The chase for a place in the Premiership often wandered wearily off course here yesterday. A 1-1 draw, secured by Lee Dixon’s second goal in four days, restored Arsenal to fourth in the table but the overall performance of Arsène Wenger’s team did not suggest a passionate desire to finish in the top three and reach next season’s Champions League.

Aston Villa seemed to be heading for the victory their greater urgency deserved when Richard Walker, a 22-year-old striker starting his first Premier League game, nodded them in front just past the hour. It was only then that Arsenal appeared to realise they were not playing in a testimonial match.

While Villa will be disappointed not to have won, the result has extended their unbeaten league run to 10 matches. The clouds of doubt over John Gregory’s future as manager have now dispersed and, while Villa may struggle to earn a Uefa Cup place through their league position, an FA Cup semi-final against Bolton Wanderers ought to see them at Wembley in May.

Yesterday Gregory’s team needed half a game to get going. They began by showing Arsenal too much respect, the defence falling back and leaving one of the best passing sides in the Premier League a generous amount of space in which to demonstrate their craft.

After half-time, however, Arsenal were given less time to turn with the ball and found their forward runs blocked. Villa, moreover, showed a greater inclination to push men forward and reach the byline.

Such vapid Premier League displays by Arsenal away from Highbury are becoming a habit. Yesterday’s performance, a sharp contrast to their 5-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna in the Uefa Cup three days earlier, mirrored the pattern of their 3-2 defeat at Coventry on Boxing Day, when they did not increase the tempo of their game until late on.

None of Wenger’s attacking talents distinguished himself. Dennis Bergkamp, suffering from a knee injury, gave way to Marc Overmars for the second half but the addition of much needed width on Arsenal’s left flank merely brought out the excellence of Mark Delaney, the Villa right wing-back.

In midfield Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit were dominant before half-time but saw their authority eroded by Ian Taylor and Steve Stone. Eventually Petit, having had a spat with Stone before being booked for a foul on Paul Merson two minutes later, was quickly taken off to spare the Frenchman further punishment.

Since Petit offered a one-fingered gesture to the stands as he walked to the bench such a thought may prove optimistic. The Football Association comes down hard on players who indulge in digital monosyllabics.

For an inordinately long time the match had the passion and excitement of a car boot sale. Arsenal saw a lot of the ball but rather less of Aston Villa’s goal since everybody showed reluctance to shoot from close range.

In the first half Villa relied on drawing the opposition forward so they could catch them with quick counter-attacks and, but for the experience and judgment of David Seaman, the plan might have worked. After 15 minutes Stone caught Vieira in possession and sent Julian Joachim scurrying through to meet Seaman one-on-one but the Arsenal goalkeeper flicked the ball away with one hand.

Seven minutes before half-time Walker set up Joachim with a similar chance but again Seaman was equal to the moment. In Joachim, at that point, lay the game’s principal hope of salvation although Arsenal presented more of a threat once Wenger had abandoned the idea of using Thierry Henry as a lone striker supported by Bergkamp and Nwankwo Kanu.

Once Overmars appeared, Henry joined Kanu up front but by then Villa had found a more impressive attacking momentum. After 63 minutes Merson, whose touches had partly redeemed the depressing spectacle, curled a free- kick into a crowded goalmouth and Walker rose above Martin Keown and Petit to head in off the far post.

Arsenal at last roused themselves and saved the game when Dixon gathered Kanu’s cleverly angled pass and drove the ball low past Peter Enckelman. If Dixon had ever before scored twice in four days he did not mention it.