Middlesbrough ended title-hopefuls Arsenal’s six-game winning run in the Premier League following a scoreless encounter at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners still went top of the table but were certainly indebted to Petr Cech on a number of occasions, keeping out Gaston Ramirez, Adama Traore and Alvaro Negredo.
Boro had a great early opportunity when Negredo couldn’t convert after Cech parried Traore’s initial shot, while Ramirez’s free-kick soon found the woodwork from the edge of the area.
Their goalkeeper Victor Valdes then turned aside an Alexis Sanchez free-kick before opposite number Cech produced a terrific response from Ramirez’s far post header after Traore supplied a deep cross.
Arsenal threatened soon after the restart as visiting keeper Valdes collided with recalled team-mate Daniel Ayala and Theo Walcott’s chipped delivery proved only just too high for Laurent Koscielny.
Danger-man Sanchez’s low drive from the edge of the area then appeared destined for the bottom corner, until Valdes reacted superbly; although Cech was similarly kept busy following a surging break from the impressive Traore.
However, Sanchez once again tested Valdes on the break before substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s late deflected effort was disallowed for offside – but the visitors were always well worth their reward.
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny (Oxlade-Chamberlain 74), Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi (Perez Martinez 67), Sanchez
subs (unused): Gibbs, Gabriel, Ospina, Reine-Adelaide, Maitland-Niles
Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, de Roon, Forshaw, Clayton, Traore, Ramirez (Downing 85), Negredo (Stuani 90)
subs (unused): Fabio, Bernardo, Guzan, de Sart, Nugent
Ref: M. Dean
Att: 59,982
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