Arsenal had won all 10 of their previous home matches against Everton in the WSL
Everton grabbed their first point of the Women's Super League season as they fought hard to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal dominated possession and pushed forward throughout, but were unable to find a way through a resilient Everton defence.
Emily Fox hit the woodwork early on for the Gunners, while Toffees goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan kept out multiple efforts from Mariona Caldentey and Frida Maanum.
The result leaves Arsenal sixth in the WSL table after three games, two points off leaders Manchester City, while Everton are next to bottom.
There was little for the 25,480 crowd to get excited about and Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall conceded it was his players' responsibility to lift the fans.
"If we want to create that atmosphere at the Emirates that we know is such an advantage for us, we need to play with more intent," said the Swede.
"We should have put Everton under more pressure in the first half and moved the ball quicker. I think we did that in the end but it was a little bit too late."
Eidevall's side started brightly and Fox came close to unintentionally scoring her first goal for Arsenal when her cross from the right beat Brosnan and bounced off the crossbar.
The Gunners continued to threaten with Caldentey, Alessia Russo and Kyra Cooney-Cross linking up well around the box before Cooney-Cross drilled a shot just wide.
But the home side struggled to find a way through and Brosnan avoided embarrassment after a poor clearance with a fine stop to deny Caldentey.
The Everton keeper was kept busy with a fierce strike from Maanum and a dangerous cross from Kim Little that needed to be punched away.
While Arsenal rushed their passes in favour of a direct approach into the box, Everton - in rare moments of possession - patiently played out from the back and came agonisingly close to an opener when Veatriki Sarri’s shot was tipped on to the crossbar by Daphne van Domselaar.
The resulting corner also caused concern for Arsenal, with Katie McCabe making a goalline clearance from Justine Vanhaevermaet’s header.
After the break, Arsenal took their time in fashioning chances, building up play around the edge of the box, but they still could not find a way through a solid Everton backline.
The visitors continued to smother Arsenal's desperate attempts at goal with captain Megan Finnigan blocking an effort from Maanum.
As the clock ticked down into stoppage time, Everton kept players behind the ball and Brosnan's superb save to stop Caitlin Foord from scoring a dazzling late winner ensured the Toffees left with something to show for their efforts.
Arsenal struggle before busy spell as Brosnan stars
Arsenal claimed their first win of the WSL season with a narrow 1-0 win at Leicester last week, but often lacked a clinical edge against the Foxes.
The same was true against Everton, but the visitors' well-organised defence made it difficult for Eidevall’s side to manufacture clear-cut chances.
The Gunners had to resort to long-range efforts and shots in the box that were unlikely to find their way through a wall of defenders, with only five of their 20 efforts on target.
While talk of Arsenal’s chances in the WSL title race may seem premature, the club have already missed out on four points after just three games.
They will have to improve as they enter a busy spell and get their Champions League group stage campaign under way against German champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday, before hosting WSL champions Chelsea on Saturday.
For manager Brian Sorensen, the performance marks a positive turnaround from disappointing losses against Manchester United and Brighton in which Aurora Galli and Inma Gabarro sustained anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
It wraps up a brilliant week for goalkeeper Brosnan, who saved three penalties in a shootout against Newcastle in the League Cup on Wednesday.
"This result is only going to build our confidence," said Sorensen.
"The resilience, the togetherness, the willingness to fight for each other, the coolness, the calmness... I'm super proud."
Player of the match
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
