Arsenal struggled again as they suffered another goalless afternoon in a laboured draw against Derby at Pride Park.

Dave Woods reports (BBC Radio 5 Live)

The depleted Double winners never looked like title material against Derby, who had the better of an encounter which started brightly but faded after half-time.

The game extended the Gunners' winless spell to six matches and demonstrated the north Londoners' lack of strength in depth.

Christopher Wreh and Derby's Tony Dorigo

Injury robbed them Dennis Bergkamp, Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Nigel Winterburn, and they were sorely missed.

Last season's champs have looked more like chumps in recent times, failing to win since 8 November and scoring one goal in their last six outings before their trip to Pride Park.

After last Sunday's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, manager Arsene Wenger admitted his side had failed to serve up "caviar football" in recent times.

Again it was the opposition, themselves still well short of last season's impressive form, who produced the better fayre.

Stefano Eranio made his first start for six weeks and he was lively throughout, prompting and probing and sending a chip tamely wide after combining well with Paulo Wanchope.

Derby's Lars Bohinen breaks with the ball

It was the Costa Rican who posed the greatest threat, though, the leggy striker wasting two glorious close-range chances and seeing a 22-yard drive beaten away by David Seaman.

Lars Bohinen also sent a vicious early drive inches wide but for all the Rams' pressing, Arsenal had their fair share of chances in a lively first-half.

Nicolas Anelka, easily the Gunners' best player, saw his low angled drive pushed wide by Mart Poom, who also bundled Marc Overmars' shot past the post after the tricky winger had got the better of Bohinen.

And Poom excelled himself four minutes before the break when he raced off his line and blocked Ray Parlour's shot with his legs after the midfielder had been set free by Overmars.

After a good first 45 minutes, though, neither side hit the heights after half-time and the match quickly degenerated.

Lee Dixon and Parlour were well off target with early long-range efforts and Remi Garde's cross was straight at Poom when Arsenal players were queuing up at the back post.

Derby were little better, though, with Horacio Carbonari heading Tony Dorigo's deep corner narrowly over and Jacob Laursen's free-kick comfortably gathered by Seaman.

Derby: Poom, Carbonari, Powell, Dorigo, Sturridge, Wanchope, Delap, Bohinen, Laursen, Prior, Eranio. Subs: Schnoor, Elliot, Harper, Carsley, Hoult.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Vivas, Anelka, Overmars, Wreh, Keown, Parlour, Grimandi, Garde. Subs: Ljungberg, Upson, Boa Morte, Caballero, Manninger.