Arsenal were reduced to 10 men when Philippe Senderos was sent off for a foul on Yakubu. Boro were awarded a penalty and Yakubu converted with ease.

Wenger’s men were looking likely to concede further goals. Toure surprisingly was out of form. but showing the grit and determination that we associate with Arsenal, Thierry Henry equalised after Jens Lehmann threw the ball to Justin Hoyte on the right flank. Hoyte lobbed the ball to Adebayor who shouldered the ball into Henry’s feet. Henry slotted the ball into the net. Until then Arsenal rarely looked like scoring.

Boro are unbeaten in 2007 and have scored plenty of goals. Jonathan Woodgate had an excellent game. Having been given the slip by Henry once early on, the elegant Woodgate appeared concentration personified. One first-half moment encapsulated his craft. A leaping Henry had just directed an audacious backheel in the direction of Emmanuel Adebayor when the Real Madrid loanee’s combination of timing and positional sense enabled him to place his head in the way and clear the danger.

With 10 men and a vastly improved and hungry Boro, a draw was a fair result.