Arsenal news: Arsene Wenger calls for calm after lucky escape with point against Middlesbrough

Arsenal 0 Middlesbrough 0: The Gunners missed the chance to go clear at the top

Arsene Wenger was left frustrated with Arsenal's inability to convert their possession into goals against Middlesbrough (Getty)

Arsene Wenger had watched Tottenham drop points before his Arsenal team kicked off on Saturday, he knew that Manchester City were heading into the weekend fixtures on a troubling run of form and yet, after seeing his side draw with lowly Middlesbrough at The Emirates, the French manager cut a contented figure while carrying out his post-match duties with the press.

Perhaps it was the raucous 67th birthday celebrations (watching a French third division fixture on the box) he had planned that was putting a smile on his face - although he made it very clear prior to the match - as he does every year - that the only thing that could make it a happy birthday was a victory.

Perhaps the reason for his bon homie - he was joking with the press about not attending Monday’s Arsenal AGM because “my work is to practice, I will see how I can combine both” - was that Arsenal had not let this match slip from a draw to a defeat which it could and should so easily have been. Small mercies and all that, though, surely.

If Arsenal are truly to put a strong challenge for the title together they cannot afford to drop points at home against the likes of Middlesbrough. But even more alarming from a Gunners perspective than the dropped points was the manner of the performance and the inability of anyone connected with it to alter its course.

Arsenal looked jaded from the start and Middlesbrough created by the far the better opportunities. This was not one of those matches where the visiting team’s keeper has a blinder and the home team hit the woodwork four times.

Boro’s chances were golden, too. The brilliant Adama Traore - “his pace surprised us a little bit” Wenger said - missed the first, the rather less brilliant Alvaro Negredo the second and Gaston Ramirez the best one. He also smacked the bar. The home team could only look back on an Alexis Sanchez scuffed effort when put through by Theo Walcott in terms of opportunities created. Yes, they had a lot of the ball but it was one of those days of possession for possession’s sake.

Wenger shrugged off the dropped points: these things happen he said before citing Manchester City’s draw with Everton the previous weekend as an example. The trouble with that wobbly comparison is that City played Ronald Koeman’s team off the park with their incisive, quick passing and movement and missed two penalties to boot. Everton were delighted to sneak off with a draw. Boro went north on Saturday night lamenting two points dropped.

“Overall our collective performance was less smooth, less fluid,” Wenger admitted. “The speed of our combinations were down. It was: ‘I give you, you give me’ and that lacked a bit of pace. They [Boro] get credit.

“At least we didn't lose the game. We have lost games like that. We didn't win today but at least before maybe we would have panicked a little bit and lost the game.”

The reason Arsenal didn’t lose the match, though, seemed to be very little to do with the Gunners remaining calm. Shkodran Mustafi's pass straight to Ramirez and subsequent felling of the Uruguayan was as panicky a piece of football as you are likely to see. It was more down to Boro’s wastefulness in front of goal and one well-timed tackle by Laurent Koscielny on Negredo in the dying moments. Although, had the Spaniard not been in such a ponderous state of mind perhaps induced by his earlier profligacy he may well have buried his chance before the defender could have recovered.

Alexis Sanchez reacts after missing a chance for Arsenal (Getty)

“It is just that sometimes you can be jaded physically,” Wenger reasoned afterwards, as if the 6-0 stroll past Ludogrets at The Emirates on Wednesday had drained the side. “I felt today we had to dig deep to get things going and unfortunately when you play against teams like Middlesbrough, they watch the Champions League on the television and then they are ready physically.”

Arsenal did miss the injured Santi Cazorla in deep midfield as Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin broke up play well but they lack the Spaniard’s vision. Olivier Giroud would have given Wenger an alternative option of putting crosses into the box (Lucas Perez who did come on is similar in style - although not quality - to Sanchez). The Frenchman is coming back to fitness and should play some part against Reading in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.

“Let’s not go overboard,” Wenger concluded. “We come out of a strong period, everybody can draw. You don't win on command.”

But you should show the qualities to be able to do so.