Gunner be difficult, but Arsenal can be beaten

ARSENE Wenger has a pretty good record against Boro, as he does against most clubs. In fact, the Gunners’ under-fire boss is chasing his 20th victory against Boro when the sides clash at the Riverside tomorrow night. Boro have suffered two wallopings at the hands of Wenger’s teams over the years, notably the legendary 6-1 battering on Teesside in 1999 and the 7-0 beating at Highbury in 2006.

Yet, every now and then, Boro have a habit of pulling something special out of the bag against Arsenal.

Their most memorable moment came in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup in 2004 when the Teessiders not only beat Wenger’s men at the Riverside but won at Highbury too.

Bryan Robson, Terry Venables, Steve McClaren and Gareth Southgate all managed to triumph in Premier League games against Arsenal.

So there is a golden opportunity tomorrow for Steve Agnew to join that hallowed club, especially considering Arsenal’s recent woes.

In fact, Wenger has accused his current crop of players of not playing. This is something which Agnew will be looking to exploit.

Boro last shot down in Gunners in December 2007 when a Stewart Downing penalty and a Tuncay goal were good enough to earn a 2-1 victory at the Riverside.

Arsenal were top of the table at the time and the setback was their first league defeat of the season.

It is an indication the Gunners can be beaten even when they are on the crest of a wave.

If Agnew’s men can gain something going into their next three games then they will be in a better frame of mind for the really testing games to come.