So much for a title decider. It was honours even at Highbury as the two Barclaycard Premiership heavyweights slugged each other to a standstill in a riveting contest that left the championship wide open.

At one point, the blows were rather too physical, with Sol Campbell dismissed for an apparent elbow into the face of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, in a battle of wills, as much as counter-attacking, Arsenal and United's prize fighters, Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy, ensured a point apiece in a fascinating 2-2 draw.

As a result, United may still lead the way by three points, but it is Arsenal who have the game in hand and the slightest of advantages on goal difference.

Then again, Campbell's red card could yet prove the most significant moment of all as - barring an appeal - a four-game ban will rule him out of the final three Premiership games, as well as the FA Cup final.

United had landed the first footballing blow as van Nistelrooy struck his 37th goal of the season, amazingly the first he has ever scored against Arsenal.

However, despite an insipid first-half display, Arsenal found their second wind after the break and closed the gap with an effort by Ashley Cole which deflected in off Henry.

If there was some debate over that goalscorer, the controversy over the next strike was that Henry appeared offside as he put Arsenal ahead.

United nevertheless responded almost immediately through Ryan Giggs and will presumably feel the more satisfied after a frenetic game in which David Beckham was kept on the bench.

Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane had nevertheless been passed fit, although the real surprise was the way in which the two combatants merely indulged in some light sparring in the opening half-hour.

Where United really dominated early on was down the flanks, where full-backs John O'Shea and Wes Brown reigned supreme in curtailing the influence of Robert Pires and Fredrik Ljungberg.

Paul Scholes headed wide and then clipped the ball over the Arsenal defence for van Nistelrooy to lob the ball over not only Stuart Taylor but also the bar.

The warning should have been clear enough, but it was one which Arsenal patently failed to heed.

Just three minutes alter, van Nistelrooy exchanged passes with Ryan Giggs near the halfway line before bursting past Sol Campbell with almost nonchalant ease.

Leaving the remnants of the Arsenal defence trailing in his wake, the Dutchman bore inexorably down on Stuart Taylor, a replacement for the sick David Seaman, before clipping the ball past him.

Rather than responding immediately, the home side merely found their problems magnified when Vieira conceded defeat to a knee injury and limped off, to be replaced by Edu.

His side did rally just before the break, only for Pires to see a shot deflected over, but United were superb in manning the barricades whenever they lost possession.

With Gary Neville on for O'Shea at the break, Silvestre shifted to left-back, with Brown at centre-back and they were immediately under increased pressure as Arsenal, with Pires now in a central role, soon equalised.

Left-back Cole burst onto an pass by Pires and, having bundled his way past Brown - as opposed to Silvestre - he clipped his shot past Barthez.

Despite all Cole's hard work, however, the ball deflected in off Henry, who was credited with the goal on the scoreboard.

Either way, it was game on. And how.

Arsenal were now in their stride, with Gilberto firing a through-ball through the centre of the United defence, who were caught napping.

Henry was onto the ball in a flash, rather too much of a flash in fact as he was clearly offside - by about a yard - and he buried his shot past Barthez.

Martin Keown knew what was then required, urging his team-mates not to lose their heads, but his pleas were in vain.

Within 60 seconds, Arsenal were themselves punished for some haphazard defending as Solskjaer's cross was met by Giggs at the far post.

It was thereafter back to the initial game of tactical chess, with Arsenal throwing Sylvain Wiltord and Kanu into the fray for Bergkamp and Pires.

However, they were soon without Campbell as he was dismissed for an elbow on Solskjaer, witnessed by the referee's assistant.

Gilberto dropped into defence and now Arsenal were hanging on, although Henry forced Fabien Barthez into a vital late save.

Referee Mark Halsey endured the frustration of the home fans at the end but, like two marathon runners jockeying for position at the 20-mile mark, this thrilling title race has a way to go yet.

Teams

Arsenal: Taylor, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Ljungberg, Silva, Vieira (Edu 34), Pires (Kanu 80), Bergkamp (Wiltord 75), Henry.

Subs Not Used: Warmuz, Luzhny.

Sent Off: Campbell (83).

Goals: Henry 51, 62.

Man Utd: Barthez, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, O'Shea (Gary Neville 45), Solskjaer, Butt, Keane, Giggs, Scholes, van Nistelrooy.

Subs Not Used: Phil Neville, Beckham, Ricardo, Fortune.

Booked: Keane, Butt.

Goals: van Nistelrooy 24, Giggs 63.

Att: 38,164

Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).