Arsenal saw more precious points slip away in the Premier League title race as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Gunners needed a late equaliser from Kolo Toure to cancel out Jeremie Aliadiere’s opener, but even the relief of preserving their unbeaten record at the Emirates Stadium could not compensate for the frustration of letting Manchester United takeover first place.

Arsenal now trail United on goal difference in second place and have drawn their last four Premier League games.

There is little doubt that Arsene Wenger’s young team are beginning to flag as the season enter its final furlong and, with a spate of treacherous looking fixtures looming large, the manager must fear that his four-year wait for a league title will be extended by at least another season.

Arsenal hardly needed to be reminded that there is no margin for error in this season’s title race, which is proving the closest in years, but a quick glance at the league table before kick-off would have provided pointed confirmation.

Knocked from the summit for the first time since January after United squeezed past Derby earlier in the afternoon, Wenger’s team found themselves in the unusual, and unwanted, position of playing catch-up. Arsenal started brightly but their first moment of bad fortune, a disallowed goal for Emmanuel Adebayor in the fifth minute, was arguably the game’s turning point.

Few of the home supporters celebrated the Togolese’s adroit right-footed finish, having seen the assistant’s flag raised almost immediately, but the decision was wrong. The ball had been played to the striker by Middlesbrough’s George Boateng and the goal should have stood.

Arsenal pressed on regardless. Emmanuel Eboue saw a hopeful cross from the right sail over Mark Schwarzer and bounce off the crossbar, while Robin van Persie could only air-kick embarrassingly from eight yards after being picked out by Kolo Toure’s long pass. Wenger was probably already fearing the worst but the manner of Middlesbrough’s 26th-minute opener would still have infuriated.

After the visitors had been awarded a soft free-kick, Schwarzer’s long punt caught out William Gallas and allowed Tuncay to collect possession. The Turk broke into the area and squared for Aliadiere, who side-footed home from six yards.

Arsenal claimed Aliadiere had been offside from the free-kick, and the rest of the first half saw the home players and fans grow increasingly irked by referee Mark Halsey. The Gunners scraped together a handful of half-chances in the second half, van Persie dragging wide and Adebayor sending a glancing header past the right-hand post, but Boro’s back-line held relatively firm.

When they were breached, Arsenal found Schwarzer in inspired form, with the Australian saving superbly at the feet of Fabregas after he had been played in by Alexander Hleb.

When the Spaniard then saw a header graze the right-hand post, Arsenal looked doomed but, not for the first time in this arena this season, there was a sting in the tail. With three minutes left, a corner from Fabregas found Toure, who thumped a header goalwards. Schwarzer looked sure to save but the goalkeeper seemed distracted by Mathieu Flamini and his own defender, Andrew Taylor, on the line and the ball squirmed in.

Arsenal duly laid siege in the dying seconds but, even for a side who specialise in late shows, a winner proved beyond them.