When a Brazilian scores a stunning goal, so the old saying goes, it is talked about interminably.

And it will certainly be a long time at Highbury until they stop talking about the two amazing goals that Arsenal's Edu and Silvinho put past their own goalkeeper to hand Manchester United the Premiership title, tied up in a red-and-white bow.

Twice in the space of five first-half minutes, the two Gunners from Sao Paulo did what Middlesbrough had previously never threatened to do - put the ball past England's David Seaman.

It was agony, particularly for Edu, the £6million man who last summer was turned back by customs officers trying to enter Britain on a false passport to sign for Arsenal.

Making his first home start after being dogged by hamstring injuries since his belated arrival in January after finally being furnished with the right documents, he must have wished he had never bothered.

A Dean Windass shot was skewering off target when it struck the tall Edu on his right heel and crept inside a post in the 33rd minute.

And five minutes later when Dean Gordon crossed from the left Silvinho put a thundering volley into the roof of the net. Both Silvinho and Edu were signed from the club called Corinthians, but this surely was taking the Corinthian spirit too far.

Hamilton Ricard, another South American, in this case from Colombia, rammed in a third for Middlesbrough 13 minutes into the second half with his team's only other notable attack to confirm that Terry Venables' team had atoned for all their bad luck this season in a single match.

It was their first win in 12, their first at Highbury since the start of World War Two and they should now be safe from relegation.

It was Arsenal's first league defeat at home for 14 months and made sure Manchester United could celebrate a third successive title after their 4-2 win over Coventry.

Highbury customers have never emptied the place so early. Thousands of them were up on their feet and heading for home long before referee Paul Durkin's final whistle. They had known a long time earlier this was just not Arsenal's day.

Such a savage outcome looked most unlikely as the Gunners, chasing their sixth win in a row to boost morale for Tuesday's Champions League visit Valencia on Tuesday, took command from the first whistle.

Thierry Henry, Kanu, Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljunberg were all over Boro like a rash for the first half-hour. The trouble was there were more Middlesbrough shirts in the penalty area than even measles could cover.

Corner after corner, attack after attack was repelled by a thick black line of defenders. Then came the sting.

Tony Adams, somewhat unconvincingly, headed away Dean Gordon's cross from the left and although Windass, 20 yards out, miscued his shot it struck the luckless Edu on the heel and slipped beyond the dive of Seaman to squeeze just inside a post.

Arsenal had not quite found their best rhythm in the first half hour and this was a stunning blow but after Adams headed over the bar having connected cleanly with Pires corner in a crowded penalty area, there was another one.

Gordon again galloped down the left to swing the ball over and Silvinho, possibly put off by believing Adams was going to clear it, swung his leg facing his own goal and fairly hammered it into the net.

Arsenal made frenzied efforts to repair the damage before half-time but had to defend stoically to prevent Boksic grabbing a third for Boro. Keown eventually charged down the Croatian's shot.

And within a minute of the restart Seaman had to dive smartly to his right to keep out a well-struck Windass drive.

By this time, Edu - who, to be fair, had shown some neat touches with a cultured left foot - had been put out of his misery, substituted by Wiltord at the interval.

But the misery went on for Arsenal when Alen Boksic, Boro's gifted Croat striker, beautifully back-heeled a return pass for Ricard to ram home.

Arsenal had no way back after that and never promised to even reduce the deficit although Mark Schwarzer made a number of saves, notably to deny Vieira and Silvinho.

Right at the death, with Arsenal finally giving up a lost cause, Windass should have added even more anguish but skied a 10-yard chance over the bar.

Teams

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Silvinho, Pires, Vieira, Edu (Wiltord 45), Ljungberg (Parlour 75), Henry, Kanu.

Subs Not Used: Manninger, Luzhny, Cole.

Booked: Henry.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Gavin, Ehiogu, Vickers, Karembeu, Okon, Ince, Windass, Gordon, Boksic (Mustoe 90), Ricard (Stamp 79).

Subs Not Used: Marinelli, Crossley, Whelan.

Booked: Okon.

Goals: Edu 34 og, Silvinho 38 og, Ricard 58.

Att: 37,879

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).