They had all the help they could want yesterday, too, as referee Rob Styles first reduced Middlesbrough to 10 men half an hour before the end and then awarded Arsenal a penalty a few minutes later. Even the normally imperturbable Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, was incensed and his assistant, Steve Round, now an England coach, was seemingly banished from the touchline.
With visits to Hamburg in midweek and to Old Trafford next Sunday, Arsenal’s continuing hesitancy in front of goal will be a source of real concern to Arsène Wenger. Two goals in three Premiership games is not Arsenal’s usual strike rate, but the Arsenal manager will gain huge satisfaction from the debut of William Gallas, who gave a more than passable imitation of Ashley Cole, both in the solidity of his defence and his attacking verve. Had a goalbound shot not been deflected wide by a desperate Middlesbrough defence in the closing moments, Gallas would have crowned an impressive display with the winner. Ashley Cole? Who? The problem for Wenger is that Gallas did not cross London, earn the contempt of Jose Mourinho or change blue for red to play at left-back.
Given the ease with which Middlesbrough fashioned the opening goal after 22 minutes, Gallas’s return to his favoured position in the middle of the defence cannot be long delayed. Only once did Gallas cross the ball with his left foot; mostly, he turned back inside, allowing the Middlesbrough defence an extra second or two to organise themselves. Jonathan Woodgate, in particular, was outstanding on his return to the Premiership. On this form, an England call-up will come sooner rather than later.
“He was incredible,” said Southgate. “He showed what class he’s got.” Given that the England defender’s last competitive game was six months ago, against Arsenal in the Champions League, he missed neither a tackle nor a header as Middlesbrough were consistently penned back inside their own half. Behind him, Mark Schwarzer was equally inspired, one save from the otherwise shot-shy Alex Hleb producing an early candidate for save of the season.
Arsenal, though, only had themselves to blame for their worst start in the history of the Premiership. Not that Wenger would admit as much. The broader acres of the Emirates Stadium, he thought, was working against the quick-passing rhythm of his side and encouraging the unnecessary extra embellishment which so incensed the 60,000 crowd. “We were closer to the goal at Highbury,” explained Wenger. “We are not sure how to use the pitch.” The same for both teams, it could be pointed out.
Advertisement
More significant in Arsenal’s stuttering start is their tendency to fall behind in games and their inability to break down massed defences, an old failing transferred a few 100 yards from their old home. On their one coherent attack of the first half, James Morrison showed them how it should be done after a neat one-two with Jason Euell left him with only Jens Lehmann to beat. Ignoring the acute angle and the imposing presence of the Arsenal goalkeeper, the 21-year-old belied his youth to flick the ball neatly into the net with the outside of his right boot. It was a strike straight from the Thierry Henry textbook, a classic counter-attacking goal.
Arsenal were stunned. On paper, Middlesbrough were the ideal team to kick-start their season, not just lambs to the slaughter on previous visits to Arsenal, including a 7-0 humiliation last season, but the team with the worst defensive record so far this season. But no ghosts seemed to have made the move from Highbury, a point that Southgate had drummed into his side through the past week. “We weren’t playing against the legend of Highbury,” he said. “This ground has no history for us.” None, as yet, for the home side either. For all the stream of chances that came their way, Arsenal had to rely on a penalty from Henry midway through the second half to earn a point. There was no dispute about the award, Stewart Downing bringing down Emmaneul Eboue inside the penalty area and Henry clipping the penalty past Schwarzer.
Boro were still fuming about the sending-off of George Boateng for his second bookable offence, an innocuous challenge on Freddie Ljungberg, barely worthy of a whistle let alone a yellow card. Boateng, who had been in the wars throughout and was booked in the first half for complaining about a quickly taken free kick, injured himself in the tackle and was taken off on a stretcher. Round, too, vanished after a prolonged harangue of referee Styles.
“People were leaving left, right and centre,” said Southgate, “so we’re still trying to clarify whether Steve was ordered to leave. I don’t want to detract from the character and resilience of my players, which was fantastic.”
Arsenal should have taken the lead as early as the 20th minute when the ball fell invitingly to Hleb eight yards out. His aim was true, but high enough for Schwarzer to parry over the bar. The miss seemed to unnerve the lightweight Belorussian, who refused to shoot point-blank or from any other distance thereafter. As Robin van Persie was profligate with a series of chances and Henry, once again, seemed a beat off his usual pace, Arsenal relied on the thrusting forward runs of Eboue and Gallas on the flanks for their penetration.
Advertisement
“He used his experience well,” said Wenger of his new boy, Gallas. “He was hesitating to cross the ball with his left foot.”
News that, in the match programme at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea had repeated their allegations over Gallas’s controversial threat to score an own goal or get sent off if Chelsea did not release him, did not draw Wenger into another counter-attack. “The best is if we forget that story and get on with it,” he added. “He has defended himself and I have defended him and we cannot do much more.”
Mindful of his schedule for the week, Wenger made three substitutions immediately after Henry’s equaliser, including the first appearance of the imposing Julio Baptista, his on-loan signing from Real Madrid.
By then, Middlesbrough had the scent of a worthy point in their nostrils, while Arsenal’s attacks were increasingly frenetic and predictably barren. Arsenal looked a long way from home.
Star Man: Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough)
Advertisement
Scorers: Arsenal: Henry 67 pen
Middlesbrough: Morrison 22
Referee: R Styles
Attendance: 60,007 Player Ratings: Arsenal: Lehmann 5, Eboue 7, Toure 6, Djourou 5, Gallas 8, Ljungberg 5 (Baptista 68min,5), Fabregas 4, Gilberto 5 (Rosicky 68min,5), Hleb 5, Henry 6, Van Persie 5 (Adebayor 68min,5)
Boro: Schwarzer 7, Taylor 6, Woodgate 8, Pogatetz 6, Davies 6, Morrison 6 (Parnaby 71min,5), Euell 6, Rochemback 5, Boateng 5, Downing 5 (Cattermole 71 min,5), Yakubu 6 (Viduka 85min,5)