Wenger - Title tilt not over

Arsenal boss refuses to throw in the towel

Last updated: 5th April 2008

Football Premier League Arsenal Arsene Wenger

Wenger: Optimistic

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Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal can still win the Premier League title, despite suffering a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Emirates Stadium.

Both Gunners boss Wenger and his opposite number Rafa Benitez made a number of changes following Wednesday's 1-1 draw in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg clash and with next week's return meeting at Anfield in mind.

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch gave Liverpool the lead at the end of the first half, but Nicklas Bendtner levelled on 54 minutes to leave honours even and Arsenal trailing Manchester United and Chelsea in the top-flight title race.

However, Wenger - who believes his side should have had a penalty when Lucas Leiva appeared to pull back Cesc Fabregas - is adamant Arsenal's battle for domestic silverware is far from over.

Not over

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

"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 Fabregas, which was not given. You can see it well on television, it is 100 per cent conclusive.

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

Problems

"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."