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Leeds were turned off for the goal frame three times as they failed to make their dominance count against 10-man Arsenal, who had Nicolas Pepe sent off, but held on to a Premier League goalless draw.
Pepe hit the crossbar in a first half where Arsenal were largely back foot and the Gunners were even more under pressure when their winger was sacked in the 51st minute after an apparent header on Ezgjan Alioski.
Substitute Rodrigo hit the crossbar, Patrick Bamford saw a header coming off the post, while Raphinha’s shot from an acute angle hit the outside of the post and Leeds settled for a point on Elland Road.
The hosts therefore bounced back after successive 4-1 losses to Leicester and Crystal Palace, but this felt like a missed opportunity against a team that couldn’t find fluidity.
Arsenal lost 3-0 to Aston Villa before the international break and were second best all around here, with Leeds leading from the start.
Raphinha had her first outing in Leeds since moving from Rennes last month and was buoyant from the start, driving forward before slipping while shooting, perhaps undone by the rain that fell steadily for the first few minutes.
Clever work down the left saw Jack Harrison feed an overlapping Alioski before the Macedonian retreated towards Bamford, whose strike at goal lacked sufficient force and was easily saved by Bernd Leno.
Arsenal had little room to operate and lacked urgency, but came closer to scoring in the first half, Pepe’s cross shot from the left line sank off the crossbar before being cleared.
Leeds increased the pressure thereafter and after Luke Ayling’s cross shot into Gabriel’s chest, Bamford received another sight on goal, but his instinctive volley was parried by a swooping Leno.
The Gunners grew increasingly stretched with Kalvin Phillips pulling the strings in center on his return from a shoulder injury and Harrison on the left creating plenty of opportunities for those on the edge of the area.
However, Raphinha, Stuart Dallas, and Mateusz Klich were all rebellious with their efforts, with Leeds unable to assert their dominance. They had 13 shots in the first half, but only two hit home.
Reiss Nelson replaced the ineffective Willian before Arsenal’s restart, which was reduced to 10 men when Pepe was sent off after a ball-off skirmish with Alioski.
Replays showed Pepe leading his head towards Alioski, who fell clutching his face, and referee Anthony Taylor brandished a straight red at the Arsenal club’s record signing after seeing the altercation on a monitor next to the field.
Leeds came close to immediately capitalizing on their men’s advantage, with a left foot strike from Dallas destined for the top corner only for Leno, to full extent, to stop over the bar.
The first touch of former Arsenal academy product Ayling after Raphinha attacked him allowed the visitors to clear their lines, while Rodrigo’s introduction from the bench saw Leeds intensify their attack intent.
The thunderous left-handed shot from the club’s record signing was barely deflected, while another attempt from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar, albeit almost caught cold in the final 10 minutes.
Substitute Bukayo Saka burst into the goal, but after rounding out Illan Meslier, the home keeper rallied for the crucial interception. From then on, it was all Leeds looking for a winner.
However, a Bamford header from a right-hand cross by Ian Poveda hit the post with Leno well beaten, while Raphinha’s effort from a close angle hit the outside edge of the post, Leeds’ 25th effort on goal in a day when they lacked clinical advantage.
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