The reason Arsenal started the season so well was the ability to avoid, on most occasions, going a goal down, but now old bad habits have returned. It was that goal again, the one where the defence is too far up field and has to chase back two against two. It is a mugs game, even a half decent forward will score.

Then all the away team has to do is defend deep, and play for time, that is not a criticism, it is a fact. I cannot really remember a worthwhile shot by Boro after their goal. Once a team is defending deep it becomes very hard to build up any tempo. You can hardly approach at speed when ten men are waiting.  Boggged down in the last third Arsenal had a mostly fruitless search for a way through.

It is an oft-repeated claim that Arsenal does not use the air enough, but in fact there were plenty of high crosses and lobs in this game. Most of the headers were either squandered, or like Fabregas's just hit the post.

Boro had one shot on target and scored, Arsenal had several shots on target but couldn't get past the keeper, including efforts by Fabregas and RvP. Adebayor had a bad touch day, and Hleb seemed incapable of finding a teammate. Then for the last 15 minutes Arsenal pounded the Boro defence which almost stood up to everything thrown at it, unfortunately, for them, they allowed Toure a free header, but they didn't make the same mistake twice so 1-1 it remained.

Arsenal now stepped up several gears, and the home crowd went wild, but it was too little too late. To use a Wenger phrase it was as if the Gunners had played with the handbrake on.

Before the game Wenger had said that the return of RvP was like getting a new signing, unfortunately it was like a new signing that had missed the pre season training. No fault of Robin's but due to rustiness he missed several barn doors. Meanwhile Adebayor seemed lost, for football is about partnerships, and Ade has not had a consistent partner in two games running since Eduardo's injury. Indeed he often has different partners in the same game. He is at his best when he is working in an established partnership.

It certainly appears that the momentum is now swinging against this team winning the premiership.  From having the chance of an eight-point lead, to being second on goal difference is not the way championships are won. The team has now drawn four in a row, and nine times in total, and has to break out of that rut. A team that will not lose, but cannot win is as useful as a three legged horse at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Invincibles drew 12 times in total, but the longest drawing run was three in a row, and the first of that three won the championship at WHL. The rest of the draws were in clusters of two, or the odd one.

This team does have a spirit to it, and refuses to lose, but what it cannot do is score early goals. The strength of scoring late, is now becoming a weakness, the team lacks the can opener of a Freddy or Bobby. Fabregas, Hleb and Flam all scored most of their goals in the first half of the season. The midfield goals are drying up, and Ade is beginning to feel the pressure. To those who like to slag him off it should be remembered that there were times that Henry buckled under he pressure. Nor was Henry the can opener, he often depended on others to start the scoring.

If the idiot of a referee had not disallowed Ade's perfectly legitimate goal he would have been a hero, instead of being written off by some fickle fans.

Nothing lasts forever, not even the Roman Empire (no pun intended) this run will end, but will it be with a win or a loss? A defeat will be end of the league campaign for certain; a win could start a run that puts the team on course for equalling the 90 points of the Invincibles. Yes, that is very unlikely, but with Chelsea and Man U still to play each other, and Arsenal to play both of them, it is still all to play for. But can Wenger convince them to play?

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