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Benfica and Arsenal met in Rome for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League fixture as COVID-19 travel restrictions forced both clubs to play at neutral venues.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta fielded an unchanged line-up from the one that dominated and overcame Leeds United 4-2 last weekend. Meanwhile, Benfica boss Jorge Jesus included former Premier League duo Nicolas Otamendi and Jan Vertonghen in his line-up.
After an uneventful first half, Benfica took the lead in the 55th minute thanks to a well-delivered penalty by Pizzi. Emile Smith Rowe was duly penalised for a handball in his own penalty box, and there were no complaints from Arteta's side.
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scored the equaliser two minutes later, and this will certainly be a crucial away goal for the Gunners.
Unfortunately, both sides were unable to find the winner in the remaining minutes, and the result of the tie will be determined in Athens, Greece next week.
Here are five talking points from the draw.
#5 Arsenal's lack of penetration
Despite enjoying an overwhelming amount of possession in the first 45 minutes, Arsenal's first shot came only in the 19th minute. They struggled to create goalscoring chances or trouble Benfica's goalkeeper Helton Leite.
The best chance came in the 19th minute when Hector Bellerin delivered a cross only for Saka to miss it and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to hit it wide from close range.
With Benfica holding their defensive shape, Arsenal ended the first half with only one more shot than their opponents even though they had close to 60% possession.
#4 Arsenal almost punished for multiple offsides
Otamendi and Vertonghen would have surely told their team everything they knew about Arsenal. The two experienced defenders have played against the Gunners multiple times in their careers. This probably inspired Jesus to set up a defensive team against the Premier League side.
The highly coordinated backline meant that Arsenal's forwards such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Saka were constantly caught in an offside position, and this significantly restricted the Gunners' attacking prowess.
After Saka put the equalising goal in the back of the net, Benfica's defenders called for the offside flag to be raised.
They claimed the English youngster was in an offside position in the build-up to the goal. Following a seemingly long check by the officials, the goal stood, much to the delight of the Arsenal team.
#3 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang misfiring ahead of Premier League test against Manchester City
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his comeback by scoring his first Premier League hat-trick last Sunday. However, against Benfica, the Arsenal captain looked far off his best. He missed a sitter alongside a couple of other good chances to put his team in front.
Compared to previous years, goals and assists have been sparse for the 31-year-old this season. He has scored only 11 goals in 25 matches in the current campaign, which is a far cry from the 31 goals scored in 51 games in the 2018-19 season.
Perhaps Arteta should look into getting Alexandre Lacazette back into the starting line-up for Arsenal's upcoming match against Manchester City. The Frenchman has been named on the bench for two consecutive games despite being in good form.
#2 Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos fighting to impress at Arsenal
Some Arsenal fans have already likened Martin Odegaard to Mesut Ozil in his prime. The Real Madrid loanee impressed against Benfica as he completed 89 minutes with a 92% pass accuracy, three key passes and four successful tackles.
Meanwhile, Dani Ceballos, who is rumoured to stay on at Arsenal even after his loan ends this summer, also played a huge role in denying Benfica. The Spaniard is beginning to find his form once more after missing five consecutive Premier League matches due to a calf injury.
With Thomas Partey struggling to stay fit and injury-free at Arsenal, Ceballos must take the chance to be consistent and prove his worth to Arteta.
#1 Will Arsenal advance into the Round of 16?
Arsenal travel to Greece next week for the home leg of this Europa League tie. Last season, the Gunners were knocked out of the competition in the Round of 32 after losing their home game to Olympiacos. Similarly, Benfica were undone by Shakhtar Donetsk and eliminated at the same stage.
Eight points adrift of the Premier League top four, Arsenal just cannot seem to find their way up the table. They are also out of other domestic cup competitions, and the Europa League is now their only chance to win a trophy.
A goalless draw would suffice for Arsenal to advance into the Round of 16. However, the Gunners are capable of making things difficult for themselves.
For now, Arteta's focus will be on facing Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, a game which the Gunners are almost bound to lose.
