Arsenal 0 CSKA Moscow 0: The richness of Arsenal's build-up play repeated on them last night. A match that should have ended in at least a 5-0 victory as the Gunners overwhelmed brittle opponents instead became a gut-wrenching stalemate.

Thierry Henry was still feeling sick, defeat in the away fixture having turned on his stomach. The striker had controlled the ball with his abdomen before firing in a legitimate-looking equaliser in Moscow, but the goal was ruled out for an imagined handball. The general malaise of his team in the drawn match against Everton at the weekend, against a team who have historically conceded more goals against Arsenal than any other, led to grumbles rippling down from the Arsenal faithful.

This, too, brought bile from Henry. In his programme notes the Arsenal captain complained that his team-mates had been destabilised by the criticism. "We were all frustrated on Saturday," he said, "and at the end of the game if we haven't got the result then fine, groan and complain then."

There were audible gripes after 27 minutes when, after a sublime pass from Robin van Persie had found Alexander Hleb, Henry's shot was easily blocked. Seconds later Cesc Fabregas played a wall pass with Tomas Rosicky but, after rounding the goalkeeper, he played the expected coup de grace into the side netting. Again there were groans.

To his credit, Henry seemed on a personal mission to show the Arsenal fans that his sensibilities would not preclude industry. Within a minute he had been booked for a foul from behind on Yuri Zhirkov; five minutes later he had made a committed covering tackle by his own goal area that drew the admiration of Arsenal's fans.

But Henry, who also dinked a chipped centre over the visiting defence that Van Persie headed wastefully wide, was not Arsenal's sole inspiration. Arsenal had 16 first-half shots to CSKA's two.

Rosicky was playing passes with the measured meticulousness of a Steve Davis snooker. Van Persie might have profited with a hat-trick before 25 minutes were up, his best effort a drive from 20 yards that flashed wide.

But it was in the final 60 seconds of the first half that Arsenal's fans were most tormented. Cesc Fabregas lifted a through ball over Moscow's high defence to Henry. Igor Akinfeev was off his line but the striker turned his shot wide. Then from the byline Henry played Rosicky behind the defence. The Czech had only to pass into the open net but instead played it to a bewildered goalkeeper.

After so scintillating a first 45 minutes, it was Arsenal who created counterattacking opportunities for their opponents. A 50-yard pass gave Vagner Love a foot race with William Gallas that proved he had fully recovered from the injury sustained in his last match.

But Jens Lehmann's reflexes also proved undiminished as he stretched to deny the Brazilian. Then Vasili Berezutskiy came within inches of opening the scoring from 25 yards out as a belt of high pressure came in from Moscow.

Arsenal did not succumb, though, and Van Persie was a stud's width from scoring when he marginally failed to connect with Henry's low cross.

Wenger responded by replacing him with Jeremie Aliadiere.

Another cross from Justin Hoyte found Gilberto's forehead but this time Akinfeev made a miraculous stop. When Henry was the first to connect with a corner and it hit the outside of a post, Arsenal's reaction was nothing but relief: the woodwork had been Lehmann's.

Guardian Service

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Van Persie (Aliadiere 82), Fabregas (Flamini 88), Silva, Hleb (Walcott 71), Rosicky, Henry. Subs not used: Almunia, Senderos, Song Billong, Djourou. Booked: Henry, Hleb.

CSKA MOSCOW: Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Rahimic, Semberas, Krasic (Aldonin 40), Alexei Berezutsky, Vasili Berezutsky, Daniel Carvalho (Taranov 90), Dudu, Zhirkov, Vagner Love (Olic 85). Subs not used: Gabulov, Odiah, Salougin, Grigoriev. Booked: Vasili Berezutsky, Semberas.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).