Chelsea and Arsenal [Images] lived up to their top-of-the-league billing with a high-tempo display of quality football on Wednesday only for the encounter to end in stalemate.

The London [Images] rivals failed to find the net, forcing Jose Mourinho's Chelsea to wait beyond next weekend to secure their first league title for 50 years.

With his side's approaching Champions League semi-final against Liverpool on his mind, Mourinho had hoped to settle the title race at home to local rivals Fulham on Saturday.

Champions Arsenal were never going to relinquish their crown easily, however.

Arsene Wenger's side, 11 points adrift of Chelsea but with pride and a fine record at Stamford Bridge to defend, fired the opening salvos, Jose Antonio Reyes, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp carving gaps in Chelsea's famed defence.

In the third minute Pires's stinging shot from a Reyes nod-down hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear.

The France [Images] midfielder missed a sitter eight minutes later when, after a defensive mix-up following a corner, the ball fell to his feet and he shot wide.

At the other end Jens Lehmann was first called into action in the eighth minute, diving to his left to keep out a low Frank Lampard [Images] shot.

Chelsea, whose expensively assembled side have led the Premier League since November 6, kept their best efforts till the half hour with a clever move by Ireland winger Damien Duff, who laid the ball off to Didier Drogba [Images].

The big Ivorian striker's shot rebounded off the advancing Lehmann's foot to safety.

Three minutes later Chelsea should have gone ahead but Drogba chose to square across the Arsenal area instead of shooting. Joe Cole could not quite reach the ball and when it fell to Eidur Gudjohnsen he scuffed it.

With action switching end to end, France defender William Gallas blocked a dangerous ball that fell at Brazilian midfielder Gilberto's feet and Chelsea earned another reprieve.

FRENZIED HALF

The second half began in a frenzy with both sides, who drew 2-2 at Highbury in December, desperate to get the first strike.

Drogba once again missed his cue, getting on the end of a fine pass from Duff on the wing, turning and shooting wide in the 56th minute.

Chelsea's Joe and Arsenal's Ashley Cole were meanwhile involved in a tight tussle down Chelsea's right.

England [Images] defender Ashley Cole has grabbed headlines recently after the FA launched an enquiry into allegations that Mourinho and Chelsea had made illegal approaches to him.

A hearing has been set for next month but there was nothing in the full back's performance on Wednesday to suggest he was giving anything but 100 effort to Arsenal.

Pires kept worrying the Chelsea defence and wriggled through in the 77th minute but his shot, though on target, had no force and Cech collected it easily.

Drogba had the final effort with a free kick 30 metres out in stoppage time which skimmed over the bar.

The draw was a fair result, however, and extended Arsenal's 10-year unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge.

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