There were times, on an afternoon which left Liverpool needing a mere eight points from seven games, when you saw Mikel Arteta’s wish to take this fight to the point when all hope is gone.

The near full team-talk he gave on the touchline as player after player arrived there for water, amid howls of derision from the home support, in the moments after Leondro Trossard had put Arsenal ahead. The unattractive gamesmanship of Trossard, standing in front of Jordan Pickford to prevent the goalkeeper organising a defensive wall and then continuing to block his line of vision after the referee had waved him off.

Arteta’s personal quandary reflected Arsenal’s new reality. He kept back his best players, knowing that Real Madrid, in Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter final, is what matters most now. Yet the weakening grip on the prize Arsenal so desperately covet saw him quickly introduce them all – Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli after half time and Martin Odegaard on the hour. He can’t let go.

The immense local emotion attached to gradual drawing down of blinds at Goodison Park had not initially seemed so ominous. Arsenal were in a different class during the significant first half moments.

That included the instant when Idrissa Gueye’s mistimed jump outside Everton’s box saw him inadvertently nod the ball into Raheem Sterling’s path just beyond the half hour. The former England international raced through 30 yards and laid off for Trossard, who threaded a shot through Jake O’Brien and Jordan Pickford to put Arsenal ahead.

Arsenal’s fading title hopes were dealt a blow after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Everton

Iliman Ndiaye slotted home the equaliser from the penalty spot to force a share of the spoils

Leandro Trossard had made the first half breakthrough after rounding off a rapid counter attack

It was a beautiful, angular strike: evidence of what an asset Trossard could be for Arteta if he could only deliver with greater consistency. At the back of last season, the Belgium international scored five goals in eight games. This was his fifth league goal of the entire current campaign.

Sterling’s contribution to the goal – the composure, the vision – was significant. The 30-year-old’s start, only his third in the league since October, was an opportunity to seize with just a few months of his loan from Chelsea left and uncertainty beyond that. 

The brutal truth is that some of his pace has gone and he also struggled with Everton’s physicality, as Jack Harrison and Jake O’Brien muscled him out of possession. Arteta withdrew him for Martinelli at half-time. Saka, being eased back towards a full 90 minutes, arrived for Ethan Nwaneri, who had struggled for impact.

There was some fury from David Moyes at half-time about his own team’s contribution. ‘We were all disappointed and angry with each other. We started slowly and sluggishly and made mistakes,’ he said at the end of it all.

Everton’s recovery was assisted, four minutes into the second half, by a penalty, converted by Iliman Ndiaye, which was fortunate in the extreme. 

Myles Lewis-Skelly was judged to have fouled Jack Harrison when they both seemed to be wrestling for possession. It was not a clear and obvious error of judgement, so VAR did not overrule the decision, but Arteta had a point when he said he’d watched it back 15 times and yet still couldn’t comprehend it.

Everton, who having played the league’s first and second placed sides in the space of four days, next face the teams standing third fourth and fifth demonstrated more of the renewed resilience that Moyes has installed.

Iliman Ndiaye’s return, nearly two months after sustaining a knee injury here against Liverpool, is to be cherished. 

Trossard finished low across Jordan Pickford to capitalise on a mix-up in midfield

But Everton were awarded a penalty when Myles Lewis-Skelly tangled with Jack Harrison

Trossard was denied by a sprawling save from Pickford in a wasted chance for the Gunners

Beto was played into the penalty area but was unable to find the net from a tight angle

Martin Odegaard was brought off the bench late on but his strike was also blocked

The Senegal international’s work-rate and vision created the team’s best openings. Beto couldn’t get a ball he threaded through under control. Ndiaye’s right-foot shot after cutting in from the left flew over.

Moyes, who had said he would not visit Everton’s new dockside stadium until he knew the club were safe, will make his first trip there this week. Premier League debuts for teenager Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson showed he is looking to the future composition of his squad.

Arsenal had the best of the second half chances. Lewis-Skelly powered 30 yards to the edge of Everton’s box and was felled, before the absence of a serviceable centre forward cost Arsenal once again. Mikel Merino rose unchallenged to meet substitute’s Kieran Tierney finely judged cross, yet directed his header a foot wide.

Arteta held his head in his hands and could only raise a smile last night when Tuesday’s Real Madrid occasion was mentioned. ‘It’s one of the most beautiful games in football that we can have, he said.’ The quest for a title, which had started in such earnest, is almost over.