In what proved to be a dull and frustrating encounter Arsenal were held 0-0 at home by Manchester United.
Any pre-match hopes of a classic between two clubs needing a win were quickly dashed as neither team could gain momentum or put any classy moves together. In fact, it became a tense game as neither team wanted to make the mistake that could sacrifice the game. With Arsenal coming off a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool and United being generally awful for months, the nerves were understandable, but ultimately made for a poor match.
Arsene Wenger admitted his troops were shaky after the game, when he praised the defensive effort and said he was happy to take a point. However, a point is not great for Arsenal´s title push and after taking just 1 point out of a potential 6 (5 from 12 over four games) the Gunners have seen their position at the top of the league crumble.
While the match was always heading for a stalemate, it will be United who come away from the Emirates the most disappointed of the two teams. The champions had the clearer chances as former Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie was thwarted by Wojciech Szczesny on several occasions, including a wonder save from a header.
Arsenal´s recent form has pointed to a blip as the team has hardly played well since the turn of the year. Wenger will have to rally his troops through a difficult period and hope they can remain in touch for the Premier League title. With other contenders like Chelsea and Manchester City having their own struggles, the Gunners will still have a chance come May. However, the team will have to improve over the next few weeks to sustain a challenge.