deserved their point for their efforts throughout the entire game, especially after Fabio Aurelio, Carragher and striker Andy Carroll had all gone off through injury.
"What my team did at the end epitomised what they did all day," he said. "You lose two players to injury, we had two young boys playing at full-back, Jonjo Shelvey was just coming back, we lost a centre- forward, everything was battling against us and they still remained committed to get something from the game.
"That's fantastic. You can maybe play better but you won't find a more committed team than the one out there today."
Robin van Persie put Arsenal in front from the penalty spot in the eighth minute of
time added on but Emmanuel Eboue pushed Lucas to the ground two minutes later and Dirk Kuyt made no mistake with the penalty to seal a point for the visitors.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he felt hard done by because the eight minutes of extra time - added because of an injury to Jamie Carragher, who needed oxygen treatment - were up.
"Time was over," he said. "Extra time should have been eight minutes. And I don't think it was a penalty at all but Lucas played in an intelligent way, he stopped his run in front of Emmanuel Eboue."
The draw means Arsenal are still six points behind leaders Manchester United with just six games apiece remaining, though the two sides do still have to play each other.
And Van Persie looked to have won it when he sent Pepe Reina the wrong way after Cesc Fabregas had been tripped by Jay Spearing.
But Eboue's moment of madness, as he lent into Lucas after a free kick had been blocked, gave Liverpool a penalty and Kuyt scored to pinch a point and potentially ruin Arsenal's hopes.
Wenger exchanged cross words with Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish at the end but the Frenchman will be livid at the way his team threw away their winning position.
"We have to take it and continue to fight," Wenger said.
Both sides wore black armbands to commemorate the Hillsborough tragedy of the corresponding week in 1989 when 96 people died in a crush during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal had dominated possession and Laurent Koscielny headed against the crossbar in the first half and Van Persie was denied by a brilliant save from Reina.
Dalglish said his team deserved their point for their efforts throughout the entire game, especially after Fabio Aurelio, Carragher and striker Andy Carroll had all gone off through injury.
"What my team did at the end epitomised what they did all day," he said. "You lose two players to injury, we had two young boys playing at full-back, Jonjo Shelvey was just coming back, we lost a centre- forward, everything was battling against us and they still remained committed to get something from the game.
"That's fantastic. You can maybe play better but you won't find a more committed team than the one out there today."
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