Benitez concedes United are in the driving seat

Liverpool 4 Arsenal 4

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FANTASTIC FERNANDO: Liverpool’s Fernando Torres (centre) scores the first of his side’s four goals against Arsenal in an amazing Premier League encounter at Anfield.

SILENT ASSASSIN: Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin celebrates his first goal.

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez admits the stunning draw at home to Arsenal puts Manchester United in the “driving seat” in the race for the Premier League title.

Andrey Arshavin scored all four of the Gunners’ goals in a remarkable night at Anfield. The hosts came from behind three times, the last goal coming two minutes into added time.

Benitez believes there are still plenty of twists left in the championship race, despite United only being behind Liverpool on goal difference with two matches in hand – the first at home to Portsmouth tonight.

“United are in the driving seat and we will see what happens,” he said.

“If they win, it will be more difficult, but they have to win and they also have to play against Arsenal, so we will see.

“We have a point against a good team and we are top. We have to keep pushing until the last game. It’s football, you never know.”

Benitez was left to rue a number of uncharacteristic defensive errors which cost his side victory.

Having dominated play for more than half-an-hour, Javier Mascherano gave away possession on the edge of the penalty area and Cesc Fabregas crossed for Arshavin to fire in off the underside of the crossbar.

Within 11 minutes of the second half kicking off the hosts were ahead after headers from Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun, the latter’s clearly crossing the line despite Lukasz Fabianski’s desperate attempt to claw it back.

Alvaro Arbeloa then failed to control Jamie Carragher’s defensive header and Arshavin nipped in to blast a second. The Russian completed his hat-trick when Fabio Aurelio played the ball into his path 10 yards from goal in the 70th minute.

Torres scored his second with a smart turn to beat Mikael Silvestre before Arshavin rounded off an injury-time counter-attack to put Arsenal 4-3 up. But there was still time left for Benayoun to score another equaliser very late on.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had mixed feelings.

“We are half-happy because we scored four goals and half unhappy because we conceded four,” he said.