RAFAEL BENITEZ has urged his Liverpool players not to give up the title fight after their challenge suffered a setback on another remarkable evening.

The Anfield outfit needed an injury-time equaliser from Yossi Benayoun to secure an astonishing 4-4 draw at home to Arsenal last night.

While the point was enough for Liverpool to return to the Premier League summit on goal difference from Manchester United, the Old Trafford side have two games in hand and can go top again with a draw at home to Portsmouth this evening.

Fernando Torres scored twice and Benayoun netted another with Andrey Arshavin producing a memorable personal performance to score all four Arsenal goals.

Benitez admitted Liverpool made “massive mistakes” in gifting Arshavin his quadruple and that his team had spurned an opportunity to further crank up the pressure on United.

But the Anfield manager believes his players cannot afford to throw in the towel in the battle with their bitter North West rivals.

“I think it was a big chance gone for us tonight,” said Benitez. “Beforehand, we were talking about having to win every game and we were really disappointed to concede four goals.

“Normally we are not conceding those kind of goals. We’re disappointed as we made massive mistakes.

“It’s difficult to explain. We are talking about different players making mistakes at different moments of the game. We were losing and then winning and still making mistakes.

“For me, the most disappointing was the last one. We had a corner and had to control outside our box and it was something we’d talk about a lot. We were drawing 3-3 and we still had time. But to score another goal at the end showed the team has a very, very good character.

“We were talking about still going until the end and we have to do the same.

“We have to keep our confidence that we will have our chances between now and the end of the season.”