Arsenal's lingering title hopes were dealt a fatal blow at Middlesbrough as
the Teessiders produced a spirited display to clinch a hard-earned victory.
Skipper Paul Ince set the ball rolling with a 49th-minute header to cap a
superb individual performance, and Hamilton Ricard made it 2-0 14 minutes later
with his 11th of the season.
Substitute Dennis Bergkamp ensured a grandstand finish with a 70th-minute
strike, but the visitors simply could not break through a determined Boro
defence.
Arsenal were left to reflect upon a first-half in which they dominated for
long periods but could not push home their advantage.
Ray Parlour saw his 17th-minute shot come back off the post and keeper Mark
Schwarzer made several important saves to keep his side in it.
But with Ince turning in a captain's display, a depleted Boro side battled
every inch of the way, and if Ricard had been able to summon up a little more
composure, could have won the game more comfortably.
Arsenal, who went into the game without a Premiership victory away from
Highbury since December 4, made just one change to the side which went down 2-1
against Deportivo La Coruna in Spain on Thursday night.
Gilles Grimandi came in for Lee Dixon, who was named among the substitutes
with Bergkamp, with Kanu and Thierry Henry again handed the task of leading the
attack.
Boro were without central defenders Gianluca Festa and Gary Pallister through
suspension, and manager Bryan Robson decided to leave Brazilian Juninho on the
bench with skipper Ince returning from injury.
There was also a start for striker Andy Campbell as Boro attempted to end a
depressing series of heavy defeats at the hands of the Gunners.
Arsenal's penchant for running up cricket scores against the men from the
Riverside Stadium was much in evidence in the early stages as they produced some
flowing football to put the home defence under intense pressure.
Henry had already tested Schwarzer with a well-struck 25-yard effort when
Parlour returned a poor clearance by the keeper with interest, but could not hit
the target.
Henry and Kanu were proving a constant thorn in the side as they sent Silvinho
into space on the left several times, but it was Boro who had the first genuine
attempt on goal.
Christian Ziege found space wide on the left and as Brian Deane pulled away
from emergency central defender Emmanuel Petit, the German delivered a deep
cross which the striker headed down into David Seaman's arms.
But it was the visitors who created the better chances and Schwarzer had to
get in a good save to block Henry's 15th-minute shot after the Frenchman twisted
and turned his way into the penalty area.
The woodwork came to the goalkeeper's rescue two minutes later after Parlour
waltzed through a static Boro rearguard but drove his shot against the upright.
Parlour blazed a 26th-minute shot across the face of goal as Arsenal increased
the pressure, but it was Boro who went close twice within a minute, Deane
heading wide from Ricard's cross and Ziege shooting just over from distance.
But the Gunners continued to break at pace and a neat one-two between Parlour
and Oleg Luzhny almost paid dividends 12 minutes from the break, but Kanu
bundled the ball wide.
Schwarzer pulled off a fine save with 44 minutes gone when he plucked Henry's
curling free-kick out of the top corner, and it was the home side which went in
at half-time the more content.
Seaman made way for Alex Manninger at the break, but the substitute keeper was
beaten within four minutes of coming on to the pitch.
Silvinho was forced to concede a corner by Deane, and although Parlour headed
away Ziege's cross, Fleming lifted the ball back in for Ince to send a looping
header past the Austrian and into the bottom corner.
With Ince leading by example, Boro went for the kill and were handed a
glorious opportunity when Manninger handled Silvinho's back-pass.
Ziege hammered the free-kick into the wall and then sent the rebound high over
the bar.
But the Boro faithful were celebrating again on 63 minutes when Ricard latched
on to Vieira's misplaced pass and rounded Petit to fire past the helpless
Manninger.
The Arsenal keeper kept his side's remote hopes alive on 67 minutes when he
saved from Ricard, and Bergkamp, a 60th-minute replacement for Fredrik
Ljungberg, handed them a lifeline when he collected Henry's pass and lifted a
shot over Schwarzer to make it 2-1.
Henry had the ball in the net again on 72 minutes only to be denied by an
offside flag, but Ricard should really have sealed the win five minutes later
when he again failed to beat Manninger after being set free by Ziege.
Arsenal forced a series of corners as they battled for an equaliser, but Boro
were refusing to let their precious lead slip away.
Ricard almost made the game safe a minute from time when he danced past Petit
and Grimandi, but his cross was just too strong for Deane with the goal yawning.
Teams
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Vickers, Cooper, Ziege,
Maddison (Mustoe 79), Ince, Summerbell, Campbell (Juninho 85),
Deane, Ricard.
Subs Not Used: Gordon, Beresford, Kilgannon.
Goals: Ince 48, Ricard 63.
Arsenal: Seaman (Manninger 46), Luzhny, Grimandi, Petit,
Silvinho, Parlour (Suker 79), Vieira, Ljungberg (Bergkamp 60),
Winterburn, Kanu, Henry.
Subs Not Used: Dixon, Malz.
Booked: Winterburn.
Goals: Bergkamp 70.
Att: 34,244
Ref: R Harris (Oxford).
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