Aston Villa missed the chance to move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as Everton held them to a goalless draw at Goodison Park.
Both sides thought they broke the deadlock in the first half for very different reasons. Alex Moreno's opener for Villa was ruled out by VAR for an offside on Leon Bailey in the build-up, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin later missed a sitter by firing straight at Emiliano Martinez when clean through on goal.
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As Villa's urgency continued, Everton put bodies on the line late on to deny Matty Cash and John McGinn from close range, while Jhon Duran was inches away from snatching the lead late on but prodded wide a cross from the right.
But as Abdoulaye Doucoure saw a late winner denied by the offside flag, a stop-start game never really had much of a pattern to it as both teams picked up a point which suited neither.
Villa sit two points behind top spot but Liverpool can extend that lead to five if they beat Bournemouth next weekend, live on Sky Sports. Everton, meanwhile, go a point above the bottom three but Luton - just below them - have a game in hand.
The goalless draw was Villa manager Unai Emery's first ever 0-0 stalemate in the Premier League at the 97th attempt - and he praised goalkeeper Martinez for making the superb double save from Calvert-Lewin, then from James Garner.
"I am really, really happy with 43 points after gameday 21," Emery told Sky Sports after the game. "The match we played today, the 90 minutes, are like we prepared before and we respected them.
"We tried to put out our game plan. We conceded a few chances from them, the first half was clear and were big mistakes. But we need a big goalkeeper and he saved us.
"The second half, we gave them nothing and had three or four good chances to score. Fort-three points is the position to keep us there now, so I am proud of the players and how we are trying to increase our levels and deal with the challenges we are facing."
How both sides failed to provide the final touch
Everton's fast start and Villa's early sloppiness was best summarised by Douglas Luiz giving the ball away to Amadou Onana on the edge of his own box, but Martinez was able to smother the loose ball at the midfielder's feet.
Villa then sparked into life as Ollie Watkins was denied by Jordan Pickford at the near post - before the visitors thought they had the lead.
A short corner saw the ball played back to Bailey and as Everton appealed for offside, the winger crossed for Moreno to blast home from the edge of the box.
VAR took three minutes and 45 seconds to eventually chalk the goal off for Bailey being just beyond Arnaut Danjuma's shoulder, with the Everton man being pulled down by Clement Lenglet in the process.
Villa continued their onslaught on the Everton goal as Watkins fired wide before Bailey stung Pickford's palms at the near post once again.
And just as a stop-start game drifted towards half-time, Everton nearly snatched the lead. Calvert-Lewin burst through on goal from Danjuma's stunning pass and had so much time to pick his spot, but fired straight at Martinez.
Doucoure kept the ball alive and found Garner on the edge of the box, but the Villa goalkeeper was equal to that fierce effort too.
The second half took longer to get going but eventually came into life at the hour mark. Moussa Diaby was released in the box and asked for a penalty after a strong follow-through challenge from James Tarkowski. The loose ball fell to McGinn, who fired wide at the edge of the box.
At the other end, Danjuma sliced a shot wide from the edge of the box in what was Everton's only real chance of the second half.
Villa then tried to snatch another late winner this season as Cash and McGinn were denied by goal-saving blocks from Vitaliy Mykolenko and Seamus Coleman, while Duran clipped Cash's cross just wide of Pickford's far post.
Doucoure then burst through and showed some rare good finishing by blasting past Martinez, but the offside flag cut short Goodison Park's celebrations, with VAR agreeing.
Onana then fired over at the end of seven minutes of stoppage time, which sums up the standard of the finishing in this game.
Should Villa have had a penalty for Tarkowski foul?
One moment of controversy saw Diaby go down under a strong challenge from Everton defender Tarkowski in the box, but referee David Coote waved away Villa's protests.
Tarkowski cleanly got the ball but Villa were not happy with Tarkowski's follow-through, which caught Diaby in the box.
Reacting to the incident at full-time, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane said: "He knows what he's doing, he gets the ball but he's following through. He's certainly out of control. It could've been a penalty, but it might've been a bit harsh.
"We like defenders getting stuck in, but it's full-force. He's got the ball, they've had a look at it."
Dyche: Calvert-Lewin will start scoring if he keeps going
Everton manager Sean Dyche defended Calvert-Lewin for his glaring miss - vowing the Toffees forward will get back on the scoresheet if he keeps getting those opportunities.
"I've only been here roughly a year but people have remarked to me that the mentality is stronger and more resilient - like today, when you get something from the game. That's a pleasing sign," Dyche told Sky Sports.
"We've got to capitalise more when we have the ball. But we did create good chances, in particular, one chance [for Calvert-Lewin] which was the golden chance of the game.
"A good save - that's what stopped him today. Getting chances in the Premier League is a top skill, but it's a top save. That's the way it goes, if he keeps getting the chances, it will go in."
Dyche also revealed he would have been cross had Villa's goal for Moreno been allowed to stand - but did add it was ruled out for the wrong reason.
"I've seen it back, it's a foul on Danjuma anyway," he said. "I don't know the rules on who is giving what for a foul, no one knows.
"I don't get all the rest of it, but it's a foul. They should give it in 30 seconds.
"I think we are all debating on where it's at. I remain a fan but I can't work it out. It was a good outcome though, the right outcome. I would have been cross if it wasn't that outcome."
Emery: Not happy with point but this is our way of playing
Meanwhile, Villa manager Emery said he was pleased with his side's performance, despite accepting a point is not enough for them.
"We are frustrated because we had chances to score, but football is like that," he told Sky Sports. "You can control the game as you want but it's not enough sometimes and today was not enough.
"We are not happy with one point only, we are happy because this is the way and we increased our level before playing like that. We played a good personality today.
"I am happy because we are getting stronger in our ideal style and feeling comfortable and confident in playing in the way we are continually creating. The point is not enough, we have to accept it.
"But how we play, how we worked and how we showed our capacity on the pitch, this is the way. Now we get some rest days, we deserve. It. But I want to show and transmit to the players, this is the way."
Analysis: Calvert-Lewin's luck shows no sign of turning
Sky Sports' Ron Walker:
The seconds, the minutes and hours keep ticking for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. 16 hours and counting without a Premier League goal since notching the winner at West Ham all the way back in September.
Everton are performing and coping admirably without him, but they need their forward talisman firing again and fast.
It would have been harsh on Aston Villa had Calvert-Lewin buried his first-half one-on-one, whose xG of 0.67 was more than double any other chance either side created all game.
But in the context of that moment, justice doesn't matter. Everton need points to drag themselves away from their FFP-induced woes and the England man may have cost his side two points in a game lacking much else in the way of clear-cut chances.
Manager Sean Dyche, who defended his front man ahead of the game, continued to support the beleaguered striker in public afterwards too.
"It was a good save, that's what stopped him today," he said. It was a generous take to avoid any additional heat from a striker whose confidence is clearly taking a hit.
The question for Dyche longer-term is how long he gives Calvert-Lewin to play his way back into form. Beto and Youssef Chermiti are not prolific alternatives, but there has to be some culpability, or an alternative solution, at some point.
Everton should still have well enough about them to beat the drop given they would be 12th in the table without their 10-point deduction.
But with winnable games against Fulham and Crystal Palace, twice, coming up over the next month, something has to change in front of goal.
What's next?
Everton face an FA Cup third-round replay against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on January 17; kick-off 7.45pm, before a return to Premier League duty on January 30 when travelling to Fulham; kick-off 7.45pm.
Aston Villa get a fortnight's rest before facing Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 26; kick-off 7.45pm. They return home to Villa Park for a Premier League meeting with Newcastle on January 30; kick-off 8.15pm.