Aston Villa edged out of the relegation zone with a drab goalless draw against Arsenal at rain-soaked Villa Park.
In an uneventful first half, Andreas Weimann saw a strike ruled out for offside and Laurent Koscielny shot over when well placed.
The second half was far more open and Aaron Ramsey went close before Brett Holman's drive was tipped on to the bar by Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal pushed for a late winner but were forced to settle for a point.
It meant they missed the chance to replace Everton in fifth, while Villa go above Reading in 17th, although the Royals have a game in hand.
If Arsene Wenger truly believes his team are in contention for the title, he must be disappointed to see them fall 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.
Villa boss Paul Lambert, by contrast, will take heart from his side's display following defeats by United and City, and heading into crucial meetings with Reading, QPR, Stoke and Norwich.
He knew a response was needed following last weekend's 5-0 loss at Etihad Stadium and, while it duly arrived, they could have taken all three points with the help of a proven goalscorer.
Some may point to Darren Bent's omission from the matchday squad when he was fit to play after an ankle injury.
Promising forwards Weimann and Christian Benteke were a constant threat, yet neither carry the potency of an in-form Bent.
Weimann tested Szczesny with an early cross-come-shot and Benteke headed wide from Ashley Westwood's corner.
Arsenal took 20 minutes to create a chance, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shooting wide and Brad Guzan saving well from Ramsey.
An uninspiring half almost came to life as Ciaran Clark's drive made its way to Weimann, only for his strike to be disallowed.
At the other end, an unmarked Koscielny wasted a glorious opportunity with a wayward finish from Olivier Giroud's low cross.
Villa's trend this season has been to impress in the first half before fading in the second, and for Arsenal it has been the opposite.
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