Arsenal's slim title hopes hit by draw at Everton

Leandro Trossard scored his seventh goal of the season for Arsenal

Arsenal's faint Premier League title hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow as they were held to a draw at Everton.

The result means leaders Liverpool require only 11 points from their remaining eight games - starting with Fulham on Sunday - to guarantee themselves the title.

The first half an hour was a tetchy, stop-start affair but Arsenal broke the deadlock on 34 minutes with the first shot on target of the contest as Leandro Trossard drilled home a cool finish on the counter following Raheem Sterling's pass.

Goalscorer Trossard could have doubled his tally on the stroke of half-time but his toe-poked effort was scrambled away by Jordan Pickford, while Declan Rice's follow-up was blocked.

Everton equalised when they were awarded a penalty a minute into the second half - Myles Lewis-Skelly bundling over Jack Harrison inside the box and Iliman Ndiaye nervelessly stroking in the spot-kick.

The Toffees were rejuvenated after a poor first half showing and Abdoulaye Doucoure forced David Raya into a sharp save low down while at the other end, Rice's thunderous free-kick was batted away by England team-mate Pickford.

Neither side were able to find a winning goal as Everton provided a boost to local rivals Liverpool by claiming a point.

Arsenal's title hopes virtually over

It was no real surprise this contest ended as a stalemate between two sides who have conjured up a combined 25 top-flight draws this season.

With Tuesday's monumental Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid at the forefront of his mind, manager Mikel Arteta's line-up gave indications that Arsenal's priorities lie away from the Premier League as he started the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey on the bench.

Though the sun was out, the Gunners failed to shine in a fractured affair on Merseyside, not helped by a series of free-kicks and corners.

The north London outfit have been dubbed set-piece kings because of their prowess from such situations, but they were unable to make them count on this occasion.

Their goal came courtesy of a mistake from the opponents as Idrissa Gueye's mistimed header fell to Sterling, who took the ball on before laying off for Trossard to finish.

Arsenal struggled to produce clear-cut chances because of the lack of free-flowing football and the introduction of star man Saka as a second-half substitute did little to provide any attacking impetus.

The England winger hit the wall with a free-kick, and Arsenal's Premier League season seems to have struck a similar chord, knowing their slim title hopes have slipped yet further away.

Season petering out for Everton

Everton were revitalised following the appointment of David Moyes in January with three straight victories seemingly ensuring their top-flight survival.

But the Blues have now gone six games without victory, which includes five draws, and their season is in danger of petering out.

Captain James Tarkowski returned to action after being fortunate not to get a red card for his brutal tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in midweek, and following the abuse sent to him and his family that drew condemnation from his club.

He received a yellow here after bringing down Lewis-Skelly - the Englishman's 64th Premier League booking, the most of any player in the competition's history without being sent off.

The Toffees have only three games left to play at their famous Goodison Park home, before their move to the new Bramley-Moore Dock ground next season, but they will need to produce better if they are to give the grand old stadium the send-off it deserves.

Ndiaye, who returned from a knee injury at Anfield on Wednesday, grabbed the leveller against Arsenal courtesy of a cool penalty and the point takes them 15 clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.