Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions received a timely boost on Wednesday night after Aston Villa were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Unai Emery’s side went into the fixture hoping to close the gap on the league leaders, but the stalemate saw Villa drop valuable points and fail to capitalise on recent results elsewhere fully.

The outcome leaves Arsenal in a stronger position at the top of the table, with the Gunners holding a lead and still having a game in hand.

The match itself was a tightly contested affair, with both teams enjoying spells of control but lacking the cutting edge needed to break the deadlock.

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Aston Villa started brightly, with Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho delivering dangerous balls into the Palace penalty area.

Villa also felt they had a strong case for a penalty after Tyrick Mitchell appeared to handle the ball, but their appeals were waved away.

Crystal Palace gradually grew into the contest and enjoyed their best period midway through the second half. Brennan Johnson, making his home debut following his move from Tottenham, had a golden opportunity to give the hosts the lead in the 17th minute, but Emiliano Martinez produced a fine save to keep the scores level. Palace went on to create several promising openings but were unable to make their dominance count.

Villa, who had lost on their previous three visits to Selhurst Park, finished the match strongly as they searched for a late winner, yet Palace’s defence held firm to secure a point.

The draw offered some relief for Oliver Glasner’s side, who have been battling poor form after losing four of their last five league matches.

For Aston Villa, the result represents a missed opportunity in the title race, while Arsenal will view the stalemate as a significant boost as they continue their push for Premier League glory.