Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United: Solskjaer’s men stutter again as Cavani and Rashford miss chances

Once, earlier this season, they wandered the no-man’s land of the Premier League’s squeezed middle like a pair of condemned men. Even though reprieves have been granted to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mikel Arteta and they have embraced new ambitions, their teams played out this goalless draw as if neither could quite bear to plunge the other back into despair.

And so Solskjaer’s Manchester United wasted the chance to keep the pressure on Manchester City at the top of the table and fell further behind their rampaging neighbours so that there is now a three point gap between them. 

And Arsenal saw their opportunity to draw level with Spurs and advance on the Champions League places fall away. It was an anaemic match and so in some ways, for both sides, it must have felt like old times.

Arsenal and Manchester United shared a point at the Emirates Stadium with a 0-0 draw

Alexandre Lacazette came closest to breaking the deadlock after hitting the bar from freekick

Man United’s Edinson Cavani had a chance late in the match but his acrobatic bicycle kick

Arsenal, sparked into life by a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at The Emirates on Boxing Day that probably saved Arteta’s job, had won five of their last six league games before yesterday and came desperately close to maintaining their momentum when a second half free kick from Alexandre Lacazette cannoned off the underside of the United crossbar.

But United, who were trying to rebound from their shock home defeat to Sheffield United last Wednesday had their share of chances, too. Neither side deserved to win but United may feel marginally more disconsolate. The last four days have seen their heady dreams of a challenge for the title take a sobering reality check.

Arsenal supporters were dealt a blow before kick off when the team sheets revealed that not only was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still absent because of his mother’s illness but also that neither Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s outstanding performer in recent games, nor Kieran Tierney had been deemed fit enough to play.

Man of the match David Luiz dribbles the ball away from United forward Marcus Rashford

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes loses possession to Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka

Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard came on for ten minutes to make his Arsenal debut

Before their defeat to Sheffield United, Solskjaer’s team had been unbeaten in the league since the first day of November but at The Emirates, the first 20 minutes of earnest endeavour – spliced with fouls either committed on or by Bruno Fernandes – passed without either side forging a chance or establishing any kind of superiority.

Still, it was the visitors who nearly drew first blood. Luke Shaw, reborn and revitalised, swung in a corner from the left that was only cleared as far as Fred on the edge of the box. Fred controlled and then dinked a delicate chip towards the corner of the net. It took a flying, finger-tip save from Bernd Leno to keep it out.

A fine defensive intervention from Gabriel Martinelli stopped a clever pass from Paul Pogba reaching Marcus Rashford as he tried to steal in on goal and suddenly the game began to open up. Nicolas Pepe curled a shot just wide, Aaron Wan-Bissaka should have done better with a header he directed wide from the edge of the six yard box and a shot from Fernandes that seemed destined for the far corner flew just the wrong side of the post.

As half time approached, United turned up the pressure. Shaw drilled a cross into the box and it found Rashford unmarked at the far post. Rashford could not quite get the ball out of his feet in time to get a shot away and when he laid it back to Fernandes on the edge of the box, he was brought down by Thomas Partey.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka beats Arsenal defender Cedric to the ball with a powerful header

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has his long range effort blocked by Granit Xhaka

It was prime dead-ball territory and when the free kick left the right boot of Fernandes, it seemed destined for the top corner. But as it was about to clear the wall, David Luiz leapt highest and the ball flicked off the top of his head and over the bar. Luiz knew he had averted a goal. He ran forward towards Fernandes, clenching his fist, as if he had just scored.

Arsenal should have taken the lead three minutes after the interval when a cross from Hector Bellerin was allowed to reach half-time substitute Willian. But Willian has been in miserable form and his shot lacked both power and conviction and Wan-Bissaka threw himself at it to make the block.

If Arsenal had started the second half more strongly, though, it was United who nearly went ahead after an hour. A neat interchange of passes between Anthony Martial, on as a replacement for Scott McTominay, and Shaw resulted in Shaw lashing a cross-shot into the six-yard box. It seemed for a split-second as if it would give Edinson Cavani a tap in but Cedric got there just in front of him.

Arsenal winger Willian battles for a bouncing ball with Manchester United midfielder Fred

Arsenal hit back. Lacazette was fouled by Harry Maguire on the edge of the United box and the France striker curled his free kick over the wall only to see it crash off the underside of the crossbar with David de Gea beaten. A minute later, De Gea did come to the aid of his side, keeping out a shot from Emile Smith Rowe.

Ten minutes from time, Arsenal came close again. Fernandes lost the ball and Arsenal counter-attacked at speed. The ball found Pepe on the right and he cut inside and ran at Maguire. When he hit his shot through Maguire’s legs, the Arsenal bench began to celebrate but instead of bulging the net, the ball went inches wide.

Martin Odegaard, the Norway star once hailed as a wonderkid, the Norwegian Messi, and now at The Emirates on loan from Real Madrid as a half forgotten prodigy, made a late cameo appearance but it was too late for him to make a difference.

United should have grabbed all three points two minutes from the end when Wan-Bissaka’s cross was met on the volley by Cavani six yards out but he could only direct his effort agonisingly wide of the post.

Gunners winger Nicolas Pepe had two left-footed shots come close to scoring for the hosts

Re-live Sportsmail’s Ieuan Ivett’s live coverage of Arsenal vs Man United including score, lineups and build-up.