Middlesbrough – Arsenal

1. Arsenal will look to keep up with Manchester United by taking three points at the Riverside. Join us from 16.05 BST.

2. Today's Middlesbrough team: Schwarzer, Riggott, Southgate, Cooper, Parnaby, Wright, Boateng, Doriva, Juninho, Nemeth, Christie. Subs: Nash, Stockdale, Wilson, Downing, Davies.

3. Arsenal's side: Lehmann, Cole, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Ljungberg, Silva, Pires, Vieira, Wiltord, Henry. Subs: Taylor, Keown, Bergkamp, Parlour, Edu.

4. Gaizka Mendieta does not get a game today after international clearance failed to come through in time for the 29-year-old Spaniard to make his Middlesbrough debut. He completed his loan move from Lazio last week.

5. There is no place either for England's Danny Mills, who has joined Riverside outfit from Leeds United on loan, as he didn't sign in time.

6. Today's referee, Dermot Gallagher, gets things underway at the Riverside Stadium, which is bathed in sunshine. Let's hope we've got an exciting match ahead...

7. Early touches for the Boro backline, but Arsenal are applying pressure chasing down each pass

8. Szilard Nemeth unleashes an errant shot inside the penalty area, but Sol Campbell does enough to ensure the ball flies over the bar. Bright opening...

9. 1'

   An early scare there for the Gunners, but now the are building an attack of their own

10. 2'

    Lauren fires in tame cross for the Gunners, it's out for a corner

11. 2'

    The resulting kick is lofted into towards the near post and despite the lumbering frame of Campbell getting in the way Boro clear

12. 3'

    Patrick Vieira muscles in on the diminutive Juninho and the Gunners are back in possession

13. 4'

    Goal for the Arsenal!!

14. 5'

    Vieira passes a great ball to Freddie Ljungberg whose low shot across goal is only parried by Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer and who else but Thierry Henry is there to slot in. All too easy.

15. 6'

    A tough game in the offing for Boro now, one down inside the first 10 minutes. The watching Mills and Mendietamust be far from in awe.

16. 7'

    Henry looks sharp, as ever, trying to slip a ball though to Robert Pires

17. 8'

    On the right wing Arsenal have a freekick on the corner of the penalty area.

18. 8'

    Henry steps up, but the shot-cum-cross is over hit and Schwarzer can breathe a sigh of relief - goal kick

19. 9'

    Doriva and Chris Riggott exchange passes as Boro try to calm down proceedings at compose themselves.

20. 10'

    Nemeth and Juninho link up well but their neat passing and quick feet are not enough to get past the Arsenal defence

21. 11'

    Sylvain Wiltord unleases a decent shot but Schwarzer gets a hand to it. A great trianglular passing move between Gilberto Silva, Vieira and Wiltord opened that chance

22. 12'

    Another one for the Gunners!!

23. 13'

    An emphatic finish for Silva with a half volley on the penalty area. The ball was knocked in from the left wing by Pires and Silva has his first Premiership goal.

24. 14'

    15 minutes into the game and the Gunners are two goals to the good. Boro have a mountain to climb

25. 15'

    Arsenal are not relenting and the pressure continues with a corner

26. 16'

    Sol Campbell leaps highest and puts his header just wide. He looks angry with himself and rightly so - he should have at the very least hit the target

27. 17'

    Another shot. This time Henry fires one in from 25 yards, but it is straight at Schwarzer and he gathers easily

28. 18'

    Jens Lehman runs off his line and is well outside his area, but the keeper gets to a long ball in time to chest out of the way of the on rushing Nemeth - they did say the big German was an extrovert!

29. 20'

    Arsenal looking comfortable, buliding quietly, perhaps ominously, at the back

30. 21'

    Juninhonearly finds Malcolm Christie on the edge of the Gunners area, but the danger is snuffed out

31. 21'

    GOALLLLLLL! Another for Arsenal!

32. 22'

    From a long clearance Henry picked it up and ran toward the byline before lifting the ball in with a deft flick towards Wiltord who finished calmly

33. 23'

    Three for Arsenal and it looks like Boro are well on the way to an absolute hiding!

34. 24'

    Colin Cooper gets a yellow card for a foul on Ljungberg

35. 25'

    The Riverside is silent except for the Arsenal enclave, which is understandably buoyant!

36. 26'

    Geroge Boateng wins the ball in the centre of the pitch and feeds it to Juninho, but he is quickly tackled and Boro look lost

37. 27'

    Some of Arsenal's passing and tackling his been of the very highest order - a masterclass

38. 28'

    Gilberto, Ljungberg and Pires work a great move which results in a corner

39. 28'

    Pires takes the kick, but it is cleared

40. 29'

    Arsenal back in possession and going for the jugular

41. 30'

    That should have been a corner to the homeside. The ball clearly clipped the head of Campbell, but its a goalkick - Boro not having any luck

42. 31'

    Henry and Vieira playing cute passes to one another, controlling the ball on their chests in the centre of the field. Humiliating for Boro.

43. 32'

    Christie, out wide on the Boro left, takes on Henry and Ashley Cole, but he is robbed of the ball. But Boro are not rolling over - good determination from the home team

44. 33'

    Gareth Southgate gets in the way of Henry inside his own penalty area and does enough to ensure the Frenchman's shot is tame. Schwarzer gathers.

45. 34'

    Nemeth is give another guilt edge chance, but wastes it. A quick throw reaches Juninho who slips a ball to Nemeth who from a tight angle can only find the body of the Arsenal keeper.

46. 36'

    Juninho almost loses possession but shows hitherto unknown strength by shouldering his way past Henry to almost carve a chance for Boro

47. 37'

    Vieira lifts the ball over Cooper but the Boro man leaves his foot in and catches the Gunners' skipper in the groin. Ouch. And Cooper is already on a yellow, he needs to be careful.

48. 38'

    More pressure from Boro, the ball is whipped in and were it not for a little touch from Campbell Juninho would have been able to do more than just graze the ball. A bad miss though by the Brazilian's standards

49. 40'

    Five minutes to the break and Boro have clawed their way back into the game and have strung some passes togehter and carved out some chances.

50. 40'

    Henry tries his luck from range but the shot flies well wide

51. 41'

    Vieira launches a poor ball towards the Boro goal. He must have thought Wiltord was running into space. He was wrong. Boro goal kick.

52. 42'

    Nemeth looks to float the ball over to Christie, but Campbell jumps high to head the danger away.

53. 42'

    And from the clearance Henry has yet another chance, he tried to loft a cheeky shot over Schwarzer but he was fractionally off target

54. 43'

    Boro are desperate for the halftime whistle

55. 44'

    Boateng wins Boro's first corner of the game

56. 44'

    Juninho hits the corner long, too long for Southgate and the ball is lashed out by Doriva. Gunners goal kick.

57. 45'

    The whistle goes and Steve McLaren has his work cut out if he is to get anything from this game. His team have not been able to compete against Arsenal's strength, pace, invention and finishing.

58. 45'

    For Arsene Wenger is will be a case of "More of the same please, lads". The Arsenal team have looked solid and at ease against inferior opposition. Perhaps the only question worth asking is: How many will the Gunners net in the next 45? Keep it here to find out!

59. 45'

    Back underway at the Riverside. No changes.

60. 46'

    Christie doing some good work for Middlesbrough on the left flank, but he is lacking support

61. 47'

    Gilberto and Vieira, who have looked great today, link up well and almost realse Henry

62. 47'

    At the other end Juninho lofts in a cross from the left wing. Lehman gathers, but there is a sickening clash of heads between Cole and Boateng just behind the keeper.

63. 48'

    Both players are down recieving treatment.

64. 49'

    After an anxious wait both players are back on their feet, but the look shaken. It really was a fierce clash of heads.

65. 50'

    Cole is jogging round the pitch with a physio to ensure he is ready to rejoin the game, which is back undeway, while Boateng is still with the medical team

66. 51'

    Boateng back on - the decision is that he is fine to continue

67. 53'

    Great tackle on Alan Wright by Vieira - he's been in great form today

68. 54'

    Cole, who is back on the pitch, recieves the ball from Vieira - only to be tackled by Boateng

69. 54'

    A great little spell by Boro comes to naught - but there was some very impressive one-touch passing at the start of the move between Juninho, Boateng and Christie which worked the opening

70. 56'

    Arsenal appear to be on cruise-control at the moment - not really pressing with their full might

71. 57'

    Doriva is robbed of the ball by henry, but the blushes are short-lived as Cooper clears

72. 57'

    A half chance there for Arsenal: Henry found himself in space on the right of the Boro penalty area but his cross is cleared

73. 58'

    A quick break from Boro ends in Juninho firing a scuffed shot at Lehman's goal and the German gathers.

74. 59'

    Wiltord gets Arsenal's fourth!

75. 60'

    Campbell plays a glorious ball to Ljungberg from the halfway line splitting the defence. The Swede ran toward the goal but instead of chancing his luck from a tight angle he played it back to Wiltord who managed to knock it into the top corner - even though the pass was just behind him - great finish

76. 61'

    Pires has floored Riggott. Unintentionally the French star planted his knee into Riggott - that will be sore, bruised and exceptionally painful

77. 63'

    A few tackles flying in - getting a little spicy

78. 63'

    Boro finally winning some 50-50 balls spurred on by what they wrongly feel was penalty against Nemeth

79. 64'

    Arsenal have a corner but it is over hit and not a threat

80. 65'

    Riggott is unable to continue after that clash with Pires, on for him is youngster Andrew Davies

81. 66'

    Davies gets his first touch, heading clear a long ball from the Arsenal backline.

82. 67'

    Arsenal are playing at a leisurely pace befitting a sunny Sunday afternoon, string together some glorious training ground passes.

83. 68'

    A slick, but still leisurely, Arsenal move almost present Pires with a shooting chance on the edge of the Boro penalty area, but Cooper is there to tackle and clear

84. 69'

    Some of the Boro faithful (should it be not-so-faithful) have seen enough and are making their way out of the stadium - just what the players need!

85. 70'

    Stuart Parnaby wastes a chance to deliver a cross with Boro in a good position - a young player showing his inexperience there.

86. 70'

    It looks like Ray Parlour and Dennis Bergkamp will be joining the fray shortly - both readying themselves on the bench

87. 71'

    A scramble on the edge of the Gunners' box nearly presents an opening for Nemeth

88. 72'

    Good fighting spirit from Boro who are playing for pride - they win a corner

89. 73'

    The kick is lofted in, but it comes to no avail. The cynic might suggest that Boro are only getting these chances because Arsenal have taken their foot off the gas

90. 74'

    Triple subsitution for Arsenal. Off go Pires, Wiltord and Ljungberg and on come Parlour, Bergkamp and Edu

91. 75'

    Juninho skins two Arsenal defenders and fire in a low curling shot which Lehman just turns round the post for a corner

92. 75'

    The kick is scrambled clear and Arsenal have it once again.

93. 76'

    Juninho not impressed with his luck today decides a change of boots is in order

94. 78'

    Cole on the left for Arsenal gets the ball to the opposite wing for Parlour who clips a great ball over the Boro defenders, but Henry can't quite reach it

95. 79'

    Henry pounces on a slack ball in the middle of the pitch - but he is soon playing an errant pass which leads to an offside decision against Nemeth

96. 80'

    Ten minutes left, plus stoppage time, which there will be plenty of after the injuries to Riggott, Boateng and Cole

97. 81'

    Southgate gets away with a slip at the back - lucky as Henry was ready to capitalise on the error

98. 82'

    A few ironic calls from the fans of both teams as Boro manage to string togeher a few passes

99. 83'

    Wright puts Schwarzer under unnecessary pressure with a back pass that could easily have resulted in a fifth for Arsenal

100. 84'

     Boateng clips in a nice ball to the back post - but little Juninho has no chance of winning a header against Campbell.

101. 85'

     Substitution for the home side who bring on another youngster, Stewart Downing, for Nemeth

102. 86'

     This game may not be officially over, but Arsenal are no longer interested in the contest they won in the first 25 minutes

103. 87'

     One of the few plus points for Boro has been the performance of Davies who has looked like a decent prospect.

104. 88'

     A half chance for Juninho who recieved the ball from Christie but it is cleared and nearly results in scoring chance for Arsenal at the other end

105. 89'

     Just two minutes of added time are announced as Mendieta leaves his seat in the stands - he has seen enought, and who can blame him for escaping the final moments

106. 90'

     A disappointing performance by the Boro players has been reflected in the stands today with the Riverside as quiet as the Highbury library

107. 92'

     Thankfully ref blows the final whistle and the game is brought to an end - even though as a real contest it was over before half time

108. 92'

     At times Arsenal played with guile, power and passion - but they soon realised the game was won and relaxed in the second half producing a less than exciting finale.

109. 92'

     But full credit to the Championship hopefuls, they travel back to London with a four goal haul and are joint top of the table with Manchester United.

110. 92'

     For Steve McLaren the fact that Arsenal were just too much for his team will be scant conciliation, he has much work to do to if he wants to challenge for European places this season - perhaps Mendieta and Mills will provide much needed steel and flair, but don't hold your breath

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