Andre Schurrle was "annoyed" after Borussia Dortmund, without absent striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, missed the chance to move up to second place in the Bundesliga.
Schurrle deputised for Aubameyang in a 1-1 draw at Hertha Berlin Friday, but created no chances and recorded zero shots - the only outfield Dortmund player to do so at the Olympiastadion.
Aubameyang was left out of the Dortmund squad, although sporting director Michael Zorc said reports the Gabon striker is close to joining Arsenal are "rubbish" as there have been no "concrete" offers made.
But after Dortmund toiled in Aubameyang's absence - dropping points for the second Bundesliga game in a row after the winter break - Schurrle was left frustrated, particularly after referee Christian Dingert turned down Andriy Yarmolenko's strong stoppage-time penalty appeals.
"In my opinion, this is a 60-40 decision whether that is a penalty at the end, but you can certainly give it," Schurrle told Eurosport.
"It's annoying that we did not win. We had planned a lot. In the first half we were a bit sleepy. We then woke up with the goal, found the space, played faster and in depth.
"We could have scored the second goal, we worked out the chances. We can build on the last 30 minutes."
Shinji Kagawa's back-post header gave teenage midfielder Jadon Sancho his first Bundesliga assist, the goal cancelling out Davie Selke's opener in the first minute of the second half.
And defender Omer Toprak agreed with Schurrle that Dortmund can take positives out of extending its unbeaten league run under new coach Peter Stoger to four matches.
"In the first half it was not a good game," Toprak told Eurosport . "After the break, especially in the last 30 minutes, we only play with one goal.
"We're going to get some chances, but we have to take the lead as well. We would have deserved the win in the second half."
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