Arsene Wenger accepted Arsenal had failed to keep the pressure in the title race after drawing against Middlesbrough at the Emirates Stadium.

Kolo Toure’s late header rescued a point for the Gunners, who saw Manchester United overtake them at the top of the table earlier in the day.

With third-placed Chelsea also winning and with both clubs behind them having a match in hand, Wenger knows the margins for error in the title race are slim. It could, though, have been much worse for the Gunners as a goal from former striker Jeremie Aliadiere after 25 minutes had looked to be enough for victory after a determined defensive display.

However, Toure nodded in with just four minutes left to earn a share of the spoils. Boro finished the game with 10 men when substitute Mido was sent off for a high kick on Gael Clichy. Arsenal have now drawn their last four Premier League matches - dropping what could prove to be crucial points - albeit sandwiched in between a fine performance to send holders AC Milan out of the European Cup.

The Frenchman, though, remains positive despite Arsenal’s mini-slump.

“We have dropped eight points in the last four games. When you are in a race with the opponents we have, that is a big disappointment - but we have to keep our spirit and focus,” he said.

“Now we play Chelsea next, so it’s very interesting. We will see at the end of the season what effect today has. I don’t know why we weren’t creative enough today. They defended very well and very deep, and had just one shot on target which they scored so that is frustrating. I don’t think Chelsea or Manchester played better than us today, but they didn’t concede.”

“I knew the second half would be our half, so it was important for us not to concede early, but we did.”

However, the Arsenal boss maintained all is not yet lost, with crucial dates at Old Trafford and, next Saturday, at Stamford Bridge to come.

Wenger said: “I feel the spirit is there and the players are giving everything, but at the moment it’s not working for us.”

Things could, though, have all worked out so different had an Arsenal goal from Emmanuel Adebayor not been incorrectly ruled out after only four minutes, when the ball through had come off the boot of George Boateng at the edge of the Boro area.

The former Monaco boss noted: “The referee explained that the intention of our player was to play the ball to someone who was offside so the fact that it came off their player didn’t matter.

“I didn’t know that, so I have learnt something new today.”

Boro manager Gareth Southgate felt referee Mark Halsey had been harsh to show substitute Mido - who had only been on the pitch a few minutes - a straight red card.

“I don’t think he meant it. He caught him but he was looking at the ball the whole time and Mido is distraught because he’s not a dirty player,” said the Boro boss.

“It’s a nasty injury but hopefully the ref will have a look at it as I feel the lad was trying to play the ball. He’s been to see Clichy and he’s disappointed that the knock is so bad. Should he have his foot that high? Maybe not, but I don’t think there was any intent there and a three-game ban would be harsh.”

Boro beat Arsenal at the Riverside earlier in the season, and Southgate was more than happy with another determined display after their FA Cup humiliation by Cardiff.

He said: “We should be delighted but Arsenal probably deserved to get something from the game. I’m incredibly proud of how they performed. We were a bit of a laughing stock last weekend and we lost a lot of pride that day. We dug in here, despite giving a lot of energy on Wednesday night (against Aston Villa), and showed a lot of character. There was one moment of great quality for the goal and the guys did not get what they deserved - but nobody gave us a prayer of getting anything here today.”

Southgate added: “We knew we had to be very compact in the middle and defensively and the team did that brilliantly.

“But I said before that we weren’t coming just to make up the numbers. It’s nice to have taken four points from them but that’s down to the team. We had to restore pride in our town with these last two games because that had been dented.”