Arsenal missed another chance to reduce the gap on league leaders Liverpool while Everton were held to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates.

Despite dominating possession from start to finish, Arsenal put in a poor attacking performance that rarely troubled Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Captain Martin Odegaard was among those who lost the pace, prompting Mikel Arteta to make several changes in the second half that reinvigorated tired legs but failed to give them an edge in the final third.

After losing a point against Fulham last weekend, the result raises serious questions about Arsenal’s title credentials – understandably a cause for concern for Arteta.

“It’s obviously very disappointing not to win the game,” he told BBC Sport.

“You don’t concede any shots on goal or off target, you dominate the direct play, you dominate the second (ball), they don’t run at all, you don’t concede any set pieces, you go along with the process.” The ball is really good, you get there (in the penalty area), you have chances… it’s about scoring goals, that’s what we were missing today.”

The fact that he has assembled a team that is very good in many aspects of the game but lacks a killer instinct is obviously extremely frustrating for the manager.

“We opened them up, we had chances, but in the end you have to put them away.

“We had to run back, we are among the best in the world, we had to dominate the direct game, the same thing.” The next phase, the same. We won every ball back through high pressing, but we have to be the best in the last 25 meters if we have situations in which we can exploit them again.

“Against a block like this you won’t generate 20 open chances, that’s the disappointment. For the rest, I can’t ask for much more from the team.

He added: “Everton, in the end they got a point. We didn’t score a goal so they’re happy, with no shots they have to be happy with the result.”