Mtch preview: M'Boro - Arsenal

Middlesbrough may not have been enjoying the best of form or fortune just lately, but such has been the erratic and unconvincing nature of Arsenal's challenge on all fronts that the Teesside club - unbeaten by the Gunners in their last three meetings at The Riverside - are probably relishing Saturday's clash as a chance to get back on track. Indeed, a feature of this competitive Premier League campaign has been the apparent dilution of the fear factor among clubs facing Arsenal. The perception seems to be that the Gunners are there for the taking these days, and that is something that Arsene Wenger and his players need to address quickly and earnestly.

The problem is that Arsenal have been so inconsistent lately that it is difficult to predict which Gunners will turn up. Will it be the confident, free-flowing side who blew away the likes of Blackburn, Bolton and Fenerbahce away from home earlier this season; the error-strewn outfit who tossed way home points to Hull City and Tottenham; the determined, spirited battlers who won against the oddswhen they met Manchester United and Chelsea; or the anaemic shambles brushed aside with embarrassing ease by Stoke City, Aston Villa, Manchester City and, on Wednesday in Portugal, FC Porto?

The Porto defeat in some ways encapsulated all that is wrong at the club at the moment. Admittedly the Gunners had already qualified for the knock-out stage of the Champions League, had this game against Middlesbrough looming, with vital Premier League points at stake, and had a number of injuries to contend with. In the circumstances it was not surprising that Wenger selected a much-changed team, but the manner in which that team performed was seriously below-par. There seemed to be a lack of character and leadership out on the pitch, and Porto were able to threaten the Manuel Almunia's goal with alarming ease.

No doubt there will be different personnel on show at the Riverside, and hopefully from Wenger's point of view a different attitude, greater aptitude and sharper appetite. But whether it's a Carling Cup tie, another crucial Premier League game or a 'dead rubber' in the Champions League, he needs his players to be fully focused and set on victory. The winning mentality (which Robinho is finding elusive among his team-mates at Manchester City) is not something can easily be turned and off, and to invoke a cliche, while winning becomes habit, so can losing, and inconsistency never achieved anything of note for any team.

Inconsistent Boro,Too

Inconsistency has, of course, been a long-term problem for Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough. The Teessiders were undoubtedly unlucky last weekend when the referee awarded Hull the penalty from which they scored to win the game. Consequently Boro need a win on Saturday to keep themselves clear of the relegation places. Although traditionally the Gunners have dominated clashes between the two sides, having won 62 and drawn 32 of their 127 meetings, Boro have become a bit of a bogey team for Wenger's side, who have picked up just one point from the last nine available in this fixture.

That said, the North-Easterners have looked better away from home recently. But home or away, Boro need to end a four-game winless streak that has taken them out of the top half of the table into choppy waters. They are struggling for bodies at the back at the moment, but their recent troubles have been more to do with a toothless attack. They have scored only three times since beating Aston Villa 2-1 at the beginning of November, with Mido's continued absence through injury not helping a situation in which Brazilian Afonso Alves has not scored for six games and ex-Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere for eight. Fortunately for Southgate, Sanli Tuncay has been finding the net - he is the club's joint leading scorer even though he missed nearly two months of the season through injury.


FORM GUIDE

Middlesbrough

06 Dec (Premier League) v Hull (A) LOST 1-2
29 Nov (Premier League) v Newcastle (H) DREW 0-0
22 Nov (Premier League) v Bolton (H) LOST 1-3
16 Nov (Premier League) v Everton (A) DREW 1-1
09 Nov (Premier League) v Aston Villa (A) WON 2-1

Arsenal

10 Dec (Champions League) v FC Porto (A) LOST 0-2
06 Dec (Premier League) v Wigan (H) WON 1-0
02 Dec (Carling Cup) v Burnley (A) LOST 0-2
30 Nov (Premier League) v Chelsea (A) WON 2-1
25 Nov (Champions League) v Dynamo Kiev (H) WON 1-0


TEAM NEWS

Middlesbrough

Gareth Southgate is faced with something of a defensive crisis, and will be without David Wheater, suspended following his red card in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Hull City, while the availability of Robert Huth and Chris Riggott remains in some doubt because of injury, though both could make the starting grid. Fellow central defender Emanuel Pogatetz played the full 90 minutes against Hull, but only with the help of pain-killing injections in his troublesome shoulder.

One of Boro's much-vaunted youngsters, Seb Hines, is on stand-by for a call-up to the starting XI, but Gary O'Neil and Mido (hamstring) will miss out, while former Gunner Justin Hoyte and Andrew Taylor (knee) are also doubtful.

Squad: Turnbull, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz, Aliadiere, Arca, Digard, Hines, Downing, Sanli, Alves, Jones, Emnes, Johnson, McMahon, Grounds, Walker.

Last Starting XI (v Hull): Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, Arca, Digard (Hines 87), Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Johnson, McMahon, Grounds, Walker.


Arsenal

After missing the win over Wigan Athletic last Saturday, both William Gallas (calf) and Abou Diaby (groin) returned to the squad for Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat by FC Porto.

Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri picked up injuries in the Wigan game, but are thought likely to return, while Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie - who were all rested for the Porto clash - should be back to face Boro.

Squad: Almunia, Clichy, Gallas, Silvestre, Sagna, Denilson, Diaby, Fabregas, Eboue, van Persie, Adebayor, Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Song, Vela, Bendtner, Ramsey, Wilshere.

Last Starting XI (v Porto): Almunia, Eboue, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Ramsey (Wilshere 59), Diaby (Gibbs 59), Song Billong (Randall 78), Denilson, Vela, Bendtner.
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Hoyte, Merida, Simpson.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Middlesbrough

Jeremie Aliadiere, 25, will be coming up against his former club. The French striker made 51 appearances (29 in the league) and scored nine goals (one league) for Arsenal between March 2000 and his move to Teesside in June 2007. And he scored the opening goal against the Gunners at the Emirates in a 1-1 draw last season.

Arsenal

The Gunners clearly missed Cesc Fabregas against Porto in midweek, and will be looking to the Catalan playmaker to makes things tick from midfield. The goalscoring record of Fabregas has been curious: 13 goals in his first four seasons with the club, then another 13 in last season alone (though all but two of them before Christmas), but only one so far this season. He's due to score again soon - and is always likely to provide an assist.