RAFAEL BENITEZ lost a kidney stone last week, but it’s the two points dropped at the Emirates that will pain the Liverpool manager this morning.

The Spaniard, convalescing after his operation, was forced to dictate proceedings via a mobile phone and a television some 250 miles away in his Wirral home.

Yet even from that distance, Benitez will have recognised this was a missed chance for his team to issue another significant statement of title intent and guarantee they enjoyed Christmas on top of the tree.

Wearing an eye-aching combination of red shorts and socks and the much-loathed silver shirts, Liverpool were unrecognisable in appearance.

But their performance neatly encapsulated the season to date: pretty encouraging, but should have been even better.

Liverpool would have gladly taken a point beforehand at a ground where they have yet to win, a feeling that undoubtedly intensified when Robin van Persie struck the opener midway through the first half.

However, after deservedly levelling – almost inevitably – through Robbie Keane, Liverpool were up against an Arsenal team that played the second half without the injured Cesc Fabregas and the final half-hour minus the dismissed Emmanuel Adebayor.

Opportunity knocked. Liverpool had openings before and after the sending-off, but it was only during the closing minutes that Benitez’s side began to hint at a third successive win over their title rivals after earlier triumphs against Manchester United and Chelsea.

That the visitors trudged disappointed from the field at the final whistle demonstrated the expectation levels raised by their start to the Premier League campaign. While a Liverpool victory yesterday would have delivered a potentially fatal blow to Arsenal’s title hopes, the evidence thus far suggests the Gunners are a distant fourth – and possibly further adrift – in the running for the championship.

But with Arsenal having also beaten the other two members of the big four, this was nevertheless a good result for Liverpool.

It was perhaps typical of Keane’s fortune since arriving at Anfield that his goal should come without Benitez in attendance.

Contentiously kept on the bench by the Spaniard during the 2-2 home draw with Hull City the previous week, the Irishman returned to the starting line-up yesterday desperately eager to impress.

And Keane served a timely reminder of his attributes with a hard-working performance, the pinnacle of which was the blistering finish for an equaliser the striker celebrated by cupping his ear to a hushed Emirates faithful that had jeered the former Tottenham Hotspur man throughout.

Those supporters were substantially more vocal on 63 minutes when Adebayor received his second yellow card and a subsequent red after following a similar earlier foul on Emiliano Insua by again going over the top on Alvaro Arbeloa.

While there was little contact in either challenge, the intent was there, prompting referee Howard Webb to produce a ‘get well soon’ card much appreciated by Benitez. In truth, the only surprise was that neither caution involved a foul on Xabi Alonso.

With Javier Mascherano absent through illness, Alonso was partnered by Lucas in central midfield. The Brazilian has found himself at the epicentre of growing rumbles of discontent at Benitez’s use of substitutes, but here he posted a tidy, composed display that justified the unshakeable faith of his manager.

Lucas wasn’t alone in making the most of a rare opportunity. Insua, deputising for the injured Andrea Dossena for only his second Premier League start this season, was encouragingly solid both in defence and when asked to augment the attack.

Arsenal lit the blue touchpaper to a lively afternoon by forging ahead on 24 minutes with a goal that, while well taken, was worryingly simple from Liverpool’s point of view.

Samir Nasri’s diagonal 35-yard pass floated over the top of the visiting defence to van Persie, who had momentarily evaded the attention of both Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.

There was still much for the Dutchman to do and, after controlling possession on his chest, he transferred the ball to his right foot and thrashed past Pepe Reina before Carragher could arrive with a saving tackle.

A simple long ball also provided Liverpool with their equaliser three minutes before the interval, Keane sprinting in behind Johan Djourou to reach Daniel Agger’s punt upfield ahead of William Gallas and hammer a brilliant first-time finish beyond Manuel Almunia.

The strike was deserved reward for the visitors from a first half in which they enjoyed the better possession. Earlier, from another Agger long ball, Keane beat the offside trap and laid off for Gerrard to shoot weakly at Almunia, who also clutched an ambitious free-kick from the same player.

And Liverpool should have been ahead at the interval. Moments after drawing level, the hard-working Dirk Kuyt dispossessed Gael Clichy and swiftly crossed in for Gerrard who, having lost the attention of Gallas, shot wastefully over from six yards.

While the Liverpool captain was admittedly stretching to meet the ball, it was an opportunity that would normally have been taken.

Almunia then did well to turn around an angled drive from Kuyt, and was called on to make a sprawling save from Lucas as Liverpool began the second half in similarly dominant fashion, Arsenal hampered by the half-time loss through injury of talisman Cesc Fabregas.

Webb’s decision to send off Adebayor generated something of a first – an atmosphere at the Emirates. And a riled Arsenal enjoyed their most prosperous period immediately after being reduced to 10 men, now sitting back and looking to counter-attack, denying Keane and Gerrard the space in which they had started to revel.

Liverpool, though, regained the initiative and pressed for the winner. Kuyt couldn’t quite connect to a clever throughball from substitute Nabil El Zhar and Agger flashed an ambitious 25-yard effort mere inches over the crossbar.

El Zhar almost won the game for Liverpool in the last minute but his glancing header from Insua’s clipped left-wing cross dropped just wide of Almunia’s far post.

Whether this is two points dropped or one point gained, only time will tell.