Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions suffered another setback as they were held to a goalless draw by Everton at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite dominating possession and creating chances, Mikel Arteta’s side lacked the cutting edge to secure a crucial victory.
The Gunners, who drew 1-1 with Fulham last weekend, have now failed to win half of their 16 league matches this season. They remain third in the table, six points behind Liverpool, who also dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Fulham but have a game in hand.
Arsenal started brightly, enjoying 76% possession and firing 13 shots on goal, but Everton’s defence, led by James Tarkowski and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, stood firm.
The visitors had the game’s first chance in the sixth minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure hesitated in front of goal, allowing Gabriel to block his effort.
The hosts pushed forward relentlessly but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Martin Odegaard had a shot clawed away by Pickford, while Bukayo Saka’s powerful effort early in the second half was denied by the England number one’s stunning reflex save.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench in the closing stages but could not break his 23-game Premier League scoring drought.
Arteta praised his team’s control of the game but lamented their lack of composure in the final third. “We dominated the play, created big chances, but didn’t manage to score,” he admitted.
Arsenal’s failure to capitalise on Liverpool’s slip-up leaves them with little room for error in their pursuit of a first title since 2004.
Everton, meanwhile, executed their defensive game plan superbly. Pickford’s heroics and the Toffees’ sixth clean sheet in nine games earned Sean Dyche’s side a valuable point.
Though they remain 15th, just three points above the relegation zone, Everton have lost only two of their past 11 matches.
Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal continue to haunt them, with back-to-back draws highlighting their lack of a clinical striker. They have now gone three consecutive league games without scoring from open play, a worrying trend as the season approaches its midpoint.
For Everton, the draw marked their 109th goalless game in Premier League history, the most of any club.
It was also Arsenal’s first 0-0 at home since January, as frustrations among the Emirates faithful grow louder with each missed opportunity.