Frenchman Robert Pires edged misfiring Arsenal past stubborn Middlesbrough as the Gunners kept the heat on Manchester United in the contest for second place.

Pires struck after 73 minutes to seal a tight encounter which the visitors dominated without ever looking likely to overwhelm Steve McClaren's injury-ravaged side in front of a crowd of 33,874.

His goal was enough to claim a seventh successive win for the North Londoners and leave Boro without a league win at the Riverside Stadium since February 5, a statistic which is threatening to derail their bid for European football next season.

However, Arsenal - who cut Chelsea's lead to 11 points - were far from their best and had striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink been more clinical, they might have set off on the long journey south reflecting upon two points dropped.

Middlesbrough have traditionally lost heavily to the Gunners in recent years and hopes of a reversal of fortunes, already dented by a depressing injury list which cost manager Steve McClaren the services of Mark Viduka, Bolo Zenden and Joseph Job, were dealt a further blow before kick-off when keeper Mark Schwarzer was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Brad Jones.

However, if the home fans settled uncomfortably into their seats fearing the worst, they were to be pleasantly surprised by what transpired.

It was not particularly that their side performed above themselves, although they did so creditably enough in the circumstances, but rather that the well-oiled Arsenal machine which had demolished Norwich last weekend was misfiring so badly that Jones did not have a single save of any note to make before the break.

Thierry Henry has ripped Boro apart in the past on too many occasions to recall, while the threat represented by the likes of Pires and Jose Reyes, as well as fit-again skipper Patrick Vieira, would have formed a major part of part of McClaren's pre-match team-talk.

But as the game unfolded, the Gunners were wasteful in possession, untidy at the back and short on ideas, and although they enjoyed enough of the ball to cause the Teessiders real problems, they rarely did.

Indeed, it was the home side which came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time when Doriva's 21st-minute shot clipped the angle of post and bar, while Hasselbaink and Szilard Nemeth both passed up half-chances.

Jones had only one anxious moment when Henry cut in from the left on 40 minutes and curled a shot beyond him but also past the far post, although as he left the pitch at half-time, he did so knowing that surely there would be much, much more to come after Arsene Wenger had delivered his verdict.

The Frenchman decided enough was enough and replaced the disappointing Reyes with Dennis Bergkamp at the break, and his arrival seemed to give his side fresh impetus.

But for all that they continued to dominate possession, Boro's industry in closing down space was severely limiting them and the path to goal simply would not open up.

The home side staged a rare break-out on 54 minutes when Stewart Downing raced past Kolo Toure to test Jens Lehmann with a well-struck low drive, but the traffic was largely one-way.

Boro's tenacious defending was providing a foundation for better things and they mounted an attack of their own on 62 minutes when Doriva, Nemeth and former Gunner Ray Parlour combined to give Hasselbaink a glimpse of goal, although his shot was easily blocked by Toure.

However, in their eagerness to shut up shop, the Teessiders were withdrawing ever deeper into their own half to invite pressure on to themselves and the alarm bells were starting to ring.

Bergkamp spooned a long-range effort high over the bar on 70 minutes, but was struggling to force his way into the game and the home fans were beginning to believe.

But their hopes were torn apart three minutes later when Pires, who had being a peripheral figure for much of the game, pounced on a half-chance.

Henry turned up on the right side of the penalty area and played the ball square to Cesc Fabregas, who attempted one-two with Vieira was cut out by Franck Queudrue.

But the Frenchman's clearance hit Doriva and fell for his compatriot Pires, who drilled the ball past Jones to break the deadlock.

Hasselbaink failed to test Lehmann with a 77th-minute header from a Queudrue cross, but he he should have levelled seconds later after Nemeth had robbed Philippe Senderos.

The Dutchman ran in on the keeper with Toure desperately trying to make up lost ground, but he tried to chip the advancing German and only succeeded in delivering the ball into his waiting arms.

Hasselbaink was unfortunate nine minutes from time when he cut in from the left and drilled a shot just wide with far more conviction, but despite a late rally, the points were safe.

Teams:

Middlesbrough Jones, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue, Parlour (Ehiogu 90), Doriva (Graham 86), Boateng, Downing, Nemeth, Hasselbaink.

Subs Not Used: Cooper, Kennedy, Johnson.

Booked: Queudrue.

Arsenal Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cole, Fabregas, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Reyes (Bergkamp 45), Henry.

Subs Not Used: Van Persie, Cygan, Almunia, Eboue.

Booked: Lauren.

Goals: Pires 73.

Att: 33,874

Ref: P Dowd (Staffordshire).