Arsenal (0) 0 Liverpool (0) 0 FT
Anxious Arsenal were left needing to beat Bolton - boss Bruce Rioch's former club - in Sunday's FA Carling Premiership climax to snatch the final European berth.
The Gunners staged a relentless second-half assault against FA Cup holders Liverpool at expectant Highbury.
But their failure to find a way past goalkeeper David James has left them little room for slip-ups against their already-relegated opponents.
North London rivals Tottenham will draw level with Arsenal on 60 points if they can win at Leeds on Thursday night.
But Everton and Blackburn, now two points adrift of Rioch's side, will also figure in the shake-up for UEFA Cup action.
By rights, the Lancashire duo should already be out of the running - and they owe a big vote of thanks to James, who pulled off a string of superb saves.
Arsenal were without the injured Ian Wright and, added to the James super-stops, was a desperate miss by Wright's stand-in, John Hartson, two minutes before the break.
Competitive Ray Parlour - running, tackling and passing for the 90 minutes - dispossessed Jamie Redknapp and it was Paul Merson who set up Hartson.
The Welsh international surged into the area and appeared to have done everything right as he chipped over James, but the ball landed the wrong side of the left-hand upright.
It was a critical cameo - and a goal then would surely have sealed all three points.
Liverpool, already guaranteed a place in Europe and with Saturday week's FA Cup final against Manchester United in mind, displayed many neat moves.
But largely they were content to soak up the pressure and look for the occasional counter-thrust.
Arsenal: (3-4-2-1) Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Linighan, Winterburn, Merson, Marshall, Platt, Hartson, Parlour, Bergkamp.
Subs not used: Morrow, Shaw, Rose.
Booked: Marshall.
Liverpool: (3-4-1-2) James, Ruddock, Scales, Babb, McAteer, Redknapp, Barnes, Jones, McManaman, Collymore (Rush, 67), Fowler.
Subs not used: Thomas, Kennedy.
Booked: McAteer.
Attendance: 38,323.
Referee: G Ashby (Worcester).
