Downing 4′ (pen), Tuncay 71′; Rosicky 90+4′

Sunday December 9, 2007
Richard Aikman, Guardian Unlimited

Arsenal's 22-match unbeaten record unexpectedly came to an end at the Riverside this afternoon as Stewart Downing's early penalty and Tuncay Sanli's second-half strike sealed a deserved 2-1 victory to lift Middlesbrough out of the bottom three and leave the Premier League leaders just a point clear at the top.

The Gunners dropped two points when drawing 1-1 against Newcastle on Wednesday and, although Tomas Rosicky scored in added time, three more went awry in the north-east as Gareth Southgate's side gave a spirited performance against visitors sorely lacking their leading lights.

Arsène Wenger's side had scored after just four minutes against Newcastle but that's exactly how long it took them to go behind when they needlessly conceded a penalty in Boro's first attack. After the Gunners lost possession in midfield, Jérémie Aliadière raced onto Gary O'Neil's precise through ball. The Frenchman showed Kolo Touré a clean pair of heels but, after forcing him wide, the Arsenal defender floored his former team-mate with a belated lunge. Howard Webb had no option but to point to the spot and, though Manuel Almunia correctly guessed the direction of Downing's strike, he was beaten by the pace of his low shot.

Buoyed by their positive start the home side almost scored again soon afterwards, Tour̩ and William Gallas misreading each other's intentions and enabling Tuncay a sight of goal. As he pulled the trigger, however, Gallas denied the Turkey international with a crucial block. Uncharacteristically, the visitors' performance was littered with sloppy passing and hopeful long balls Рthe result of Middlesbrough's tigerish pressing in midfield and, but for Tour̩'s timely header at the far post, Tuncay might have doubled the lead from O'Neil's floated cross.

With Arsenal missing Cesc Fábregas, Aleksandr Hleb and Mathieu Flamini, the onus was on Rosicky to provide midfield creativity but O'Neil and Fabio Rochemback proved adept at thwarting the threat of the Czech Republic international by both foul means and fair. The clutch of free-kicks Arsenal were awarded were wasted, with the exception of Emmanuel Eboué's long ball, which Emmanuel Adebayor headed narrowly wide 10 minutes before half-time.

Boro were well worth their lead, though, and Tuncay was disappointed to lose his composure, and his coordination, when he cut inside before miscuing his left-foot shot on 40 minutes. The striker missed an even better chance shortly after the restart when Rochemback slid him in with a defence-splitting pass only for Tuncay to drag his shot wide.

The hosts continued to dominate a weary-looking Arsenal side and, on 58 minutes, pieced together a delightful, sweeping move that should have produced a wonderful goal. Aliadière cut in from the left, O'Neil dummied and George Boateng's rasping, angled drive missed the far post by inches.

The second goal was not long in coming though as, on 72 minutes, O'Neil's fierce shot was saved by Almunia but Tuncay, from the tightest of angles, fired into the roof of the net. As Arsenal surged forward in injury time, Rosicky arrived unmarked to fire a late consolation, but it proved to be too little, too late as Arsenal's colours were lowered for the first time this season.