• Date: Sun 09 December 2007
  • Venue: The Riverside Stadium
  • Ref: Webb, H
  • Attendance: 26,428
Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

Downing (4) P

Tuncay (74)

2 - 1
Arsenal

Arsenal

Rosicky (90)

Middlesbrough vs Arsenal

Team Lineups

Middlesbrough

Ross Turnbull
Jonathan Woodgate (Robert Huth, 73)
Luke Young, L
David Wheater
Emanuel Pogatetz
Fabio Rochemback
Stewart Downing
Gary O'Neil
George Boateng
Sanli Tuncay (Adam Johnson, A, 90)
Jeremie Aliadiere (Julio Arca, 81)

Arsenal

Manuel Almunia
Gael Clichy
William Gallas
Bacary Sagna
Emmanuel Eboue (Theo Walcott, 61)
Kolo Toure, K
Lassana Diarra, L (Pereira Neves Denilson, 60)
Tomas Rosicky
Aparecido Gilberto Silva
Emmanuel Adebayor
Da Silva Eduardo (Nicklas Bendtner, 46)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

It is too late as the referee blows for full time - Boro claim a deserved win thanks to Downing's early penalty and Tuncay's strike, Arsenal were poor throughout.

90
Goal
 

Rosicky scores for Arsenal but surely it's too late

90
Substitution
 

Adam Johnson replaces Tuncay late on

90

Four minutes of stoppage time to play and Boro are close to claiming a memorable win

89

Adebayor wastes a great chance after his control lets him down

87

Arsenal appear to have given up and Boro are content to settle for 2-0

84

It looks all over, Arsenal have been poor and don't seem to have anything left to give with just over five minutes left

81
Substitution
 

Aliadiere, who won the penalty, is replaced by Julio Arca

80

Arsenal finally create a meaningful chance as Bendtner's header is touched over by Turnbull

78

Sagna heads behind with Downing about to add a third goal at the back post - all Boro still

76

No more than Boro deserve and it now looks like Arsenal, mirroring Liverpool yesterday, are going to lose their unbeaten league record today

74
Goal
 

It's 2-0! Tuncay slides home the second after Arsenal fail to clear a Boro attack

71

Walcott's cross is well gathered by Turnbull

70

A strangely off-colour Arsenal continue to huff and puff without creating much in the final third

67

Sagna's cross is cleared by Jonathan Woodgate

65

Aliadiere is offside as Boro look to break again

63

Gareth Southgate will be so pleased with how his side have done so far this afternoon but Boro must guard against the expected late Arsenal onslaught

60
Substitution
 

It's a double change by Arsene Wenger as Lassana Diarra is replaced by Denilson

60
Substitution
 

Theo Walcott is on for Arsenal. Eboue goes off

59

O'Neil's dummy gives Boateng a chance of a strike on goal but it's just wide - Middlesbrough still on top

58
Yellow Card
 

Rochemback is shown a yellow card now, the bookings are mounting up here

56

Boro are still working so hard this afternoon and Arsenal look surprisingly short of inspiration

55

David Wheater tries his luck from distance - but it's well blocked by Toure

53
Yellow Card
 

Clichy goes into the book now for a foul on O'Neil

51

Boro's Rochemback fires a free-kick straight into the Gunners' wall

48
Yellow Card
 

Toure is booked for blocking off Aliadiere

47

Tuncay, with only the keeper to beat, drags his shot just wide, great chance for 2-0

45
Substitution
 

Nicklas Bendtner is on for Arsenal in place of Eduardo

Second half
 

The second half gets underway

Half time
 

Half-time and Boro deservedly lead thanks to Downing's fourth-minute spot-kick

45

Two minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half

45

Eboue's free-kick is poor down the other end

44

From a Boro corner a bit of a scramble ends with Almunia gathering the ball on the line, how Boro would love a second just before the break

41

Tuncay's finish is weak in what was a half-chance for the Boro man

39

Emmanuel Eboue's free kick is met by the head of in-form Emmanuel Adebayor but his effort is just wide - Arsenal's best chance so far

37

Aliadiere has picked up a knock but looks OK to continue after a bit of treatment

36

The Gunners have been a pale shadow of themselves so far in this game but Boro deserve credit

33

Toure's free-kick is blocked

32

Arsenal win a couple of corners in quick succession but Boro defend well and withstand the pressure

30
Yellow Card
 

O'Neil is in the thick of it again but this time for the wrong reasons as he is booked for upending Rosicky

28

O'Neil has been impressive so far and his header lands on the roof of Almunia's net - Boro continue to pose the greater threat

25

Tomas Rosicky's shot is narrowly wide - but it was never troubling Ross Turnbull

24

Arsenal are yet to test the Boro defence and it's the home side in charge

22

Gary O'Neil's cross is headed well clear by Toure

21

Fabio Rochemback fires an effort way off target after decent build-up play from the home side again

20

Boro are buzzing - and are playing in a similar way to Newcastle on Wednesday here

17

Toure's clearance comes back off Aliadiere and Manuel Almunia eventually gathers the ball - Arsenal survive

15

Boro are worklng very hard at the moment to deny Arsenal space and deserve the early lead

13

Eduardo is annoyed as he feels he should have got a corner there but the referee says no

10

Eboue rolls the ball to Toure for an Arsenal free-kick but his shot is charged down

6

A superb, and unexpected, start for Boro in this game has got the home fans buzzing early on

4
Goal
 

Stewart Downing slots the ball home and Boro lead early on

3

Toure hauls down ex-Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere inside the area and it's a penalty to Boro

Kickoff
 

The action gets underway at the Riverside