Arsene Wenger hailed his Arsenal team for coming through a "battle" in a 0-0 draw against Stoke City on Sunday to return to the top of the Premier League, but felt his team missed an opportunity to win.
Goalkeepers Petr Cech and Jack Butland were on top form to maintain the stalemate, a result which sent Arsenal above Leicester City and back into first place on goal difference.
"It was a battle," said Wenger after Arsenal's run without a win at the Britannia Stadium extended to six matches.
"They made the game very physical, the crowd and the players were up for it from the first minute.
"We had to show solidarity and fighting spirit. We lacked a bit of creativity going forward and we missed a few chances too."
Arsenal have not won away to Stoke since February 2010, when Aaron Ramsey suffered a broken leg in a tackle by Ryan Shawcross.
"Looking at the history we have here it's a positive result and looking at the results other teams at the top have had here, it's a positive result," Wenger added, referring to Stoke's home wins over Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City earlier this season.
"But it feels like two points dropped today. There were few chances. Stoke played very well and they have remarkable defensive discipline.
"I cannot fault my team, the attitude was spot on, the way we responded to the challenge they gave us.
"I used to be a bit more creative here but overall it was a solid performance. We had all of the ingredients for a team ready to fight."
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