SOCCER:ARSENE WENGER refuses to believe Arsenal's title hopes are over and insists he will pay no attention to next Tuesday's Champions League showdown at Liverpool when he selects his team for the Premier League visit of the Anfield club today.

Whereas the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, whose team lie 14 points off the leaders, has the option of resting star names Arsenal appear caught between a rock and hard place.

They trail league leaders Manchester United by six points and have yet to visit Old Trafford.

Arsenal were four points worse off at this stage of the 1997-'98 season but rallied to win Wenger's first English title and in 2001-'02 they won decisively at Old Trafford to stride towards his second. Wenger is clinging to the belief there will be further sharp turns in this season's race.

"I will pick a team which can win the game," he said. "I feel we have a good chance in the championship and do not want to miss that. For us it is important to win because of the situation in the championship. And it would have a double impact - one for the championship and one for the Champions League."

Arsenal drew 1-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday and will travel to Anfield as slight underdogs. Yet Wenger's immediate "worry" is the Premier League, which he has long maintained is the true test of a team's worth over a season. He is convinced United will drop points and feels victory over Liverpool today would increase the pressure on them. United do not play at Middlesbrough until tomorrow.

"I do believe United will drop points," he said. "They play four times away from home and they have hard games against us and Chelsea (at Stamford Bridge). I believe we can still win the title - everything is possible - but the main thing for us is to win our games. We have to win them all. Five wins and a draw is a minimum and that means we would have to win at Old Trafford. Six wins would be better."

Wenger admitted he felt Chelsea had been hard done by with the rescheduling of their Premier League fixture at Everton. It has been moved back 48 hours from a Saturday to be broadcast live on television, meaning the club must play against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Monday, April 14th, and then at Goodison Park three days later. "You have to accept it, they are the rules," Wenger added. "In 2004 we played four games in one week."

Wenger reported that Robin van Persie was out today with the recurrence of his thigh injury, and said that the striker had only a "little chance" of being fit for Anfield on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Liverpool yesterday yesterday confirmed they will appeal against the extended two-match ban handed to Javier Mascherano following his red card at Old Trafford on March 23rd.

The Liverpool midfielder, who has already served a mandatory one-match suspension for his red card against Manchester United almost two weeks ago, admitted an English Football Association charge of improper conduct levied for his angry refusal to leave the field, but the club still intend to appeal the additional ban.

It was unclear last night what sort of team Benitez will field for today's game because of the threat to Liverpool's Champions League qualification prospects from their Merseyside rivals Everton.

"It was important for us to beat Everton last week but we know it's important to win every game that we play," the Spaniard said. "I don't think the fact we have a five-point lead over Everton can give any leeway over team selection against Arsenal."

There were strong suggestions yesterday, however, prolific striker Fernando Torres will be rested for today's game.