Arsenal’s brief sojourn at the EPL summit was brought to an end as challengers for fourth-place Villa more than held their own in a tight, disappointing Villa Park contest.

There was more bad news for the Gunners as centre-half Thomas Vermaelen was withdrawn shortly before half-time suffering from a leg injury, which gave veteran defender Sol Campbell his first EPL football of the season.

Manager Arsene Wenger was pleased with Campbell’s solid display. And he could claim more misfortune with Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky’s efforts against post and crossbar respectively.

But Villa’s Stewart Downing missed the best chance of the match shortly after half-time. And the stalemate served neither side’s purposes particularly well.

Downing had Villa’s clearest chance in a first-half with few, firing over an Ashley Young cross from the right.

While the half’s one moment of class came near its end when Fabregas drove past three defenders and drilled a shot against the post from the edge of the box.

An improved second half should have produced a goal at either end; Downing heading over Young’s deflected cross on 49 minutes and Rosicky lashing the ball against the crossbar from only eight yards on the hour mark.