Arsene Wenger's side have found it hard to break down defensive opponents at the Emirates Stadium this season. But this time they created plenty of chances and had only themselves to blame for a result that leaves them facing a tense scramble to reach the second-round from Group G.

Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky were the chief culprits as they wasted golden opportunities to score against a CSKA side who are yet to concede in the competition this season.

Arsenal had left Russia seething at the injustice of their 1-0 defeat against CSKA two weeks ago after an equaliser from Thierry Henry was wrongly disallowed for handball.

As if to emphasis his desire for revenge, Henry crashed into a first minute tackle that left Yuri Zhirkov pole-axed and earned the Arsenal captain a booking.

Henry's teammates quickly got the message that they had to play at a high tempo and Alexsandr Hleb burst into the penalty area before picking out Robin van Persie, only for the Dutch striker to waste the chance with a tame shot.

CSKA's Brazilian striker Daniel Carvalho had scored the Russian league leaders' winner against Arsenal two weeks ago and he was into his stride early on with a chipped effort that floated just over.

Van Persie was only just wide with a ferocious drive as Arsenal swept forward in a wave of increasingly threatening attacks.

Henry also went close when he side-footed just wide from Justin Hoyte's cross after Rosicky's astute pass had carved open the visitors' defence.

It seemed inevitable that Arsenal would break the deadlock but Fabregas squandered a glorious chance to give his side the goal their play deserved in the 27th minute.

The Spain midfielder exchanged passes with Rosicky before racing onto the return ball and jinking around CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. But with the goal at his mercy he shot into the side-netting before slumping to the turf in disbelief.

Wenger's side had CSKA firmly on the back foot and van Persie should have broken the deadlock but he wastefully nudged a shot past the far post after another mesmerising move.

Despite their dominance, Arsenal's lack of composure in front of goal was proving costly and even the normally ice-cool Henry was not immune.

Fabregas's superb long pass sent the France star clear on goal but he stabbed his shot tamely wide with only Akinfeev to beat.

Yet that wasn't the worst miss of the half. That dubious honour fell to Rosicky when the Czech midfielder somehow managed to shoot straight at Akinfeev from no more than four yards, even though the goalkeeper was lying prone on the opposite corner of the goal-line.

Valeriy Gazzaev's side almost made Arsenal pay for those misses with a rapid counter-attack in the 57th minute.

Brazil forward Vagner Love beat William Gallas to a probing through-ball and forced Jens Lehmann to block and then gratefully dive on the ball as it trickled towards goal.

Wenger sent on teenage striker Theo Walcott in a bid to prise open a CSKA defence that had gradually been able to stem the flow of Arsenal's attacks. The move almost paid instant dividends as Walcott released Hoyte and the right-back swung in a cross towards van Persie, but he failed to even get his header on target as CSKA held on.